Moving Toward Silence...

Peaceful Thought

Every day, I remember to be quiet and to
absorb silence into my everyday life.
I find my time and place, and I am there for myself, every day.
I hold true to my commitment to myself and my practice of silence, so that
my spiritual energy never dwindles and dies.
Every day, I give time and space to sustain my silence so that I shall
experience the renewal that will never cease.

When we find silence, it becomes our breath, and when we use it effectively, it brings newness and direction to life. Silence con­quers the tyrants of habit that oppress, suppress, and deceive us. Silence opens our eyes and ears to see and understand, and thus we can overcome all tyranny, because the power of silence gives us the motivation and the will to become free. Through silence we can transform confusion into clarity, anxiety into trust, blame into responsibility, and bitterness into forgiveness... The alchemy of silence is unlimited.

As each person is unique, so is his or her journey into silence. Of course, there are deep rivers to swim and huge mountains to cross, but the heights we reach are all worth the effort. Since we journey as students, we enjoy the learning, no matter in what form it comes, because we recognize that exploring and practicing silence is inspirational, challenging, and revealing. Whenever you falter on the path, try this simple practice, which brings you back to the essence of silence:

Take a moment... to journey inward

1. Let the body sit comfortably and feel it relaxing. Once the body is comfortable, the mind can be set free.

2. Take your mind inside and visualize a spark of light -- a point of concentrated energy -- in the center of your forehead.

3. As you focus on this spark, think of your spiritual identity as a being of light. Maintain this awareness and imagine the light shining and rays of peace reaching out into the world.

4. When you are ready, come back to the reality of the world around you but continue to be aware of the light that is always shining within you.

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Silence: A Shower of Power

Connection to our inner system of being is now a necessity as we are confronted with the spiraling disintegration of external systems. Systems that once provided security, zones of comfort, that today are battle zones as economic, social and political collapses -- minor or major -- confront our sensibilities daily. In many parts of the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, systems are in tatters. They are in states of dissolution because the value principles they once espoused with sincerity have turned into a glib adherence. Globally, there are far, far more talkers than walkers these days. The gap keeps widening and only a change in mentality can bridge the chasm between the saying and the doing, the ideal and the reality.

How to survive? However, it is not a matter of surviving but of living. Well-being for the individual, society and the planet is not a system of "rat race" tactics. Well-being is comprehensive, and does not espouse the "survival of the fittest" formula. Often, I am told: "It's a rat race." However, "I am not a rat!" I exclaim in reply.

We are the human family. We cannot resign ourselves to the maxim, "It's a dog-eat-dog world." Spirituality is the consciousness that takes all of us above such a mercenary level of existence. Spirituality gives us another set of eyes through which we cherish difference, cultivate happiness and have access to equal opportunity as the modus operandi for creating a livable life. Insecurities, on whatever level, create fears that generate ruthlessness in life that is contrary to our innate humanness. A society that instills and extols the value of a blind zealous ambition to achieve social glory in the eyes of the self and others -- either through name, money, race, religion, position, or power -- is dead. It becomes too noxious to keep existing. A crisis must happen, as it is the only possible means for exit.

There is now a call to reactivate the inner system of our being. The inner system has variously been called the soul or the spirit, but whatever word we may use, it pinpoints a core energy that is unique and natural, where our blueprint for living humanely resides. From time to time this system is forgotten in societies, so individuals appear whose task it is to reawaken its awareness. In history these are called the great teachers, the enlightened ones who bring us back to a state of remembrance of who we are and why we are.

The reminder that an inner system exists has always been necessary, which explains why throughout the course of time so many spiritual paths have emerged. However, it seems that now the universe is issuing an urgent mandate for everyone everywhere to remember the relevance of this spiritual system as the world's external systems are disintegrating at a colossal speed. A shower of power that relaxes, refreshes, recharges the discharged, damaged battery of our being is necessary. Someone may think more than just a shower is needed, that actually a torrent is required! Yes, we need a lot of inner power; however, it's essential to start gently. Too much too soon can be counterproductive. Starting with a little recharging each day can slowly and gradually empower our being. The first step for this is silence. All new things begin from a reflective space.

