09. The Hermit

At last I reached the summit of the snow mountains. On the peak stood a lamp-bearer, motionless—silent as an abyss. Wind and snow swept past the hem of his robe, steaming into tiny flowers as white as snow.

— Lux’s Diary, Day 10 · Solitary Peak

solitude, introspection, wisdom, ascetic practice, meditation, guidance, conveyance, enlightenment, focusing on the self, loneliness

escaping reality, confusion, self-doubt, closing off the heart, not fitting in, reclusive, stubborn, refusing help