“To dedicate your life to the intimate knowledge of the most essential nature of any subject is to embark on a spiritual quest.” Jennifer Sinor (quoted from “The spiritual quest of the alchemist,” The American Scholar, Fall 2021)
Yes, okay. And what does it mean “to dedicate your life?” Few people are capable of such dedication to one thing. Intimate knowledge probably refers to knowledge acquired up close, over time; it probably refers to knowledge that is hidden from all but the most patient and devoted inquiries and observations. Because a subject’s “most essential nature” may be dynamic and ambiguous, this is probably the space in any domain where the quest’s deepest struggles occur. The quest becomes spiritual here, because dedication and intimacy alone do not make the quest true?