X

Retrieve your login details

Enter your email address below and we'll send you an email with a link reset your password

loading..

YOUR FAVOURITES

You need to have an account and be logged in to be able to add and manage your list of favourites. or create an account

You haven’t viewed any of our resources yet. To start exploring them now please see our full listing here

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Wales in Pilgrimage The Road Through North Wales.

Jay and Helen have a chat about what it means to be atheist or agnostic, and how the death of a loved one can affect a person’s belief in the afterlife. Does anything survive after we’re dead?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vvdl/pilgrimage-the-road-through-north-wales-episode-1?seriesId=b09w7lc0-structural-3-m001vvdk

Pilgrimage Moments: Life after Death?

Narrator:  After a hard day. Helen is having a drink with Jay.

Helen:      Do you wanna sip?

Jay:          Yeah go on babes, thank you.

Narrator:  Raised Catholic. Jay became an atheist in his teenage years, but recently has realised he's more agnostic.

Helen:      What I want to know with you is because we talk about atheism and we talk about agnostic being agnostic.

Jay:          There could be a lot more than meets the eye in this world and beyond and beyond.

Helen:      So you are saying there's something else, right? And because I believe in God, there is something else.

Jay:          You do believe in God.

Helen:      I do believe in God when we die. What happens to our soul? I don't think life just ends. I'm just thinking that we. We live on in who we've touched. Don't you ever get a sense of something or.

Jay:          I'm tempted to think that, but no, I think that I want to think that.

Helen:      I know that when like when my mother died, for instance, when you're having to face grief, then that person is still with you. I get a sense of her being with me. Um.

Jay:          One second. Just going to have a little cry in the toilet.

Helen:      Okay do that.

Jay:          I'll be right back love.

Helen:      Right. Got it. No. Do the cry.

Narrator:  In 2022, Jay lost his close friend and bandmate Tom Parker, who died from cancer aged just 33.

Helen:      All right.

Jay:          Okay, I'll probably go again, but don't panic.

Helen:      Yeah, I'm not panicking because I was great. Great to see you back. No, but no, but it's interesting because I said that about my mother. Only because being the one left behind. Um, you have to think about it. So I know your close friend Tom died. Did you know that he was dying?

Jay:          Yeah. Um. So they knew it was serious quite quickly. And, um, there's not really lots you can do.

Helen:      Did it make you think a person is here? And what happens to you, um, when that person's not there? Oh, totally.

Jay:          Um, I think it felt. Really senseless.

Helen:      Did that make you believe less than God? I mean, it's so painful to think of the end of a human. Yeah. All the joy, all the little micro cells that made that in him. Then you just go, well. Is that it? What was it all for?

Jay:          I think as much as you can be. I'm agnostic. I'm really open to the idea that there's something. But I haven't got a clue. I haven't got a clue.

Helen:      But you have got a clue. You've got loads of clues. That's why you're agnostic. If you're an atheist. It would be like, yeah.

Jay:          You've got loads of clues.

Helen:      Yeah.

Jay:          I'm missing something I think.

Helen:      Yeah, but we need to work on it, don't we?

Jay:          Yeah, probably. But knowing that someone that I really respect and really love believes in God is a big comfort to me. Thank you. I just don't know if I'm exactly there yet, but.

Helen:      And you don't have to be. I'm going to drink some wine now.

Jay:          Yeah, maybe I'll get one.

 

Pilgrimage Moments: Life after Death?

Video length - 03.55
Published date - Jun 2025
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Wales in Pilgrimage The Road Through North Wales.

Helen, Steph, Jay and Jeff have a brief chat about what they think the afterlife might be like and even consider what Coffee will be like in heaven!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vvdl/pilgrimage-the-road-through-north-wales-episode-1?seriesId=b09w7lc0-structural-3-m001vvdk

 

Pilgrimage Moments: What’s Coffee like in Heaven?

Steph:     Helen is there an afterlife in the Jewish faith?

Helen:     Do you know? I don't know about the afterlife. I don't think there's a heaven. I, I should know, shouldn't I?

Steph:     No, no.

Helen:     Do you think that there is a place called heaven?

Steph:     I used to think about this a lot as a new Christian thinking. I don't really want to go to heaven if we're just gonna sit there and play harps like.

Jay:         What do you think happens from a personal perspective when you die?

Steph:     I don't think this is the end. When we die, I think there will be something else. I think I will still be me, but in a different form.

