[pct-l] Enlightenment and thruhiking

[Dave Encisco <dencisco@rotorwiz.arc.nasa.gov>]

>From: reynolds@ilan.com
>There are two (2) types of enlightment that I know of. Although both are
>described as spiritual, one has to do with one's place in the universe
>while the other has to do with knowledge/relationship of/with and/or
>becoming a favorite of, a/the spiritual Being/world.

Hmmm that's odd, I though Enlightment was an era prior (and leading up
to) the French Revolution. ;-) I think there's a BIG E Enlightment and
a little e enlightment. Kind of like Martin Heidegger's Big Dasein and
little dasein. Sorry, I need to use my education occasionally to
remind me that I work for the BIG J Job oppose to my daily little j
job.

>One tried and true method of obtaining the former is to silence the outside
>world and reduce your dependance on it.

And so they say... Another way is "sickness unto death", but few
choose this path (although there are those who would argue the path is
of one's choosing).

>In this sense ANY backpacking is an enlightening experience -- thruhiking
>being simply more intense.

Here you go, the "enlightening experience" is in the doing. I'm with
you here. Though I only know what I experience and know nothing of
what I hear; I can only make an assumption. Of course this sort of
thinking assumes you've seen and heard a tree fall in the forest. I
was nearly crushed by a tree once. ;-)

One step at time...

Dave

===========================================
        Dave Encisco
        dencisco@rotorwiz.arc.nasa.gov
===========================================
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

==============================================================================