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<P>Dear Kathy,</P>
<P>I just felt like sharing with you. I am a Brazilian, brown, 57-year old, ex-catholic seminarian, Hindu, gay man, also a teacher (Ph.D. political science) and soon to be -paraphrasing Xose- a happy pilgrim at the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. I have made pilgrimages in India, where I walked barefoot for one month, both in Vrndavana (near Delhi) and Mayapur (close to Calcutta). I have been to Fatima, as well, here in Portugal and to Aparecida do Norte in Brazil. During my 20 years in Hawaii, I had many experiences in this regard, including with extraterrestrial beings.</P>
<P>What I have learned is that spirituality has nothing whatsoever to do with religion, race, birthplace, sexual orientation, color, race, politics, you name it... Spirituality is an attribute of the soul, which is eternal and immaterial, spiritual. Paulo Coelho depicts well the Camino, comparing it with our <EM>journey</EM> through life, between birth and death of the body. Our bodies are our clothes, a wonderful machine to help us evolve (or not) spiritually. Thank God I have overcome some of my hangups about myself (I needed psychiatric help to accpet my inborn homosexuality).</P>
<P>What I mean to say is that I am a seeker of the <EM>Truth </EM>and have the conviction that <EM>It</EM> will reveal itself to me, so long as I keep searching after it. God has no religion. I am open for the truth, come it from where it may. All those labels that I applied to myself as an introduction are actually false because impermanent. They wil cease to be with the death of my body. What I -we- will receive from the Camino pertains to the soul, regardless of our condition here on this planet where we happen to be living at this present incarnation. The gift from the Camino is spiritual, removed from the material. </P>
<P>I am not trying to convey that I have found the Absolute Truth and am now passing it along. I am sharing with you -all of you- a conviction of mine hoping that it can contribute to a better understanding of why we are here -in life and in the Camino. If you don't believe it, just throw it away, let's not argue over it. And, Kathy, even though Buddhism is essentially an atheistic faith (I studied and folowed Tibetan Buddhism for a few years in Honolulu), I think you have much to gain by trailing this so-called Christian Camino. Again, God -or Goodness- has no religion. </P></DIV>I will be there from mid-September to mid-October. All the best.<BR><BR><BR>
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<DIV><STRONG><EM>Antonio Carlos da Silva Rosa </EM></STRONG></DIV><STRONG><EM>Lisboa-Portugal</EM></STRONG>
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<DIV><A href="mailto:antonio_silva1ahotmail.com"><STRONG>antonio_silva1ahotmail.com</STRONG></A></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>>From: kit <KITaORCASONLINE.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
<DIV></DIV>>To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: An introduction/Kathy
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 01:29:45 -0700
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>--
<DIV></DIV>>Open WebMail Project (http://openwebmail.org)
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>---------- Original Message -----------
<DIV></DIV>>From: Xosé Manuel Alvariño <ELCAMINOMEJALAaAOL.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
<DIV></DIV>>Sent: Tue, 27 May 2003 11:59:33 -0400
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: An introduction/Kathy
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> > Kathy, from a very soon to be peregrino to another, u have no idea
<DIV></DIV>> > how much you've already added just by being here. Welcome to the pack.
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Xosé Manuel
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > In a message dated 5/26/2003 1:58:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,
<DIV></DIV>> > abhayakarunaaDSLEXTREME.COM writes:
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > >
<DIV></DIV>> > > Dear All
<DIV></DIV>> > >
<DIV></DIV>> > > I am Kathy. I am a teacher and a student. I am a very overweight, African
<DIV></DIV>> > > American female buddhist lesbian looking forward with a great smile to my
<DIV></DIV>> > > walk of the Camino.
<DIV></DIV>> > >
<DIV></DIV>> > > I have been lurking here for about 2 weeks. I had no intention of actually
<DIV></DIV>> > > participating in the discussion because I have never been to Spain at all
<DIV></DIV>> > > and did not believe there was anything I could add. But with the US
<DIV></DIV>> > > dollar falling at such an alarming rate and the spike in airline prices I
<DIV></DIV>> > > have suffered an attack of doubt about taking on such a trip and wanted to
<DIV></DIV>> > > make a more personal contact with those of like interest.
<DIV></DIV>> > >
<DIV></DIV>> > > I will be leaving early July. I have 60 days. I plan to
<DIV></DIV>> > > walk from
<DIV></DIV>> > > Roncesvalles.
<DIV></DIV>> > >
<DIV></DIV>> > > Just writing this out has energized me.
<DIV></DIV>> > >
<DIV></DIV>> > > I thank you all.
<DIV></DIV>> > > Kathy
<DIV></DIV>>------- End of Original Message -------
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