Prologue to Conquering Arthritis

All over the world in traditional cultures, men and women voluntarily subject themselves to pain as a vehicle for radical spiritual transformation.  The Sundances and sweat lodges of native North America are examples of this.  As cultures become more complex, the shamanic ordeals of the tribe evolve into systems of ascetical and contemplative practice.

But what about involuntary pain?  In theory, this too could be turned into a purifying ceremony or a sacred meditation.  In practice, it is exceedingly difficult to do this unless you are fortunate enough to encounter a competent guide in this area.

In this area, the qualifications for a competent guide are severe.  The guide must be a person who has successfully used non-consensual pain to transcend their limited identity and unite with the source.  Furthermore, to be a competent guide, one must have the creative communication skills to clearly convey to others how they could also do this.

Such people are very rare.  Barbara Allan is one of them.  And this, her book, will be a godsend to those in pain who are ready for radical growth.

-- Shinzen Young