ITEMS of INTEREST

with contributions from Frances Moore Lappé, Jeffrey Perkins, Elizabeth Bernstein, Theresa Winslow, Nerissa Pacio

"PART OF THE REASON I believe it's so hard for us to face the void is that a void is, by definition, empty. There's nothing there. NOthing there means no nourishment. No nourishment means death—not very appealing!

"Yet that's not how our religious traditions see the void. Mohammed retreated to meditate in solitude in a cave in Mount Hiraa', in the desert hills outside Mecca, where he received the koran. Jesus wandered the desert for forty days and nights before beginning his years of ministry. The lsraelites wandered forty years before finding the Promised Land, taking that time to define their beliefs and laws. Elijah retreated to a cave to listen for divine inspiration. And Buddha wandered for six years in the forest before finally sitting under a tree, where enlightenment came.

"Our spiritual leaders found in the void their strength, focus, and insight. Their stories suggest that experiencing the void is redemptive. . . .

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intuition an exploration