Many are seeking silence, a space of quietness where the self can meet the self . Meditation is viewed more and more as a genuine method for emotional, mental and physical well-being. To release stress, anxiety, and bad feelings, and to be at true peace with the self is the basis for functioning in the outer world of relationships. External systems start to be healed, start to rejuvenate when the internal system of each individual begins to resurrect. We reach the inside of ourselves through silence.

To take time out for silence on a daily basis becomes a smart method to facilitate the change from survival mode to living mode. Some ask what silence is. Here are a few possible perspectives:

1. A place of quarantine: to recognize the germs of resentments, tensions, and pressures, and then decide to clean them out of our systems. Spiritual immunization on a daily basis.
2. A place of deep rest where, in that quietness, we rest both physically and mentally -- otherwise, when we push mind and body to extremes, they start to dysfunction.
3. A place of peace where there is contentment and ease, which gives rise to a greater clarity in my thoughts. A clarity that facilitates appropriate responses to people and situations rather than knee-jerk reactions.
4. A place of grace where connection with the divine assists regeneration.

This inner place of renewal can be created by practicing four steps each day. (Of course, there may be other steps, but just to keep things manageable I have written about four):

1) Each Morning: Awake and Appreciate.

On awakening, take the self out of the bedroom because the vibrations of sleep may put one back to sleep if trying to meditate. Sitting in a quiet corner, I create my first thoughts: "Gently, lovingly, I connect with my soul-self. I am a being of peace and harmony. I appreciate this new day of my life, for there will be fresh opportunities and new learning. I am at peace with myself. I am peace." Taking this shower of positive thoughts in the morning, I am empowered for the day. Length of time in meditation depends on the individual, but most important is complete concentration, not to be distracted by anything, otherwise the energy disperses and the empowering does not take place. One can gently repeat the same thoughts as often as one needs and then come to a stillness where thinking is not necessary. That stillness showers the self with great inner serenity.

2) Daytime: Stop and Link Six or Seven Times.

Take time to create time, even just a minute. For a minute or even 30 seconds, I stop and link in silence to my inner self. With a breath, relax, slowly concentrating on these thoughts: "I relax. I am peaceful... calm... free. I am peaceful. I relax. I am peace." When these thoughts seep into my consciousness, it eases tension. Repeating these thoughts slowly and deeply and becoming stil,l I can feel that shower of peaceful power inside. If done with deep attentiveness and ease, this exercise removes fatigue and refreshes. It's a mind nap that restores energy, especially when one can hold the stillness during after the thoughts.

3) Daytime: Check, Change and Enjoy.

Check habitual negative reactions such as anxiety, anger, labeling and critical conclusions about the self or others. Discern. I dialogue with the self: "Take another route, as you know such thoughts and attitudes entangle you in the same mindset over and over again. Today I will do myself a great favor and stop this." Decide, for without determined decisions, nothing will change for the better. Consistent mindfulness changes self-sabotaging patterns and new patterns of respectfulness create joy in me and others.

4) Each Evening: Evaluate and Rest.

For a deep and relaxing sleep, what can help is to assess the day and ask the self two questions:

1. What specific thing did I do better today?


2. What specific thing could have I done better?

So one hand, appreciate the changes in the self, while simultaneously watching out for improvement. Both are necessary for mature and balanced progress. Going too much one way or the other one can become unrealistic -- either becoming too hard on the self, or thinking, "I have changed enough, let others do it now!"

After this evaluation I become silent, connecting to my inner system, to that original serenity of self. Going beyond thoughts, beyond the day and remaining in the awareness of "I am." In this evening meditation, we use "om shanti." Om means, "I am a soul. I am peace." This "I am" consciousness anchors me in the present -- no deflections to past or future, but centered in this moment of time. Such anchoring in the moment releases all tensions, and peace flows through all my being. In this state of total relaxation I am ready for a good night's sleep. The "om shanti" meditation can also be used first thing in the morning, and also at the minute stops during the day.

This exercise should be done not in the bedroom but in the same meditation corner as the morning. It's the final shower of the day. Our last thought of the day is linked to the first thought of the next day. I go to sleep clean, I will wake up clean.

Positive results are simply a matter of consistent practice. So to take showers of positive thoughts and practices, create a better me and consequently a better friend, a better colleague and a better person to others.

