The Way of Silence

Have you ever sat in the solitude of a chapel? The light dances through the stained glass, filling the stillness with warmth and color.

Have you ever walked in the wilderness? Life and activity is all around you, but everything seems peaceful and quiet.

Have you ever been awake before the sun comes up – enjoying the moment when all the world is still?

There’s magic in the early morning dawn
Before the sunlight breaks the plane of earth
A stillness reigns before the dark is gone
A moment’s breath before the day gives birth
It bears the sweetest silence of the day
A chance to pause and to collect your thought
And in the peaceful calm you find your way
Giving a view the later day cannot
Perhaps you sit holding a cup of tea
Maybe you eat fresh eggs from little farm
Perhaps you swim out in the glassy sea
Maybe you shower under water warm
No matter how you greet the coming light
Arising then begins the new day right

Such moments of silence are lovely. They are a way of life.

***

Give me a quiet refuge from the sound
Help me avoid the overwhelming din
For worldly noises echo all around
Their constant roar blocks out the voice within
Give me shelter from all my distraction
The never ending stream of current news
All the clutter blocking me from action
All those possessions I shall never use
Give me protection from my weaker heart
That with abandon so consumes all life
It takes and takes right from the very start
It travels on the path of pain and strife
But I know the safety that I so seek
Only comes from fighting week after week

Silence is the absence of noise. Noise clutters life – distracting from what is important.

Constant consumption
Media fills the still void
It’s a distraction

Media and communication can be noise. I love reading insightful and fun websites. I love connecting with people on Google+ and Twitter. They are worthwhile activities. But they can get in the way.

There is always another thing to read.
There is always another thing to learn.
There is always another thing to think about.

The distraction is gratifying in the near term, so it has power. The benefits come right away. It’s not hard to give in.

The danger is that you only consume, taking in without giving back. A lake without an outlet, you can become as the Dead Sea. Being alive is too valuable to let that happen.

I own lots of things
They fill my whole apartment
But do I need them

Physical possessions can be noise. When I stop and look at all that I have, I am amazed. Why do I have so many things I don’t need? Why do I keep acquiring more?

Consumption comes out of a mindset of scarcity – that what I have is not enough. But what is enough? Am I not already richer than 99% of the world’s population?

Possessions take up space in your mind. They demand your attention. You worry that you may lose what you have.

My wife and I have been getting rid of what we don’t need. What we can, we sell. The rest we give or throw away. We are not finished, but the process is freeing.

Clear out what you provides you no value – not just from your home but from your mind.

But remember that simplicity is a tool, not an end. Don’t let it become the noise.

If you do nothing
Your life will remain noisy
Noise is the default

Shutting off the noise requires deliberate action. Focus on giving. Create space for what matters.

***

To rocky shores I come to sit and stay
In the sound of the waves and crashing sea
With rolling waves that never cease to be
From depths to shore returning every day
Beside me in the breeze the branches sway
Of a beautiful little nearby tree
Some leaves the coming autumn has set free
Its color now a mix of gold and gray
Upright I take a still and centered pose
Sitting and resting with an open palm
I breath as though I smell a fragrant rose
Inhaling all the peaceful quiet calm
To all of thought and fear my mind I close
To silent emptiness I do belong

Silence is being presence. It’s paying close attention to yourself, where you are, and what you’re doing.

From the quiet, you learn what’s important to you. Then you can act accordingly. Notice what stirs your heart. Observe what makes you feel alive.

In the stillness, you pay attention to how you respond to life. How do you feel? What do you think? How can you grow?

One form of presence is meditation, or prayer. Silence all noise – even the voice of your thoughts.

While I am, as I always am, a student in this practice, I’ve learned a few things.

Pick a spot without any noise. You don’t have to find complete silence, being alone in nature works well. But it does need to be free from distractions.

Breath slowly and sit up straight. Your body posture influences how you think and act.

Focus on something. It can be the sound of your breathing. It can be a single word or verse. It can be the crashing of the waves. Ignore everything else.

When your mind wanders, bring it back. Don’t feel bad or angry, it takes practice.

Start with a short time frame. Making the habit more manageable increases the likelihood that you’ll keep it up.

Explore what works for you. Just because one person finds a method helpful doesn’t mean you will too. Be open to experimentation.

As you sit in that stillness – as everything around you fades away – you are present. You surrender to the silence. You listen.

***

Oh that heaven would answer my request
To open my eyes so that I may see
The wonders of this world so richly blessed
All the heights and depths so fair and lovely
Let me know the sweetest grace of rainfall
Dancing lightly upon the dusty soils
Let me behold the mountains rising tall
The open skies pierced by their snowy foils
Let me watch the birds soar and spin in flight
Playing in the pleasant noonday sunshine
Let me observe the beasts in all their might
Those creatures of magnificent design
Oh for my heart to yet know this beauty
So that I in turn may share it with thee

Silence is listening. It’s shutting up long enough to hear what you need to hear.

The world around you
Is full of wonder and grace
Will you notice it

Listen to the world around you. You can learn a lot from your surroundings.

See the beautiful things. Notice the sun shining through the autumn leaves. Hear the sound of leaves crunching underfoot. Watch squirrels hop along the grass. Know that life is beautiful.

Learn from the people you meet. They have much to teach you if you pay attention.

You’re not the only
Person on this small planet
See what others say

Listen to others.

When they hurt, sit with them. They do not seek council or solutions – just the compassion of another human being. Be the one that hears their hardship, acknowledges their pain, and tells them they are not alone. Show them love without words.

When they need advice, hear them first. Pay attention before speaking. Then your words will bear wisdom.

When they speak from their understanding, listen. See how you can learn from their experience. Open yourself to new ideas.

When they are filled with joy, celebrate with them. Hear them as they tell the story. Be happy in their happiness.

Listening to another is an active process. You attempt, as best as you can, to look at the world through their eyes – to understand how they feel. You ask questions – deepening your understanding. You give them your full attention.

It is one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone.

***

So marvelous it is to go to sleep
After a day filled up with work and play
To lay silently still without a peep
An end to match the delight of the day
Laying down and turning off all the light
Pulling the warmest blankets to your head
Settling in for another sleep-filled night
Resting softly within your own sweet bed
As your eyelids shut out the world outside
Slip into a state of peaceful dreaming
In an unconscious world you go abide
The broadest smile on your face is beaming
Farewell my friends for my time has now come
To sleep until the rising of the sun

Silence is sleep. It’s good to get enough of it.

###

A place of light and silence. I made this photo in Portland, OR.