Sitting in my chair in “the study” (what used to be
the dining room) this morning, eating breakfast, there was a spontaneous
awareness of an exquisite Silence that permeated the room *despite* the noises
of the refrigerator, and airplanes, and dogs barking, and cars passing on the
street, the food being eaten. It was a
tangible Silence that permeated even the noise and pulled me inward – inviting
me into its intimacy - in what felt like a spontaneous “meditation” – being
absorbed by Silence. And then mind reminded
me of all the things that needed to be done – creating a disturbance. Mind said: the broken faucet in the kitchen
sink leaking into the cabinet below needs to be fixed, gotta go get a new
faucet. Silence silently said: Follow Me…
Mind said – there are several piles of laundry needing to be done. Silence said: Be absorbed by Me… Mind said: clean your house. Silence said:
Be undisturbed…
And so I sat with Exquisite Silence – undisturbed,
absorbed, at peace – communing with Silence – sensing it, tasting it, feeling it,
experiencing it… Delighting in the
Silence of Being… Like the way of “the ancients” – who knew the intimacy of the
Rhythm of Silence… Like old lovers who
know each other’s “real” name…
Experiencing Exquisite Silence is being aware of
the *presence* of Pure Awareness – awareing – which is never disturbed by
thought – even though thinking is occurring simultaneously… It’s just Beingness being what It is –
Silence – touching you, whispering to your Heart to come and be still - to
listen… (See poem “The Whisper” in side margin).
Exquisite Silence is the thread that runs through
everything – permeating all life, all of us… Following the Silence is like following that
thread to the Eternal Ocean of Being, where Silence absorbs ItSelf – the wave
dissolving into the Ocean – aware that it *is* the Ocean.
What a delight to be absorbed by Silence. Just This…
I didn’t want to move from my chair, but to move only as Silence moved
me… Everything gets done – when it’s
needed to get done – which was not necessarily today. J Although DH
is fixing the faucet as I write… How
sweet it is… J
“Let
the mind be the mind…
Behind its restless activity,
just one layer deeper is stillness,
and beneath even that,
is an ocean of mystery and truth.
Swim in this eternal sea
until you know yourself
to be infinity,
and bring that knowing
back into your day.
Why struggle to be what
you already are?
Behind its restless activity,
just one layer deeper is stillness,
and beneath even that,
is an ocean of mystery and truth.
Swim in this eternal sea
until you know yourself
to be infinity,
and bring that knowing
back into your day.
Why struggle to be what
you already are?
Let the
mind be the mind,
but don’t bind yourself
to its limited reality.
but don’t bind yourself
to its limited reality.
Trust
your experience of vastness.
Trust the truth that never
loses potency
or disappears
in fear.
Trust the truth that never
loses potency
or disappears
in fear.
Let the
mind be the mind
and identify not with thought,
but with silence…”
and identify not with thought,
but with silence…”
Danna
Faulds
I have tried to find a link for Danna Faulds,
as she is becoming one of my favorite poets.
I could only find this description on Amazon:
“ Danna Faulds’ poetry comes from the heart of her
spiritual practice – Kripalu Yoga and meditation.
She
writes: “…I had long since given up any rigid notion of an
anthropomorphic, judging God, yet here I was in intimate dialogue with something
bigger than myself.
anthropomorphic, judging God, yet here I was in intimate dialogue with something
bigger than myself.
Over
time I uncovered a remarkable fact:
the very act of personally addressing
the Infinite opened me to a different experience of self and other,
one in which I sensed divinity as an interior part of all things.”
(A woman after my own Heart! J)
the very act of personally addressing
the Infinite opened me to a different experience of self and other,
one in which I sensed divinity as an interior part of all things.”
(A woman after my own Heart! J)
There
is also this link for her website,
which says it is a “work in progress”
and only offers one poem…
which says it is a “work in progress”
and only offers one poem…
when i connect to that Silence, it's nothing short of pure bliss.
ReplyDelete"Everything gets done – when it’s needed to get done"
learning to trust that is so is a powerful thing.
"the very act of personally addressing
the Infinite opened me to a different experience of self and other"
excellent, yes absolutely for me.
Yes, my experience as well. Trusting the Silence creates such a different perspective... And those lines in Danna's "bio" jumped out at me too :)
DeleteHey, I like that. You sit in silence, despite thoughts of needing to do this or that, and the this/that gets done anyway, without you having to get up and break the silence to do it.
ReplyDeletecan DH come here and fix my kitchen faucet??
Well said. It seems there are always temptors when I try to sit in silence. Temptors trying to get me to leave the silence and do stuff. They will always be there. The thing is to note them and continue sitting in silence.
you are so eloquent.
Oh my goodness yes, I was pulled every which way by the mind yesterday trying to distract me, to get me to get up and do. Eventually I was more pulled by the Silence and could just rest there and allow the thoughts to be there as well...
DeleteUnfortunately DH is not the "handyman" type, only does plumbing if absolutely necessary. :) With a lot of reminders of what needs to be fixed. :) In this case he had no choice! lol :)
Hope your life is settling a bit...
Ah those little snippets of silence between the thoughts like 'mini me retreats' from whatever!
ReplyDeleteI love the poetry you find and share, thank you.
I'm going to the coast for a few days......
Speak to you soon :~)XXXX
Have a wonderful get-away! Hope there are pictures when you return :)
DeleteThis is lovely, Christine, both your observations and your photo! I love that sense of being enveloped by silence--in spite of what noise might be in the vicinity. Connecting with that silence is a wondrous thing. It feels like I'm being lifted, sparkling, such moments... Oh, and I've just begun reading The Practice of Contemplative Photography...that is a wondrous thing too. :o) Happy Days ((HUGS))
ReplyDeleteThanks Tracy :) The book is wonderful, so inspiring, and a lot more than just photography, but a way of seeing life! Your photography is wonderful already! I found that reading the book helped to create more openness, more space, more awareness around taking photos, and yet there is still that quality of immediate spontaneity that I love when taking pics... Have a good weekend!
DeleteA silent kiss upon your formless cheek...(♥)
ReplyDelete-L.
Oo-la-la :) Thank you Dear Formless One :) Being to Being, Heart to Heart.... ♥ :)
DeleteThis is exactly what I needed today. Lately I've been sucked into the minds noise and even though I find moments of quiet the feeling of silence being underneath all of that evades me. Thank you for reminding me that Christine, yes silence ...delicious silence I invite you yo surface!
ReplyDeleteThank you Aarathi... Oh how I know that feeling too, not being able to sense or feel that deep Silence of Being that underlies everything, getting tangled up in the mind and life circumstances. Happens here all the time :)
Delete