Helen:     It's interesting how cautious I am in thinking I'm not going when I die. I'm not going to a building that's white or something. I'm not going to go up there and be me.

Steph:     I think there will be a resurrection of such. I don't ever think I'm going to be an ethereal spirit floating like I'm not going to exist without a body. To the extent where sometimes I think about, I wonder what coffee would be like in heaven, because I think it's going to be great.

Helen:     Did you just say you were wondering what coffee was like in heaven? I just thought I misheard that. But what a what a thought. Yes. Good coffee.

Steph:     I can't say those are orthodox views, but that's what I think.

Jay:         Would we have beer in heaven?

Steph:     Oh, yeah.

Jay:         Okay, great.

Steph:     Jesus's first miracle was wine. I bet he makes awesome beer.

Helen:     Yeah, we could maybe relate to that.

Jay:         Yeah.

 

Pilgrimage Moments: What’s Coffee like in Heaven?

Video length - 01.47
Published date - Jun 2025
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Wales in Pilgrimage The Road Through North Wales.

Eryl the Pioneer Priest talks about Celtic Spirituality to the Pilgrims. Tom, Christine and Eshaan respond especially well to being in a “thin place”.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vvdl/pilgrimage-the-road-through-north-wales-episode-1?seriesId=b09w7lc0-structural-3-m001vvdk

Pilgrimage Moments: A Thin Place

Narrator: The church belongs to the Anglican Church in Wales. It's run by Eryl Parry, who has an interest in Celtic Christianity, and she is what's known as a pioneer priest.

 

Eryl:        So as a pioneer priest, what we do is we create worshiping communities, faith communities for people who wouldn't necessarily find themselves sitting on a pew that might be on a mountainside. For me, there's a deeply authentic expression here, which is Celtic spirituality, and there are so many people who seek to make some kind of sense of their lives out in landscape.

 

Eshaan:   And what is Celtic spirituality? It's not something I've heard before.

 

Eryl:        So it's the Christian faith dating right back to the Saints in the sixth century. So here, Saint Callanan. So if you're here at the top of the hill, the lens of Celtic spirituality would be saying God is in the landscape. We're not worshiping nature. We're worshiping the creator.

 

Tom:       Yeah, we've seen a lot of that today. The sun coming through the clouds. God is speaking to us and God speaking to us through each other, I think. So, yeah.

 

Narrator: Eryl has her own way of leading community worship up here in the hills.

 

Eryl:        So where are we going? Is just a lovely little viewing spot. What we call a ponder spot.

 

Amanda: Yeah. Let's ponder.

 

Eshaan:   A nice bit of pondering.

 

Sonali:     This is crazy.

 

Eshaan:   Amazing.

 

Sonali:     Absolutely stunning.

 

Eryl:        So as we look across the mountains, I would ask you just to let your eyes settle on something that's speaking to you. It might be the meandering river. It might be the mountains. I'm just going to give you a little bit of time on your own to imagine what it is to be in a thin place. A thin place, we would say, is somewhere where you have a sense of the barrier between earth and heaven being thinner. You get a sense of the awesome nature of God or the awesome nature of the universe. So guys, just take a few minutes to ponder. Do you mind if I share your ponder spot?

 

Tom:       Hi. I've been looking at the Mountains where it literally just disappears into nothingness. Yeah, and it struck me. That's the thin place. That's essentially as close as you get to heaven on earth. It made me have a feeling of prayer, that hoping when I actually see heaven after I die, I recognise it for what it is. And it seems like this is a glimpse of what it might be like. It's, uh. No. It's awesome.

 

Eryl:        And that insight and this moment is a gift.

 

Tom:       Mm. I do get pilgrimage now. There's not many places in the world where you're supposed to sort of stop and look and consider yourself. And the thin barrier between heaven and earth. Oh, thank you for taking us here. I appreciate it.

 

Eryl:        Thank you.

 

Christine: I just wanted to come back and look at the church again and really appreciate it, because I don't enjoy the feeling of death. As a mum it absolutely petrifies me. It's my biggest fear is leaving my children one day. My children are considered different because they're all autistic and so am I. And I have often had comments like, I bet you wish there was a cure or something to fix your children. And and I really don't. I think every single child is a miracle. But it just makes me want to be around forever because they're so magical.

 

Eryl:        I think we're called to people and place. And you've been called as a mum.

 

Christine: It is my purpose in life, and I know I wouldn't be here if I didn't have my children.

