The path of the Hermit may seem long and solitary. Yet, it is true to the reality of introspection. Looking within requires humility, discipline, and courage. And although outwardly meditative, the Hermit's introspection is deeply contemplative. Active, it dynamically immerses him at the heart of his own consciousness. The meditative is a "passer" while the contemplative is an "actor." He may seem motionless, yet the Hermit advances... His gaze contemplates the salvation of his experience, not the past. For him, crisis is an opportunity for awakening, pain is merely a sensation, and suffering... a pure illusion. Facing the pilgrims who follow him, he walks backward. Behind him, he leaves a land enriched by the labors of his consciousness and his lantern's offering. Based on "Saint Onuphrius," Francisco Collantes (1599 - 1656)