Extreme Pilgrim
Encyclopedia
Extreme Pilgrim is a British
television series which was first broadcast by the BBC
in January 2008. The series is presented by the Anglican vicar, Pete Owen-Jones
who is researching the path of enlightenment
and spirituality
which he sees as having been lost by those in West.
, central China
. The Shaolin Monastery, the ancestral home of all martial arts
, and considered to be his most physically demanding phase of Pete's search as he looks into the teachings of the India
n Buddhist, Bodhidharma
.
Once there, he is introduced to meditation
and follows a "punishing" regime of physical exercise. After becoming disenchanted with what he see as a "branding" of life at the monastery and an inability to achieve the levels of meditation required, he travels to a mountain temple located in Sangwan. After a period of time, he manages to feel the stillness of mind he requires through breathing and movement and concludes that he has attained a level of Zen
.
, India
and follows Peter's time with the wandering Sadhu
holy men who see themselves as mediums between the Gods and human
ity. Whilst there, Peter looks into the Hindu
pilgrimage
named the Kumbh Mela
, which draws people from all over India to the River Ganges.
Once there, Peter attempts to search out a guru
who will show the way of the Sadhu's. After the festival, Peter travels to Haridwar
to learn more on the Hindu faith and its gods. From there, he travel north and into foothills of the Himalayas
to a village where he is to live on the outskirts of in a cave to seek solitude.
, the Desert Fathers
and the Hermit
lifestyle. He visits Coma, the birthplace of Anthony, and the church where he spent 20 years in relative solitude. From there he travels into the desert with a group of Bedouin
camel
herder
s to trace Anthony's steps to the site where he established the Monastery of Saint Anthony
.
After a stay with the Copt
ic monks at the monastery Peter goes into one of the hermit caves where St Anthony spent his final 43 years. Under the stewardship of an Australian coptic hermit, Father Lazarus, he is introduced into one of the caves and goes on to spend 21 days there in solitude.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series which was first broadcast by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in January 2008. The series is presented by the Anglican vicar, Pete Owen-Jones
Pete Owen-Jones
Peter Owen-Jones is an English Anglican clergyman, author and television presenter.Owen Jones dropped out of public school at the age of 16 and went to Australia to make his fortune...
who is researching the path of enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
and spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
which he sees as having been lost by those in West.
Part One: China
The first episode in the series see Peter travelling to the Shaolin Monastery of Henan ProvinceHenan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, central China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The Shaolin Monastery, the ancestral home of all martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, and considered to be his most physically demanding phase of Pete's search as he looks into the teachings of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Buddhist, Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
.
Once there, he is introduced to meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
and follows a "punishing" regime of physical exercise. After becoming disenchanted with what he see as a "branding" of life at the monastery and an inability to achieve the levels of meditation required, he travels to a mountain temple located in Sangwan. After a period of time, he manages to feel the stillness of mind he requires through breathing and movement and concludes that he has attained a level of Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
.
Part Two: India
The second episode is located in AllahabadAllahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and follows Peter's time with the wandering Sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
holy men who see themselves as mediums between the Gods and human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
ity. Whilst there, Peter looks into the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
named the Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage in which Hindus gather at the Ganges river.The normal Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 3 years, the Ardh Kumbh Mela is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Prayag, the Purna Kumbh takes place every twelve years, at four places Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain,...
, which draws people from all over India to the River Ganges.
Once there, Peter attempts to search out a guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
who will show the way of the Sadhu's. After the festival, Peter travels to Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
to learn more on the Hindu faith and its gods. From there, he travel north and into foothills of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
to a village where he is to live on the outskirts of in a cave to seek solitude.
Part Three: Egypt
The third and final episode is set in Egypt and looks to gain insight into the teachings of St Anthony of the DesertAnthony the Great
Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
, the Desert Fathers
Desert Fathers
The Desert Fathers were hermits, ascetics, monks, and nuns who lived mainly in the Scetes desert of Egypt beginning around the third century AD. The most well known was Anthony the Great, who moved to the desert in 270–271 and became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism...
and the Hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
lifestyle. He visits Coma, the birthplace of Anthony, and the church where he spent 20 years in relative solitude. From there he travels into the desert with a group of Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
herder
Herder
A herder is a worker who lives a possibly semi-nomadic life, caring for various domestic animals, in places where these animals wander pasture lands....
s to trace Anthony's steps to the site where he established the Monastery of Saint Anthony
Monastery of Saint Anthony
The Monastery of Saint Anthony is a Coptic Orthodox monastery standing in an oasis in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, in the southern part of the Suez Governorate. Hidden deep in the Red Sea mountains, it is located southeast of Cairo. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the world, together with...
.
After a stay with the Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
ic monks at the monastery Peter goes into one of the hermit caves where St Anthony spent his final 43 years. Under the stewardship of an Australian coptic hermit, Father Lazarus, he is introduced into one of the caves and goes on to spend 21 days there in solitude.