 

Eryl:        It's a high calling.

 

Christine: I just don't know what I'd do without the kids. I don't know what I'd do without my babies. I also don't know what they'd do without me. It scares me. Really scares me.

 

Eryl:        Would a hug help or hinder?

Christine: Yeah. Thank you.

Eshaan:   Um, I could associate this breeze with praying at my mum's grave when I go there. And. The breeze has made me think of her really. And. I just kind of found myself saying some of the prayers I'd say when I go to her grave. I think the tears are just kind of the love that I wish, I wish I could still give her. I think that's part of the reason why I don't take time to ponder, because I don't want to go into what's in my heart, really. The moment I think I'm going close to that bit of me. I think I don't want to. So, uh, it's nice to be able to just to ponder. That's the whole point, right? I guess it works. I guess it works.

Pilgrimage Moments: A Thin Place

Video length - 06.42
Published date - Jun 2025
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Wales in Pilgrimage The Road Through North Wales.

The Pilgrims talk about the Buddhist view of life after death with Lama Shenpen at a Buddhist hermitage. Christine, Sonali and Eshaan reflect on her words.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vvdq/pilgrimage-the-road-through-north-wales-episode-3

Pilgrimage Moments: Buddhist Teachings

Narrator:   Once back at the Hermitage, the pilgrims meet Lama Shenpen, its founder and spiritual leader at the stupa.

 

Lama Shenpen:          So you could say that the stupa represents the center of the universe and the center of the universe could be anywhere or everywhere. So this is, if you like, a representation of it that actually contains the essence of it. So when we walk towards the stupa, we're walking to the center of the universe, which lies beyond all our thinking and opinions. It's considered to be radiating love and compassion, so it's considered to be very powerful. And the center of it is called a tree of life. Because really, in a way, Buddhism is about finding, well, what is the significance? What is life? What is birth? What is death? You could say, well, our life is a pilgrimage. We start with birth. You have this vision of a journey and the significance of your life. And then life ends. Your body dies. Yeah?

 

Spencer:    Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just have. I have a question. Yeah. I've always just felt that energy and people's energy. Because I believe you can feel the people's energy. Like it's a physical thing that you can feel. Why would the energy die with the body? So I've always assumed that, you know, when I take my last breath in this body that something will happen to my energy.

 

Lama Shenpen:          Yeah. Other cultures would find it. Mad to think that actually, that's all that happened. It lasted one lifetime and then it disappeared. What are you talking about? You die, and then you just manifest again in another body, in another place, in another time.

 

Michaela   Do you believe that you go from one body into another body, or is it just an energy that comes out and and circulates?

 

Lama Shenpen:          I think one way you can think of it is it's more like the world we create collapses, and then we've got to start again with a another situation, which is our new life.

 

Eshaan:     I sometimes feel like some of these ideas exist to give solace to the people that are left behind in a sense, like. But actually, we don't really know. Like, I don't know where my mum has gone. I have no idea. When I pray to her, I have no idea if she is in an afterlife. I'm just praying into the ether and hoping that she receives some of my energy or whatever it might be.

 

Lama Shenpen:          It's beautiful, isn't it? There's an intuitive sense that there's a meaning to that. A lot of people do seem to find those ideas helpful.

 

Narrator:   Lama Shenpen invites the pilgrims to take part in a ritual at the stupa.

 

Lama Shenpen:          As we live our life, we actually are creating a story. That's our life. And then we're holding on to things that we think are us.

 

Narrator:   The ritual helps nurture the path to spiritual awakening and enlightenment.

 

Lama Shenpen:          In some ways. When we walk around the stupa, go on our pilgrimage around the stupa, we come back to where we started, but maybe with a different perspective.

 

Christine:  As a mum. Of course. I don't ever want to leave this earth. I want to be around forever. To be with my children. Everything Lama explained made perfect sense. It was very much that. You know, your energy lives on. Okay your body might leave, but your soul and your energy is there. And that's amazing. That, for me is something that I want to believe in. That means we get to live on forever, doesn't it? I'm not scared of death anymore. I'm not scared of death.

 

Sonali:       Lama Shenpen said that life is a pilgrimage and that no one has ever said to me. I've learnt that today and it's so right. I always say I'm of Jain origin. I'm not practicing. That term practicing kind of always, it's difficult for me because then I feel like I've got to prove I'm doing something concrete. And maybe today has just confirmed. Maybe I should just say I am Jain. And then whatever I do, my intention of living a good life with as much non-violence as possible is probably all right.

