Pico Iyer, The Everyday Miracles of Rinko Kawauchi:
The first time I visited Teshima, I wondered why I had to walk around the hillside, taking a long, roundabout course before entering the empty cave. Now I realize that the walk is a form of preparation, a way of slowing down and emptying yourself out so as to receive most fully all that awaits you.
Absorbing information, too, is more meaningful after a bit of preparation.