November 12, 2001
In The Silence
Our hot tub has been the scene
for many great conversations and laughter.
When we experience it as a family gathering, we enjoy the openness that
the warm water seems to invoke.
That is why it is strange that
the hot tub this week was the site of another step in my spiritual journey.
This week I experienced silence; true silence that is so very rare.
It was a kind of silence that those who meditate describe.
Dr. Deepak Chopra says, “… [Meditation] gives me an inner stability
and silence that is not overshadowed by any activity.
That silence stays with me so that no outer experience can overshadow the
awareness and experience of the self.”
Most of us are challenged by
moments of silence. It can be
uncomfortable or awkward as we have so many sounds to distract us.
We instinctively turn on the radio when we are driving, leave a
television on just for some noise, and say anything that pops in our head to
avoid silence during time with friends.
In writing about silence and
solitude, Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph.D. in his book Essential Spirituality,
says; “Consider the examples of
the religious founders: Buddha’s long years of meditation in the forest,
Mohammad’s prayer in a cave, or Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness.
All would have agreed with the Native Americans that: ‘The power of
solitude is great and beyond understanding.’ … When silence reigns both
within and without, we can hear what can never be spoken, the wisdom that waits
beyond words.”
Experiencing silence allowed me to eventually quiet my
thoughts and enjoy the serenity of the moment.
My senses seemed more heightened and I felt my blood flowing through my
body. As I would hear a noise, I
dismissed it. The same was true of
trivial thoughts. I recognized the
process, which started out of a desire to allow my wife some quiet time, but had
a powerfully positive effect on me as well.
I am not noted for my quiet
personality so adding true silence (quiet surroundings with a quiet mind) to my
daily activities will not come easy. But
it seems so important in my quest for spirituality because it felt so right that
night in the hot tub. I have
wondered about retreats I have read about typically sponsored by monastic orders
that cater to solitude, prayer, contemplation and silence.
Now I am surfing the net to look at a few such experiences with a
newfound interest. Mother Teresa
once said, “It is in the silence of the heart that God speaks.”
I think I get it.
With respect, acceptance, and love,
Richard
©
Richard D. Olson and Awaken The Soul, 2001; Edited by Janice E. Olson