 

Eshaan:     My mum felt like the centre of my universe, so I felt a real connection to this physical manifestation of centring of the universe. Every time I went round, I could feel my brain and my heart going. This is a new thing. So this was the first time where I got a sense that my stupa is missing, which is why I feel this way. I feel like I'm floating through the universe without anything to anchor me.

 

Lama Shenpen:          Thank you.

 

All Pilgrims:  Thank you so much.

 

Michaela:  That was beautiful.

 

Pilgrimage Moments: Buddhist Teachings

Video length - 05.45
Published date - Jun 2025
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Austria in Pilgrimage The Road Through the Alps.

Helen engages in a thoughtful and emotional conversation with Daliso, delving into her Jewish heritage and exploring the layered, often conflicting emotions she feels about the tragic fate of her father’s family, many of whom perished in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Theresienstadt. As she reflects on this painful history, she grapples with the question of whether she has the right or even the responsibility to claim and “own” that legacy as part of her personal and cultural identity, especially given the generational distance and the complexity of inherited trauma.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0029kxd/pilgrimage-the-road-through-the-alps-episode-1?seriesId=b09w7lc0-structural-4-m0029kxc

Pilgrimage Moments: Jewish Roots

Daliso:     On this pilgrimage. When we are going through these places, the memories like, how do you feel?

Helen:      It's triggering so much of, you know, obviously my father loved Austria so much because as a boy he would come to Austria. But then the more you know about the actual role that the Austrians purportedly played in the war, the two things are in conflict because a lot of Austrians were part of the Final Solution. I mean, this is the thing about numbers. The thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of people who died, including my father's family in Auschwitz. I mean, it's just beggars belief, doesn't it?

Daliso:     Yes. So it was your father's family. How did your father get get away?

Helen:      Well, I think what was usual in 39 is you had to have a sponsor in England. They sent my father to school in Margate early, and then his parents followed and his sister followed.

Daliso:     And when you were growing up, was it spoken of or never spoken of.

Helen:      It wasn't largely spoken of because of the need and the gratitude to be English and wanting to put. The past you know, behind you and celebrate like we are just celebrating now, but move forward.

Daliso:     Yeah, do you feel your Jewishness plays a big part in your life?

Helen:      The Jewishness is complicated because I wasn't brought up in a Jewish home. We didn't. My mother was English, not Jewish. But when I think about my grandmother and the way she spoke and her sadness because there was obviously sadness, um, it's a conflict because you you've inherited this, like, paranoia that there's something you can't talk about, you can't overclaim it, because that would be a disservice to those people who are central to it. But it's really coming. It's kind of I'm feeling it now.

Daliso:     I'm feeling it here.

Helen:      So pick up your sticks. Let's go and catch up with the others.

Daliso:     I enjoyed a brief rest.

Helen:      A little rest.

Daliso:     Let's do it.

Helen:      More pilgrimage now.

 

Pilgrimage Moments: Jewish Roots

Video length - 02.41
Published date - Jun 2025
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Austria in Pilgrimage The Road Through the Alps.

Daliso leads a discussion with all the Pilgrims about the Baháʼí faith and the belief that all religions are equal in their search for the truth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0029kxd/pilgrimage-the-road-through-the-alps-episode-1?seriesId=b09w7lc0-structural-4-m0029kxc

Pilgrimage Moments: The Bahá’í Faith Transcript

Daliso:    When I was born, I was Christian and I was extremely Christian in that, like I talked to God, like not even praying. And then when I was 17, I was invited to a Baha'i deepening. Right. So by a very attractive girl. So I've got to say, the only reason I agreed was because she was hot. It wasn't actually a search for faith.

 

Stef:        As a saying flirt to convert.

 

Harry:     Stef. That seems like you've done it a few times.

 

Daliso:    But what she invited to me was amazing, because Baha'i is believed that the greatest truth is the search for truth, the independent search for truth. They believe in all the prophets, the founders of the great religions, but they're equal. It's like if there's a mountain. Truth is at the top. There are many ways to get to the top, right? That's the Christian way. That's the Muslim way. That's the Baha'i way. But you're all trying to reach the truth. And prophets are almost just like guides, and it's kind of like breadcrumbs to lead you to the truth. And I'm like, I'm reading all the breadcrumbs and trying to figure it out, because right now, I wouldn't necessarily define myself as a Baha'i because I'm still looking. I'm still questioning, but I've not yet belonged.

