Silence

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I live a couple of hours from the Abbey of Gethsemeni, a monstary where Thomas Merton lived, wrote, and where he is buried. I am not of the Catholic faith, but I so love visiting the Abbey. In many area a person must observe silence and that makes for such a peaceful feeling walking around the grounds, sitting in areas where the only sounds are the birds visiting the bird feeders. There are other of the world's religions that also observe silence, such as Buddists and times of silence and meditation, and I'm sure many others. I was thinking of how much of the Christian faith neglects this. We fill our time with busyness, committees, meetings, doing, doing, doing, and neglect the deep spiritual rest of being quiet. There is Biblical instruction for this: "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10.http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=359&d=1303865756

[razz]

Peaceful Photo!
Funny you should mention this. I was just saying to DH last night that I simply will not move into town until all the options are exhausted for being independent in our country home.
I sit outside on the deck in the early morning and late evening and it is so quiet except for the occasional car or critter/bird and I soak up the silence. I need this time of quiet to cope with life's business through the day. Walking in the woods is therapeutic as well so I must make some time to do that this weekend when we have a full house.

[catherine]

I'm so jealous!! I've read a number of Merton's works. We are in VT for August, and we make frequent trips to the Weston Priory (www.westonpriory.org), where a community of Benedictine monks live, raise their own farm animals, have music and prayer five times a day, and observe silence. I stayed there for a weekend with DH once, and the silence was almost deafening, but so, so peaceful.

In fact, we're headed up there in just a couple of hours! We like to sit by their pond and just meditate for a while.

[Stella]

Beautiful photo!

I love the silence of monasteries too. There's a movie I want to see called Into Great Silence (http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/film.php?directoryname=intogreatsilence) that follows the lives of the Carthusian Monks at the Grand Chartreuse. I should see if my church library has it. If not, maybe I'll buy it and donate it when I'm done watching it.

I have begun a practice of getting up very early in the morning, usually 4-5AM and sitting in my little prayer chapel (see the sacred space in the home thread) for a half hour or so of silent prayer. I miss it on days like today when I sleep in. That silent time with God is so profound.

[rodeosweetheart]

Thank you, was just thinking and talking to my husband about Merton yesterday, and about what he was thinking about his spiritual path in the last days of his life. It's very nice to see that photo.

[goldensmom]

Inspiring. Psalm 46:10 is one of my life verses. Also one of my favorite songs. I know - a song is the opposite of silence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C01lLxEo3xM&feature=related

[rodeosweetheart]

Thank you, Goldensmom, that message is exactly what the OP is talking about. Those pictures are so beautiful.

[Anne Lee]

Renovare has some interesting resources about solitude from a Christian perspective: http://www.renovare.us/SPIRITUALRENEWAL/PracticingLikeJesus/Solitude/tabid/2588/Default.aspx I like my peace and quiet but life doesn't always afford opportunities. It's times like these that I attempt to be peaceful and quiet in spite of my circumstances, rather than because.

[BayouGirl]

One of the things that attracted me to the Quaker faith (also known as "Friends") was that many of their church services may simply be church members congregating together in silence. Their meeting space is plain and not one of those overdone churches with ornate gold trimmings and statues and lavish displays and decorations. If a person feels moved to speak then they may. There is no preacher whooping and loudly proclaiming the things you must do to be worthy and how only their way is the way to do it. Church members simply gather together and silently contemplate or worship in the way that suits them. I find this so much more enlightening than being lectured by a preacher. I would rather hear my friends speak on matters of their heart and soul and what epiphanies they may have. I would rather sit in silence among friends and quietly reflect instead of having the head of an organized religion chastise me because I am not fulfilling his expectations of how to live a spiritually fulfilling life.

[ToomuchStuff]

My experience with churches and organized religion, has always made me want to translate the bible. There have been arguments for a long time over translations, hence one of the reasons for the different versions (each wants control over what it says), but the quote above: "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 Always, makes me think, SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME.

[julia]

I also attend the Quakers (they welcome atheists like me too) and have found the silence very peaceful and healing. It's sometimes hard to just sit there for a whole hour, so I usually have a book of poetry or something else meditative to read if necessary. I really recommend it.

[morning girl]

I am a Zen Buddhist and practice at a center in an urban neighborhood. It is not and especially noisy neighborhood but it is not silent. There is traffic and pedestrians outside. The sounds can be heard in the meditation hall, but the hall is profoundly silent. Silence come form within.

[BayouGirl]

I also attend the Quakers (they welcome atheists like me too) and have found the silence very peaceful and healing. It's sometimes hard to just sit there for a whole hour, so I usually have a book of poetry or something else meditative to read if necessary. I really recommend it.

That's what I love about the Quakers. They welcome all religions and beliefs to worship with them. They aren't about trying to convert you to think their way but rather respect your right to have your spiritual relationship with your god as you please (or even be an atheist). We can all learn from one another, our diverse believes and respect what we each have to contribute from our perspective and experiences.

[Xmac]

Every notice that the word, "silent" and "listen" have the same letters?

[Rosemary]

I too need some time of silence every day. Our house is a quiet refuge from the world. We listen to music and watch movies sometimes, or play music ourselves, but the default is that it is quiet aside from our conversation. I feel calm when I return home from the busy world. The total silence is why I get up at 5am, hours before anyone else.

[ljevtich]

I listen to Jon Kabat-Zinn - Guided Mindfulness - 03 - Sitting Meditation: for meditation every day. Most of it is done in silence. I try for 20 minutes a day, ultimately to go up to 40 minutes a day. I find that it is also hard to have silence but when I get up early I find I get it done and feel better after that.

[Din]

Beautiful photo!

I love the silence of monasteries too. There's a movie I want to see called Into Great Silence (http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/film.php?directoryname=intogreatsilence) that follows the lives of the Carthusian Monks at the Grand Chartreuse. I should see if my church library has it. If not, maybe I'll buy it and donate it when I'm done watching it.

I have begun a practice of getting up very early in the morning, usually 4-5AM and sitting in my little prayer chapel (see the sacred space in the home thread) for a half hour or so of silent prayer. I miss it on days like today when I sleep in. That silent time with God is so profound.

Actually that movie is available on the internet if you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-z3JPfJNI4

Unfortunately it's a french movie and there's no english subtitles.

[Din]

What I've noticed for myself is the true happiness or peace I'm looking for comes when my mind itself is silent, when no thoughts are going through it, when it's completely quiet. However, something else I've noticed is that even when thoughts are going a mile a minute, it's not that important anymore because most of the time I can just be aware of those thoughts without being lost in identification with them, there's a huge difference between believing a thought to be true and just watching it as if it's just a visitor passing through my consciousness. It's like being mindful of all your thoughts as opposed to be lost in the mindstream of thoughts and taking them all seriously.

[Din]

"There is Biblical instruction for this: "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10."

Being still is the ability to be alert and present and just watching your thoughts and see them for what they are (they're just thoughts!), aka "mindfulness".

When you can do that you notice that what you are is the witness of thoughts, and the witness of your entire life, so you realize what you really are is consciousness itself.

And the person you think you are, is just a thought!

[catherine]

Every notice that the word, "silent" and "listen" have the same letters?

Wow, one is actually an anagram of the other! Very interesting! Maybe why that's why they keep the "t" in listen, even though we don't pronounce it ;)

Like everything else, being able to go to that still place within just takes practice. Sometimes, to get started, a tool is helpful, like rosary/prayer beads. I find that saying the rosary leads me to a meditative state. Others use mantras or chanting sounds.

[Din]

Actually the real peace and quiet that counts is not out there in the environment, it's in your own mind! ;)