Francis Gonsalves

Of his May 29, 1953, ascent to Mount Everest, the late Edmund Hillary noted: “As we started reaching closer and closer, I had to leave more and more things behind. At the last moment, I had to leave almost everything, because everything became such a burden”. The experience of a mountaineer is similar to that of a believer who strives for the God-encounter. Indeed, true bhaktas, like mountaineers, constantly shed unnecessary things in order to reach God.

The Biblical model of the detached pilgrim is Abraham, who is considered the “forefather of faith” of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. “Go from your country, your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you”, says God to Abraham. The passage continues: “He went, as the Lord had told him”. In leaving behind his land and home, Abraham surrenders to God.
Abraham is also willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac (Genesis 22). God says, “Take your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go and offer him on one of the mountains that I'll show you”. Obviously, God doesn’t want Abraham to sacrifice his son but tests him to see whether his faith is strong. So God stops him from sacrificing his son, and instead miraculously provides a ram, which is caught by its horns in a bush for the sacrifice. God is pleased that his faithful follower is not overly attached to his family and is even ready to sacrifice his only son. Abraham names that mountain of sacrifice as “The Lord will provide”; for, he realises that God wonderfully provides for all those who trust him.
Mountains, in the Bible, are both physical places and symbolic sites. There are some 500 references to mountains, whose features make them daunting and dangerous, inaccessible and inhabitable. As a religious symbol, mountains are regarded as places where people build sanctuaries and meet God. Mount Sinai and Mount Zion have deep religious significance in the Judaic tradition, like the Himalayas in the Indic.
During Lent, when Christians commemorate the suffering-death-resurrection of Jesus, the mountain stands tall as a symbol of spiritual sadhana. Mount Tabor and Mount Calvary are two prominent mountains in the scripture readings of Lent. The former represents ecstasy and glory; the latter, agony and pain.
Although the name Tabor doesn’t appear in the Bible, Catholic tradition describes a vision that Jesus’ disciples had of him being transformed on a mountain. This experience was an “ascent to God” since the disciples saw Jesus shining like the sun, with his robes dazzlingly white. So overjoyed were Jesus’ disciples by this divine darshan that Peter said, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here; if you wish, I’ll make three tents here”. By wishing to erect tents on the mountain where he saw a glorious Jesus, Peter was saying that there was no need to return to the plains. However, Jesus foretold that he would soon ascend another hillock wherefrom his disciples would flee for fear of losing their lives. Mount Calvary is the hillock upon which Jesus was cruelly crucified. Mount Tabor and Mount Calvary stand for light and darkness, transfiguration and crucifixion, joys and sorrows, respectively. Life has its ups and downs, ebbs and flows, agonies and ecstasies. In all these, the bhakta gradually begins to realise the meaning of life and sheds the ego, drops the craving for earthly possessions, gets detached from parasitic dependence on family and destroys phantoms of the past and fears of the future. Just as one peels away the layers of an onion, one renounces everything that takes one away from God.
The spirit of renunciation (sannyasa) is extolled by many religious traditions. The Bhagvad Gita mentions that the sages call sanyasa the renunciation of all works dictated by desire so as to be without egoism and expectation to “fight the battle of righteousness”. In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius of Loyola writes: “The more one divests oneself of self-love, self-will and self-interest, the more spiritual progress will one make”.
Are you willing to climb mountains to encounter God? Or, are you content with merely a “plain” existence? A contemplation of Christ crucified might strengthen one to face suffering. Not because suffering is beautiful. It is not! But, because suffering occurs when one sacrifices everything; and yet, ironically, in that very suffering one feels supported, because as one ascends, one senses that God descends, and provides for those who dare to climb.

— Francis Gonsalves is the principal of the Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi. He is involved in interfaith dialogue and peoples’ initiatives for fostering justice, harmony and peace. He can be contacted at fragons@gmail.com