 

Nelufar:  Is it lonely?

 

Daliso:    No, because I would almost say, like my faith is my solace. Right. So I still get fully fulfilled. Like I will read privately religious texts and think about it. I love faith where it feels like it's opening up bits of me and it's like, do you know what I mean?

 

Helen:     It's welcoming you.

 

Daliso:    It's welcoming me and it's embracing me.

 

Pilgrimage Moments: The Bahá’í Faith

Video length - 02.08
Published date - May 2025
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Wales in Pilgrimage The Road Through North Wales.

Tom and Spencer join Sonali on a day’s fast to mark the Jain festival of Paryushana.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vvdq/pilgrimage-the-road-through-north-wales-episode-3?seriesId=b09w7lc0-structural-3-m001vvdk

Pilgrimage Moments: The Day of the Fast Transcript

Narrator:   Last night, Tom and Spencer decided to join Sonali on a fast.

Sonali:      It's really sludgy here.

Narrator:   To mark Paryushana the holiest eight days in the Jain calendar.

Spencer:   So we're fasting hey? You know how much longer we've got left? What is it, like, eight hours? Not that I'm counting, but seven hours, 52 minutes, 33 seconds. I just think we're more likely to have an enlightened experience if we're starving in inverted commas, you know, because it will be going through pain. Oh, these little bramble bushes are nice, aren't they?

Tom:         Oh, I love getting bramble bushes on my legs, actually.

Spencer:   Yes.

Tom:         It's a wonderful feeling.

Spencer:   What's this thing?

Tom:         It's something isn't it? There's definitely something, Spencer. Seems like we are nearing the top.

Christine:  Oh, wow.

Narrator:   The pilgrims have reached the ruins of an abandoned farming settlement.

Spencer:   Pilgrims. We have arrived at the Church of Saint Matthew's. Now gather round and we shall enjoy some lunch together. But not us, Tom. No. Not us.

Tom:         No. This seems like a great place to stop and not to have lunch.

Michaela:  Just you and me, Amanda.

Sonali:      I'm feeling really good today. Feel lighter.

Eshaan:     Exactly.

Sonali:      Yeah. There's something exhilarating about not feeling sluggish and then doing this kind of climb.

Eshaan:     Yeah.

Tom:         Yeah, it's more pleasant.

Eshaan:     I'm skipping lunch after having after having had three Weetabix, one Croissant and one Pain au Chocolat and a coffee.

Tom:         I respect your discipline.

Eshaan:     I just think it's the least I can do.

Spencer:   It's quite a strong feeling that I'm having towards it. Like I like I feel changed a little bit from it and I'm like, I haven't even done it yet.

Eshaan:     Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Spencer:   Just the idea of it. Let's go burn some calories just to make this easier.

Narrator:   The end of their day's walk gives the group a chance to catch up with the fasting pilgrims.

Tom:         I definitely do think on the walk. It did help to be fasted.

Eshaan:     Really why?

Tom:         I felt it was much easier to get into a flow state, like when I was just walking by myself. It was literally like five seconds, and then I felt like I was connected to nature and just like, very present in all of my steps. Um, when I'm talking to you guys, it completely ruined it.

Spencer:   Yeah.

Sonali:      I was a little taken aback that both Spencer and Tom wanted to join, but actually, having got to know them over the last week, they're sort of want to get as much, I think, out of this pilgrimage as possible.

Tom:         We are learning off of each other. Um, so the opportunity to participate in a festival of Somalis culture was one that I didn't want to miss really. I am hungry. I don't want to do it for 36 hours or whatever, but, uh, yeah, I've got a lot out of it.

Pilgrimage Moments: The Day of the Fast

Video length - 03.16
Published date - May 2025
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Wales in Pilgrimage The Road Through North Wales.

Sonali leads a discussion about forgiveness with the Pilgrims, starting with the Jain festival of Paryushana, ending with Spencer talking about his brother who died on Everest.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vvdn/pilgrimage-the-road-through-north-wales-episode-2?seriesId=b09w7lc0-structural-3-m001vvdk

Pilgrimage Moments: The Art of Forgiveness Transcript

Amanda:  Look at this, he's laid this table and everything for us. He's so lovely.

Spencer:   Did Eshaan do all this? What a legend.

