In the Silence

Silence is a fence around wisdom

German Proverb 

Silence can be found in isolation, but it can also be maintained in the presence of  chaos.  If we can quiet our mind and grow to be comfortable in the mental stillness, we can be any where or be present in any space.  We discover our teachers often times keep still when we are searching for answers.  We are aware of the knowledge the mentor retains, and yet they may remain silent when we long to hear answers.  Perhaps it is in the silence that our answers will appear.    The mentor knows we hold our answers within our own heart and spirit.

It can be good to hold our wisdom to our selves, being silent in the presence of another.  Our silence allows space for the other's inquisitive mind to explore and to put discoveries into a language.  The fence around our wisdom allows us the pleasure of not experiencing pressure to always have the appropriate answer.    We can sit in silence, content in just knowing what we hold to be true.

We can carry our silence with us, hearing the purity of the abundant sounds of nature.  In our silence, we can focus on deep breathing, experiencing subtle oneness.  When all is quiet within, we experience the lofty sense of just 'being' and not doing.  In this silence we will find our Divine in the midst of peace and calm.

Inner Quiet



Silence

     A word that evokes scary images of aloneness, of vulnerability, of having to face one's inner world.  We say we want a deeper spiritual life, yet we deny it by avoiding perhaps one of the most crucial elements - silence.  We are afraid of it.  In our media-drenched culture, silence is intimidating.

Barbara Erakko Taylor

SILENCE

For some, the word silence brings to mind a cloistered room or cell.  For others, the word silence means giving up the material world, forsaking all material pleasures.  For many, silence is only secured during a weekend retreat or in a brief meditation. 

Silence can be our personal road to inner quiet.  It is within this inner quiet that we begin to hear the whispers of wisdom and deepen our connection with the Divine.  The road leading within is safe and supportive, leading us to our true nature. 

The state of inner quiet brings us peace and calm ... a safe haven from our fast paced world.  It offers us a sacred space to just 'be'.   At first, experiencing stillness may be uncomfortable, but we can learn to weave the experience into our busy schedules as readily as we can adjust other routines such as:  sleeping, eating, exercising, laundry or cooking. 

Begin with small passages of time.  Slow the breath and breathe deeply while the eyes are closed.  Let the mindless chatter drift away and practice being in the moment ... nothing to do, no where to go. Relax into the silence and the journey into the inner quiet will begin ... be patient.

Finding True Meaning

The finest thing in the world

is knowing

how to belong to oneself.

Michel de Montaigne

Of Solitude

Through contemplation and introspection we draw upon our inner wisdom as well as life's experience in discovery of our true nature.  Before we can accomplish a sense of wholeness, we must explore and embrace unknown parts of our self.  Equally important, we need to be able to define and express our personal values and ethics. 

We each have integrity and honesty and the degree to which we utilize these qualities in our life creates a pattern.  This pattern reflects who we are, how we attend to details, if we are organized and the manner in which we embrace beauty.  These things portray our basic nature.

To benefit from inner work, we spend time alone.  This time is needed for psychological, emotional, and environmental space.  As we grow to understand our discoveries, we begin to radiate this growth out into the world. 

Through inner exploration, we become aware of what is meaningful and heartfelt to our personal life.  Using this information to guide us, we can eliminate what no longer has purpose and embrace a new sense of living.  We will have a better understanding of who we really are and will become more comfortable in being our original self.

When this is accomplished, the long search for filling the void within is over.  We are able to turn to our inner self for answers we have been seeking else where.  Filled with integrity and honesty, we are able to navigate in relationships and in life purpose, finding true meaning and significance.

  

Clearing in the Forest

This is what I believe:

That I am I.

That my soul is a dark forest.

That my known self will never be more

than a little clearing in the forest.

That gods, strange gods, come forth

into the clearing of my known self

and then go back.

That I must have the courage to let

them come and go.

That I will never let mankind put anything

over me, but that I will try always to recognize

and submit to the gods in me and the gods

in other men and women.

STUDIES IN CLASSIC AMERICAN LITERATURE

D. H. Lawrence

There is something about this poem that truly speaks to me.  It resonates within me with every reading and stirs my inner 'knowings' with certainty. 

In the past, I have always used the word 'veil' to describe  unexpected moments seen with precise clarity.  The veil is pulled to the side and spiritual vision comes into focus bringing understanding to elements of life otherwise indescribable.  The moment passes and the veil slides elegantly back into place leaving the viewer at a loss for explanation.  There are no words in our language to explain what the eyes have seen and the heart has heard.

The unexpected moments of 'knowing', I believe, are the same as the 'strange gods' mentioned in this piece.  Spiritual intelligence or whatever term comfortably used, nudges us into an awareness so we can receive insight, encouragement, and rekindled faith. 

The unfortunate part is the brevity of the experience.  It is never lengthy as a vision might be or as detailed as a dream.  It is simply a pocket in time where an other worldly impression is made with all senses responding and miraculously understanding. 

The experience passes as quickly as it arrives.  In the passing instant the entire universe has been opened to detailed comprehension, but only leaving a vague memory. 

Is Divine Spirit really... out there ... or does this supreme power also reside within each human being?  If this deity could be seen deep inside each of us, would be quite so eager to kill and destroy or would integrity and diversity prevail.

I believe my life is more peaceful when I listen with my compassionate heart, respecting the spirits within me as well as the strange gods residing in others. 

.

Restoring the Spirit

True silence is the rest of the mind;

it is to the spirit

what sleep is to the body,

nourishment and refreshment.

William Penn

Last night, I woke up feeling like I had slept for ten hours, but glancing at the clock by my bed, I realized I had only slept for a few hours.  Wide awake, I got up, slipped on my robe and found my way to my favorite chair.  I lit a candle and stared at the flickering light. I lost myself by mentally slipping into the flame.

Memories from the day and any thoughts for a new agenda simply slid away.   I felt only peace and calm as I tried to work with my breath, breathing in calm and then exhaling stress.  Slowly, I felt like I was suspended, just 'being' in the moment.

My physical self seemed to fall away and in my mind, I wandered in the silence.  Soothing colors gently surrounded me and I was caressed by all that might comfort me.  I seemed to be restored through the presence of endless love.  There was no sense of time and eventually, I found myself awake.  I was sitting in my chair with the candle still flickering.

I blew out the candle and wandered back to bed, knowing that I would sleep well.  I felt as though my spirit had been deeply connected with all there is and all there ever will be.   

There are no means that I have found to adequately describe this time and space.   Every day words like solitude or dream simply do not encompass the depth of such an experience.   Meditation or contemplation is known to be a wonderful place for training the mind to be still and to experience suspension of time.  I have found that any technique in stilling the mind can lead to an open passage way to restoring the spirit.

A Little Word ...

"Once I only knew darkness and stillness ... my life was without past or future ... but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness and my heart leaped to the rapture of living."  Helen Keller