Silence – a special experience
Silence – a special experience
Rich, vivid, deep
Many thoughts and emotions come alive
The quietness that rests over the lake in the night
The crystal-clear autumn morning with soft layers of frost on the grass and fallen leaves
The calmness reflected in a loving gaze
The motionless eye of a storm
The special peace in places where, for ages, the human heart has turned to the divine
Silence may be gentle and caring, like the love between father, mother and child
In silence, man can reconnect to the strength that is never disrupted by the noise of everyday life
Silence may bring peace, calm and clarity, but it may also be scary
Silence emphasizes feelings of aloneness; bringing man face to face with himself
In silence, the soul may whisper without words about the undone and unlived parts of existence
Silence has something to convey, but it is rarely given a chance to do so. Not only will the noise and hustle and bustle of society tend to drown it out, but stress, hurried action, thoughts and shallow feelings may also prevent inner peace. Unresolved issues, conflict and tasks may be tying us up. There are always things to be done or to be improved before we eventually feel able to allow ourselves the time and space for calmness and reflection, before we may start living, return to something fundamental and essential. We may long for peace, but whilst restlessly waiting, we may continually omit and avoid the mild embrace of silence.
We may experience the silence of nature high in the mountains, on vast plains, in forests. The silence of nature is re-creative, restoring, vitalizing and gives us strength for the challenges of everyday life. The experience of silence in nature may touch strings that otherwise would remain dormant and untouched. In it, we may relax, be absorbed and flow with the rhythms of life.
The rustling of leaves does not diminish the silence of nature. Silence can live in the middle of motion. So too in human lives; in the midst of stress, involvement and major responsibilities, in bodily aches and pains, in thoughts and images, even when encountered by life and by death, silence may prevail at the centre of existence. The silence felt during meditation is not a void. Even so, it may be difficult to sense that silence speaks. Silence is more than the absence of sound or movement.
No noise or action can ever defeat the anchored silence within, but it is easily overshadowed and overlooked. Inner silence, in which time disappears, is a fundamental part of man’s existence, yet it may be outweighed by stress, anxiety, restlessness and priorities which fill the void with constant undertakings. Probably, all have experienced moments when inner calm comes forth and leaves the mind peaceful. Such moments cannot be captured and kept. They are rare; they belong to the here-and-now. They are fleeting – coming and going, not at will but when the body and mind are receptive.
Meditation brings the mind closer to the inner power of silence. Even if we are far from the silence of nature, a part of man’s inner nature always rests in a core of this very same silence. Meditation brings us closer to this part of us. In the quiet stream of consciousness during meditation, we are tacitly and often unnoticeably connected with what is untouched by time and history, happiness and suffering; i.e., the silent core of man’s existential freedom.