Eshaan:    Right then Pilgrims.

Eshaan:    That's very kind. But you've got to taste it first.

Sonali:     And then we can give compliments to the chef.

Amanda:  100% on presentation.

Spencer:   Mashallah.

Eshaan:    Thank you. Brother. Thank you very much. Well, um, thank you to whatever it is you believe in for bringing us all together and giving us the opportunity to experience nature in all its glory, and for giving me the time, ability and space to be able to cook and feed my fellow pilgrims. Because feeding people is the way I show love. So if nothing else, even if you don't like the food, you at least know that I love you.

Eshaan:    Thank you.

Eshaan:    Enjoy. Enjoy the meal.

Sonali:     Eshaan. Thank you. This means even more for me because it is the eve of the holiest eight days in the Jain calendar.

Spencer:   Oh, really?

Sonali:     Tonight, so as of tomorrow, lots of Jains around the world will fast. Some of them even for eight days. Right. No food. I've never attempted the full eight days. I've not even. I've never gone over one day because it's not something that I want to do. Right. It's called Kshamavani . It's the festival of forgiveness. And what we say to each other is anytime you see anyone, you know, it's been part of your life over the last year, you say Micchami Dukkadam, which means please forgive me for anything that I may have said to you that offended you. Yeah. You know, on purpose, accidentally and all of that.

Tom:        I think if you don't mind, seeing as we're getting in these, you know, thin spaces in these spiritual head spaces which I have been in like a few times during this pilgrimage, I would like to use this opportunity to have one day fast tomorrow.

Spencer:   I'll do 24 hours with you.

Eshaan:    I'm also happy to try.

Spencer:   For Jains, 24 hours is nothing. And it's a little show of solidarity. Solidarity for Jains. And we should do it.

Tom:        What is it to say? Forgive me for anything that I've done.

Sonali:     Micchami Dukkadam,

Tom:        Micchami Dukkadam,

Sonali:     Which again.

Tom:        Micchami Dukkadam,

Spencer:   There's a big, um, theme of forgiveness through lots of the stuff that you said around Jainism in particular. Is that a really common theme through most religion, or is it specifically to Jain?

Sonali:     My understanding is it's part of a lot of religions. People always say, you cannot move on if you don't forgive. It's the greatest form of love, you know. Has any good come out of someone not forgiving someone?

Eshaan:    I've not forgiven God for what happened to my mum. She died very unexpectedly in the space of a week.

Spencer:   I find it really interesting that you would blame Allah for taking your mother.

Eshaan:    It's not so much that I blamed God. It's just that I knew my mum believed.

Spencer:   Yeah.

Eshaan:    And I was told my whole life. God decides, God gets involved. God decides your fate. And when I get criticised by other Muslims, as I often do because of my comedy, those critics. Whenever they come at me, I always think to myself, you know, you're so fervent in this belief. The moment my mum took her last breath, there was this being that my mum also believed in. Made the decision, according to your scripture, to take my mum away from me. And for me it was like, who is he to decide that? So I know I haven't let go of that. And I know a lot about Islam, and there's a lot about Islamic philosophy that I'm quite proud of and I think is beautiful and wonderful and I, I share with you, Alhamdulillah, all this stuff, you know, I'll share with you guys, but I will never, ever there will never be a time in my life where I will ever be a practising Muslim.

Spencer:   I personally don't feel that it needs to be literal forgiveness, like sitting down with someone and go you are forgiven. You know, like my brother's death, my parents and my other older brother knew that. You know, climbing Everest was a dangerous thing, particularly in 1999. Um, we were originally told that Mike was kind of lost on the mountain, and as a family, we treated his death, just as you would. Um, it was only kind of weeks later that we heard that there were some very serious issues with oxygen on the mountain. We thought for a very long time that it essentially was negligence. And it's very difficult to to prove any of that. But it's what we were hearing and it was a difficult thing to grow up with. I hated those people. Like I grew up hating those people, and I would I would get drunk when I was young and I would go into these holes of, like, wanting to harm these people. Yeah. Um, and I don't get that at all anymore. I don't necessarily forgive them, but I have let it go. Yeah. You know, there's no point in feeling the pain and the agony of the death 25 years after it's happened. I just realised that ultimately, harboring any kind of negative energy towards these people was was a waste of my time. I felt, you know, I've certainly tried to use Mike's death as a driver for good in my life. And, you know, I, I pray to him from time to time and kind of feel like he's a good presence in my life. Instead of feeling sad about him not being with me or wondering what could have been all the time.

