Well said, Michael.
David, I really don't see discussing trauma as a vehicle for dealing with personal trauma present in any of the literature of mysticism, whether that is in the Pali Canon, or the writing of the other mystics, such as: Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, and John of the Cross. And, when we examine western psychology which is all about talk therapy for dealing with trauma, we don't see any mysticism. And, Teresa of Avila's grandfather was burned at the stake for secretly practicing Jewish mysticism, and she was dumped into a convent to prove her family were good Catholics, so she surely had some trauma to deal with. Also, John of the Cross was a moor who grew up in an orphanage post reconquest, so you can bet he had some serious trauma to deal with. So, while I think some amount of recognition that many mystics were dealing with some serious trauma, as some of us here are, then that is a good thing, but the core principle here is by leading a rigorous, self-aware, contemplative life we can leave the trauma behind and refuge in this contemplative life from our respective experiences of trauma.
