Friday, September 14, 2012

The respect and awe of silence



Ever find yourself without inspiration, even when you try to find a quiet time and place? I hate those times, for it makes me feel empty and unconnected. I think it comes when I have too much "busyness" going on in my life.

Recently I read the words "silence shows respect and awe". The phrase caught my attention.

What do I need to have a silence that results in awe and wonder? I suspect it must be a silence that not just listens, but sees. A silence that pierces the veil that hides the spiritual, and allows me to move beyond.

I want that kind of silence. I blame my busyness for my lack of inspiration, yet I know this is not true. I was by far much busier in the monastery than I am at present. I suspect it is my own surroundings.  In the monastery, we were not just surrounded by silence, but silence was imposed upon us as a rule. The times for speaking were clearly defined. It built respect, so much so that when I broke silence, I felt like I was breaking a precious dish, destroying something priceless, losing something sacred.

I have to wonder if I have let myself surrender to the noise of life. I have to wonder if my lack of inspiration comes, not from being busy, but from my own willingness to break silence. I have to reflect that noise has become part of my life, and that I have lost some of that wonder over stillness and quiet.

Now to return to that wonder!

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