Eshaan:    If you don't, if you don't mind me asking. You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to. What do you think Mike would say to you now if you saw the man you become?

Spencer:   Mike would love my kids. Mike would love my kids. And he would love my wife and like. And that's. I think he'd be delighted for me in that regard.

Eshaan:    He'd also love you. I mean, the fact that he was on Everest doing something so extreme. And the few days that I've known you, you are 100% his brother. You are a chip off the old block. Yeah, I've already messaged my friends about you and said, you know, it's so great to have someone like Spencer in my life because you inspire me. Do you know what I mean?

Spencer:   That's very kind, he inspired me, so.

Eshaan:    Yeah. So there you go. He's just passing down.

Sonali:     Michael's here with us.

Spencer:   Yeah, that's very kind of you. Thank you.

Pilgrimage Moments: The Art of Forgiveness

Video length - 06.10
Published date - May 2025
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

In this film we explore Jewish perspectives on climate change through the lens of religious teachings and ethics. Judaism emphasises the concept of Tikkun Olam—the responsibility to repair and care for the world. The Jewish faith teaches that humans are stewards of God’s creation, tasked with preserving the environment for future generations.  Jewish commitment to sustainability is an important value and the avoidance of waste (Bal Tashchit), and the moral obligation to act in ways that reduce harm to the planet is integral to the religion. Through these core values, the Jewish tradition calls for proactive efforts to combat climate change, emphasising both individual responsibility and collective action to protect the Earth for all living beings.

By linking spiritual values with environmental activism Climate Change: Judaism shows how faith can inspire a greener, more sustainable future.

Climate Change: Judaism

Rabbi Mark Goldsmith: Jewish teachings start with the idea that humanity has a responsibility to nature and to the environment around us. Our foundation story has the idea of a human being being created and then being given responsibility for the animals, for the birds, for the trees, for all the nature around them. The idea being that they're not simply a user of nature, they're a steward of nature. What we mean is that I am responsible for something. It's a little bit like you're looking after somebody at school who's new doesn't know what to do. You steward them through the day, help them to know what to do. And it's a little bit like that with nature. We steward it, we look after it, we consider it to be our responsibility.

 

So our Jewish teachings then continue from there. One of them that I feel is incredibly strong is the idea of bal taschit. This is the concept that as a person, you shouldn't destroy things. And that could be destroying fruit trees. And in fact, when it comes up in the Torah, that's exactly what the idea of bal taschit is about. It's set at the time of war, when you would have thought that destroying the enemy's fruit trees would be a really good idea, because then what are they going to eat? But you're not meant to do that because those fruit trees are a legacy for all humanity. Another big Jewish concept is tikkun olam, which asks the question, what are we here for? Literally, what are we here for as human beings? And we have a concept in Judaism that we are partners with God in the repair of the world, that the world was not left absolutely perfect. Instead, there were parts of the world that don't function too well, and we know that we experience it in our lives, whether it be through illness, whether it be through degradation of the environment around us. So what's our job? Le tikkun from which comes the word tikkun, which means to repair olam, the world, the universe. So what can we do to do that? And we all know that some of the choices that we make, the choice perhaps to walk to school or walk to work or take the bus rather than put another car on the road with all its emissions, will help to repair the world. The choice to be an environmental scientist and come up with great discoveries as to how we can make a difference to the future, that is, tikkun olam. But honestly, it can be as little as this package. Now, I'm not going to throw it away into a regular bin. I'll take it home and put it in the recycling. That's a little bit of tikkun olum.

 