To finish with the words of one 96-year-old yogi from India, Dadi Janki, who at the very beginning of my journey 35 years ago gave me this simple but clear direction:

What is the difference between peace and silence? 

Peace is something we want inside. Silence is when we leave the world outside, to go inside. When we go inside we are able to find the peace that we have lost. We have not actually lost peace but we have forgotten that it is inside. Only through silence can we find it again. It's a daily journey of stopping, becoming quiet and remembering.

Her words reminded me of the meaning of the Greek word for truth "alithea," which literally means "not to forget" -- each day, to remember who, where and why we are. This is the mindfulness that keeps us in the right space and generates confidence irrespective of what is happening around us. In silence, we are in a state of remembering. That remembrance becomes experience, which creates the energy to renew, heal, reconcile, hope and envision.

For Just-a Minute meditations: www.just-a-minute.org

For more by Anthony Strano, click here.

For more on meditation, click here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-strano/meditation_b_1635255.html

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The Call of Silence

It is early April, early morning and the curling mist fills the valley below Assisi. The only things I hear are the birds and the bells which chirrup and chime in turn. Otherwise a silence embraces the dawn lit city. A silence that has existed, I am sure, in Assisi during the time of Francis and Clare.

As I gaze outside my room there are two tall pine trees totally occupied with Francis' chattering sisters, to whom he once said: "little sisters, if you have now had your say, it is time that I should also be heard.' It is said after these words they became silent and listened to him. However at the moment the birds are still chattering away obviously happy to feel the sun's topaz light aureole their tiny heads and glow,like golden hosts, onto their open melodious tongues. For a moment it looks like a new painting by the great master Giotto, who is well known in this city.

Beyond our sisters' voices there is a vast calm, an infinite feeling of quietness. Just to be here, away from the mind's rampart scurrying and scampering is heaven. The mind has been trained to be relentless for facts, believing that intellectual acrobatics and a plethora of facts define truth. In fact I find the opposite. Too much thinking, too much talking, takes us very far from the truth of things but even more so, from our inner peace. Prove, catalogue, plan, classify, validate, theorize, analyze, scrutinize, judge, demonstrate, interpret....."STOP!" I have often screeched. How about a break?

Everyone has an opinion about everything. Now, with all these crises everywhere, an ocean of opinions on the whats, the whys, the hows have created a flood of repetitive facts. Read any newspaper, watch any television program, browse the internet. The flood rises as everyone claims justice, blaming real or imagined culprits and it just goes on and on , higher and higher.

It seems that in the 21st century we have precipitated ourselves into an abyss of extremes. Over informed and over opinioned, people often do not halt the consumption of information. It's healthier to find a middle way: to know when to think and when not to, when to speak and when to keep quiet, when to step in and when to step out, when to make things happen and when to allow things to happen, when to be extrovert and when to be introvert. The realities of life can be found also through a complementary silence in one's self. When we cool down, when we can listen, when we can tune into the other then we can speak from a space of insight otherwise it is just a cacophony of emotive, often prejudiced ramblings.

So I came to Assisi just to stop: to be quiet, to contemplate the flow of things. I remember Plato's words: "I am trying to think, don't confuse me with facts." True reflection does need a distance from the barrage of facts!

Even the great thinkers like Plato needed to take time out. Silence, the slowing down of one's self, creates a space of quietness within, which in turns creates clarity of understanding. Silence refreshes and rejuvenates the mind, whose habitual appetite for noise, news and diversion has created an addiction to everything external. We are the creators of our stress, our crises and breakdowns because we have forgotten to stop, reflect and renew. We clearly understand the obvious need to recharge our mobiles but what about our minds? To experience inner quietness is as important as expressing ourselves. Without recharging ourselves we cannot function, we cannot communicate with life. Actually this inner calm gives perspective and a balanced perception to the myriad details and negative things we are daily bombarded with. Inner silence filters everything that comes to us from the outside.

