In southern Spain, I once saw Catholic supplicants crawling to the hilltop shrine of a saint on blood-shredded knees; in Iran and Afghanistan, Shia Muslims of the more zealous variety flagellate their backs with blades attached to chains, memorializing the agony experienced by the revered Iman Husayn ibn Ali. Hinduism condones physical and mental suffering as a retributive form of karma.
Tea Leaves
In Japan, Fuji mounds make worship easy
Even in religious matters, the customer is always right
A miniature Mount Fuji in the Shuizenji Jojuen stroll garden in the southwestern Japanese city of Kumamoto. (Photo by Stephen Mansfield)
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