In the Torah. In the book of Leviticus, there is a wonderful idea. The idea is, number one, that every seven days you need to have a day of rest. But it's not just for you as a person. That's the Shabbat we call it, or the Sabbath. You also don't do new creative work. You don't use much of the Earth's resources. You reduce the impact you have on the world, and you do that by choice. But then came the idea that every seven years we should let the lands do the same. In the ancient land of Israel. Every seven years the land wouldn't be farmed for a year. Just whatever grew naturally would be picked. But we wouldn't exploit the land. And what that enabled the land to do was for the earth to begin to recover, for the soil to recover, to be more productive for the future, because it had had the chance to rest in the current state of Israel. There were quite a few farms which still do this practice called the Shmita year. You don't plow, you don't use all the intensive techniques you would normally use to get the most out of the land, and you just pick what naturally grows there, and that's that. And then the following year you go back to your regular techniques of agriculture or whatever you need. In Judaism, there is a key prayer that every Jew is meant to say twice a day. It's called the Shema, and for us it's a declaration of one God, but especially that that one God therefore means there's a unity in all of creation, that everything is one. Everything impacts on each other. And in the Shema, in its second paragraph, it says that if you don't behave well, then the rains may not come. And we used to think, well, it doesn't really work like that, does it? But now we know there's really some truth in that, the way that humanity. And I'm not just talking about Jews. I'm talking about all of us. Behave and treat. Our planet does make a difference to the weather that we experience, and we can make a change for the positive. So eco synagogue is part of eco Judaism, and that's the idea that Judaism in our day, has got to be really responsive to the crisis of climate change, to making a difference. We do it because we want to encourage all Jews to be better environmental citizens looking after our planet better.

 

We're about to reach the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and on Rosh Hashanah there is a tradition called tashlich, which is where you go to a local water source and you throw bread on the water, and the bread is meant to represent your sins, the things you've done during the year that you really regret, that you want to change for the next year and behave better. So a brilliant organization called Repair the Sea came up with an idea to unite Jewish communities all around the world, and they call it Reverse Tashlich. Why not, instead of putting something into the water, we clean up the water. They call it repair the sea, because it doesn't matter if it's a tiny brook or it's a big river, or if it's the seaside itself. Everything flows into the sea and we know our seas are becoming more and more polluted. So what we're going to do as a synagogue is we're going to a local water source in a park, which we know eventually flows into a river, and that river flows into the sea. And we're going to clean it up. And through cleaning it up as we come to celebrate the Jewish New Year. We are trying to make the world that little bit better. Our Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah tradition, has the idea that it is ha-yom harat olam the day on which the earth was conceived as if it's the earth birthday. So what better birthday present to give to the world than to clean up a local river.

 

Volunteer 1:  We're here today in Watling Park, cleaning up the Silk Stream, which feeds into the River Thames ultimately and part of Thames 21 initiative to, you know, just to clean up the waterways. But here today, representing eco Judaism as part of our core ethos, really, of being responsible communities and caring for our environment. We want to repair the world not just through good deeds, but through environmental action, to really get our community to think more about it.

 

Volunteer 2:  So I feel this is a lot more meaningful than throwing breadcrumbs into the stream. It's so satisfying being able to clean up a park where I live is so important because it makes me feel home, and it also makes me appreciate the nature around me.

 

Volunteer 3:  It feels so special to be involved in something like Reverse Tashlich today with the members of the community on such a beautiful day. It makes me feel that I'm doing something good not just for myself, not just for the members of my community, but for the wider community as well. Also, it focuses me on how much rubbish we as humans throw away, how much we pollute this beautiful, wonderful planet, and particularly this beautiful park.

 

Volunteer 1:  It's really wonderful to be here today. It's just a lovely community activity, something to do with like minded people really feel like you're making a positive impact on the local environment and just it's very healing as an individual as well as actually for the place that we're cleaning up. So it was so great to be here today, and there were some young people in the park and they saw what we were doing, and they immediately wanted to help and took some of the litter tools and helped us clean the park.

 

Volunteer 3:  It is really important for the Jewish tradition, for Jewish faith to care about the environment. There are lots of laws and commandments starting from the Torah by taking care of the world around us. My favourite one is the Midrash from the book of Ecclesiastes Rabbah, and that Midrash talks about God taking Adam by hand and taking him through the Garden of Eden. Beautiful place. And he shows him different beautiful trees, beautiful plants, and says, look how beautiful this place is. Look after it. Do not destroy it, because if you do, there will be no one else to repay it.

 

Climate Change: Judaism

Video length - 10.02
Published date - Sep 2024
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

One Life, Live it Well, featuring Alice Roberts, explores the humanist approach to living a fulfilling life. Comparing our lives to a piece of string, with a beginning and an end, this short animation emphasises the ways non-religious people might shape what lies in between and find happiness and meaning in their lives. Highlighting the arts, science, health, relationships, and human rights as the ingredients of a good life, it explores the importance humanists place on freedom, responsibility, and connections, and how they believe we might live life to the fullest and leave something behind after we are gone.

https://understandinghumanism.org.uk/

One Life, Live it Well

Video length - 02.36
Published date - Jul 2024
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4
Downloadable resources