Properly understood, Western spirituality begins as a kenotic emptying of oneself, known in the east as the Hinayana. The contemplative must empty himself to make room for the wounds of the world.
Embracing the pain and heartache of the world is not a matter of pitying those around us, but opening up to the least within us—becoming more & more receptive of our own wounds, which in turn make us more available to the "least among us." This is known in the east as the Mahayana path. The Mahayana is the gateway to redemption and resurrection.
When we enter through the gate of our own wounds and the wounds of the world we reconnect with the Power of Being that animates our life, our true Life. We have been disembodied and therefore powerless, because when we turned away from our suffering and the suffering of those around us, we separated ourselves from life. So our wounds, practically speaking, really are the path that leads back to the garden. The human journey is unconditioned. We do not have to wait until we get our shit together before we can reconnect with our true Life. We can enter through the shit. This is orientation of the Vajrayana.
At the heart of the journey is a perfect silence, an open awareness that does not seek to fix or pacify the wound, but simply enters into the world as it is, allowing life to grow out of our darkness. Silence is the only way to step enter this path. Silence is the only way to progress along this path. Silence is the only way to complete this journey, because silence is our first language.