Creating a space for silence is crucial for meaningful living. Taking time out to be silent is a necessity. To stop, to step back and be still gives fresh oxygen to the mind. It is like a car. We buy a car because we wish to move. To go from one place to another but we would never buy a car that did not have a brake because no matter how far or well the car moves it must also be able to stop. Our life is for expression and interaction but we also have to stop from time to time and reflect on our motives, our judgments, our movements. To stop means to observe and see where the traffic in my heart and mind are going, otherwise habit obliterates the truth of things and my clarity and peace disappear. So Assisi was a place where I could brake and stop as I had often done on a mountain top in India.

Enjoying the tranquil hills of Umbria I could forget the clamor, clatter, push and rush of the cities I usually find myself in and experience the serenity and beauty of nature, which activated my own inner tranquility.

Francis created his spiritual gentle revolution by first getting close to nature and tuning in to her serenity and principles. He provided an alternative to a legalistic, theologically congested church which had forgotten the simplicity of its own original spirit. His experience of the Divine had reminded him of a Universal Benevolence, which he felt was reflected in the interconnectedness of life not only of humanity but also of humanity with animals, nature and her elements. It became his task to remind others of this divine love and intrinsic interconnectedness. No wonder he is regarded as the Green Saint,the patron of animals and the environment.

At his hermitage just outside Assisi I saw a bronze statue of him lying on the ground and two companion monks with their circled fingers held up to the sky measuring something. It is said that Francis loved to gaze up at the bright Polar Star and his companions were trying to measure certain aspects of that star. The earth and sky were also his companions.

Francis learned to be realistic as well as spiritual for he stated: "Start by doing what is necessary, and then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

To make the impossible possible is a sign of real spirituality, to achieve what others cannot dream of. What others may call crazy or unrealistic but is accomplished by an individual step by step is a kind of sanctity: an integrity of spirit

Francis once said:

"Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society."

"Sanctify" is not just a religious term he is using but it is his deeply felt sense of wholeness and oneness with nature and humanity and unlimited trust in the Divine. To achieve this sanctity he realized that he and his spiritual companions had to absolutely let go of selfish possessiveness and the greed of being. The respect we give to that interconnectedness of life and to life's resources is an answer to the wars and crisis we see around us today and what he himself had experienced in medieval Italy. He was so shocked by war's brutality and violence that he broke down and had to reposition himself, his purpose and his code of being. This breakdown is vividly represented outside the Basilica of St Francis where a statue of him on a horse captures his sense of utter desolation and disillusionment as both horse and man limp back from the war.

So in his hermitage away from his task of rejuvenating Christianity, traveling over Italy and to countries such as Egypt, Corfu, Syria , aligning himself with the poor and sick, Francis found the time to gaze at the stars, mountain, flowers ,water and trees. He also spent time talking to the animals and to his brother sun and sister moon. Giotto captures all of this in the paintings which decorate the basilica of Francis where we spent Good Thursday early morning in meditation. A small group of us, who had especially come for a two day dialogue, shared a collective silence for about one hour. Two days earlier a small group of Buddhists, nuns, yogis, Platonists, Christian meditators had actually come together to discuss the creative and healing power of contemplation as a contribution to today's crises.

Certainly our group felt that inner silence was a crucial start for newness in thought and action. Greece came up as an example of crisis and our Platonist friend from Germany perceptively stated that the crises has first started in Greece because that is the heart of western culture and all western culture , to a smaller or greater degree is suffering from the same malaise. So Greece as the parent receives the first blow of the Western collapse. He went on to say that where the crisis is also exists the solution. The roots of heritage hold the antidote to the poison.

The American coordinator of our Contemplative Alliance stated that now it appears to be the time that spiritual principles need to be valued and applied for social transformation. Thought, word and understanding are necessary but also action. So thinkers do not just keep on thinking, speakers do not just keep on speaking, analysts do not just keep on analyzing but also act. Action that can be effective when a contemplative empowering has happened individually and collectively to change the anachronistic routes of thoughts and behavior. Without that inner transformation then the same consciousness keeps repeating the same mistakes. The wheel keeps turning in on itself and there is no exit. All innovation began and was sustained by a transformation in consciousness. To act from a space of transformative silence facilitates the application of spiritual principles into social living. Otherwise either we rehash decrepit formulas or become too complacent. As Plato said:

"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-strano/the-call-of-silence_b_1414299.html

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