Hugh Elliot – Inner and Outer Travel

Pilgrimage is something that unites (not divides) all religions. Christians go to Rome or Canterbury or Jerusalem. Why? What is the purpose of such arduous travel, and what is the benefit, if any? Muslims must make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lifetime. Buddhists go to Sri Lanka or to other holy places. Druids used to travel, at some difficulty, to their Sun temples, like Stonehenge. Sufis make great efforts to go to the shrines of saints. With the outer journey, of course, comes the inner reason for it all, perhaps the desire for a cure for an illness or a beneficent blessing from the saint at his or her shrine. Hugh Elliot’s talk looks at all this and more.
Born in London, England, he was exposed to the teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff and J.G. Bennett at an early age, as he began to search for information that could help him understand life’s perennial questions. His parents were disciples of Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky, and it is through the study of their writings that he began his search. This search has taken him all over the outer world and all through the inner world in a journey of inner and outer travel. He has spent his outer professional life in media and has published articles concerning spirituality, politics, education and travel.