Birth

Giving birth is a universal experience and is thus a way to explain contemplation.  A woman does not have a Catholic birth or a Baptist birth, or Islamic, Hindu or Zen birth.  She gives birth.  She may be a follower or believer or part of a particular religion, but this does not enter into the actual physical birthing.  If it is Caesarian it does not need a religion to be so.  In contemplation, one can be from any particular path but once one enters into the contemplative dimension, it is the same for everyone.  Maybe that is why women tend to get along with other women better than men with men and why interfaith dialogue works best with contemplatives