... posted on a Tuesday.

1) Why is there physical pain?
Because we live in physical bodies. Physical pain is something that comes from physical incarnation. It shows us what we can do to our bodies and what we can't; without it, we'd be likely to break them without knowing it. Then there's physical pain that doesn't have that sort of source - things like chronic pain, as opposed to breaking-your-arm pain. In that case, there's something we're supposed to get out of it, though I think it differs for every person. There is no one blanket purpose.

2) Do you prefer western or eastern medicine? Why?
It depends. Each has its place. I've had bad experiences with both (and thus am a bit disillusioned with medicine as a whole), but I've had good experiences with both too.

3) Describe your own personal experience with pain. Chronic illness? Trips to doctors? Shamans? Hospitals? Accupuncture?
My life has, I think, been more pain-free than most. Which is good, because I have a very low pain tolerance.

4) Have you or someone you know been miraculously healed?
Depends on what you mean by "miraculously." I've had health problems fixed when I worried that there was no chance of them ever going away. Maybe objectively it's not miraculous, but it sure felt that way to me.

5) What is the biggest healing secret you have learned in your life?
No one thing works for everybody. Above all, you have to listen to your intuition and to what your body tells you. That doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to doctors, healers, etc., but if something feels wrong, and continues to feel wrong, don't do it, no matter how many people have told you it's good for you. As in all things, there is no one true way. Some people are healthier being vegetarians; some people need meat. Some people do very well with acupuncture; for others, acupuncture does very little, but chakra healing does wonders; and others do best with regular Western medicine. Some people need lots of hot weather; others need lots of cold weather. And so on. The more you figure out what's right for you personally, and do it, the healthier you'll be.

where do we go from here?
humanity is being ravaged by disease
doctors are powerless against it
pollution is everywhere
men and women die daily in senseless ethnic conflicts
homelessness is rampant
people can't read
children are being killed in the streets
the year is 1350
it was the beginning of the Renaissance
they made it
so will we

~Anonymous, from the Harvard MBTA stop