From the archive / Mindfulness
What silence does before it becomes wisdom
SourceReflectionPractice
A story of silence as first refuge, then discipline, then a doorway into wisdom.
Mindfulness
What Silence Costs the Person Who Keeps It
A frank look at the discipline of silence, including the parts of it that are genuinely difficult rather than romantically peaceful.
OriginTeachingPracticeIntegration
Silence is often written about as though it is simply peace waiting to be entered. For most people who have kept it seriously, even briefly, this is not quite true.
The early hours of any extended silence tend to be loud: with unfinished conversations replaying, with the itch to narrate what is happening even to no one, with a restlessness that has nowhere else to go once its usual outlet, speech, is removed.
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No notes yet. The first reflection can set the tone for the rest of the conversation.