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Divineis
Canada
420 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 01 2008 : 11:49:34 PM
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...I really wanted to at one point, for like 2 weeks(of silence), my ego's a little scared though ,plus there's work, but I reckon I could fit this into "religious followings" or something,heh where there's a will there's a way.
Anyone go silent, right spot in the middle of everyday life? Or just any neat stories or whatever on the subject :). |
Edited by - Divineis on Jul 01 2008 11:54:27 PM |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 09:40:24 AM
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I went to a silent retreat last summer with Adyashanti. It was 5 days long and I spoke only once and that was to apologize to a life-guard for jumping out of my canoe to go for a swim (I think she may have thought I was drowning), unknown to me at the time, this was apparently not in keeping with the rules...
In any event, at the end of my 5 days of (almost) complete silence, I really didn't feel like I hadn't spoken because my mind had been nattering the whole time anyways! I was more aware of the internal dialog when I was at the retreat, but I didn’t observe the external silence impacting the internal talking with any significance. From my perspective, the mind will talk about a subject as long as there is an emotional charge associated with it. Peace is found when the emotional charge dissipates and the mind comes to rest (stillness). Once it does, there’s no point in talking about it anymore, it’s just not as interesting, though the mind will likely find something new...
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Manipura
USA
870 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 11:54:44 AM
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| I've gone for 2-3 days at a time without talking. It's always combined with a solo retreat of sorts, where I don't leave the house during that time. For me it would be very tedious to go out into the world without speaking, but I have a friend who does it for extended periods (a few wks.) and carries a little card that says, "Can't talk" or something simple that makes the reader think he has laryngitis. He swears that prolonged silence is a very centering thing. I like being quiet for a few days at a time...by the end of it I'm aware of how much energy goes into communicating, and how much is retained by not. The critical thing, as I see it, is what's done with the energy that's conserved. If you choose to turn it inward, or toward some kind of meditative & centering activity, you'll prob. benefit from it. But if you're just horsing around or engaging in some kind of numbing activity, there's no point. Silence combined with fasting is particularly effective for drawing the attention inward. |
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Divineis
Canada
420 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 5:02:41 PM
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yeah, meg, I'd definetly plan to use that build up of "silent energy" and draw it inwards. Practice almost constant mindfulness, since I'd be more "alone" the whole time. That's sorta what drew me to the idea... especially the "no idle chat" thing. I find my spirituality getting more and more infused into my language, I'd rather just live it, just be, than go around explaining to people a whole lot about nothing and "turning inward" or whatever. I've felt a big thing for me this year was getting in touch with what's "normal". Simple, normal people, I admire that. People that just do their thing. So much complexity seems infused in languange, I'm just really curious how deep that goes in my mind I guess.
hehe, kinda funny how most spiritual stuff comes down to "you never knew how much you loved it, until it was gone"... except it's often the ego kind of loving it I guess.
What's left when you take everything away? That's always been my question.
anyway, thank you both for the replies, I really appreciate it. |
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jillatay
USA
206 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 5:43:33 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Anthem11
In any event, at the end of my 5 days of (almost) complete silence, I really didn't feel like I hadn't spoken because my mind had been nattering the whole time anyways!
Hi Anthem11,
I have had almost the same experience but mine was 3 or 4 days at a solo retreat. It was almost unbearable because that inner dialog was so noisy and incessant. I felt like I was in the middle of a roaring crowd but no where to turn to get away. I was meditating a lot too (not AYP) but there wasn't any centering for me. By the end I was exhausted and not a little disappointed.
I guess silence of this sort needs self pacing too. 
Love to all,
Jill |
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Manipura
USA
870 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 6:40:09 PM
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That's a great point about 'living it' vs. talking about it. The same friend whom I refer to is a very spiritual guy, very loving & kind & into his own spiritual practices; he and his girlfriend practice tantra without much fanfare, and so on...and you'd NEVER know any of it. He'd never talk to anyone about his spirituality (except me I guess, as we're very close..) and he rolls his eyes when I mention anything about my involvement with this forum. In his view, the more you have to talk about it, the less spiritual you are. Not saying that's my view, but I have immense respect for him and his quiet, no nonsense spirituality.
Good luck with your enforced silence, Divine! :) |
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Divineis
Canada
420 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 9:53:28 PM
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Indeed, I really have to agree with you. I don't live that way, but I have mucho respect for those that just keep on living without going on and ooooon about "why?" or "who am I" or whatever. I mean, they're great questions, I'm sure everyone asks themselves them at certain points in their life, but when we stay stuck on that... it just goes against everything I've ever learned from those questions haha.
I actually kinda surprised myself, when certain people would start asking me questions about Zen, and I'd work in these "evasion" tactics not to ignore them or anything, but just cuz I knew the question was one of those "needlessly stay stuck on" sort of ones. And my "evasion tactics" usually gave them a better answer, not the one they were looking for, but... I just always prefer those sorts of "out of stillness" sort of answers rather than the prepared "I believe this" sort of ones.
The thing is, most people I talk to don't actually meditate, so I've asked myself... how to explain the unexplainable to someone not willing to meditate. How to just give a taste of the infinite without making a thing of it. I'm not sure it's a needed task really. People can't avoid themselves forever... am I here to quicken the process? I dunno. I'll just keep doing what I do though haha :). haha, can one even quicken the process of the discovery of that which is timeless? seems a little silly put that way hehehe.
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KriyabanSeeking
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2010 : 1:29:52 PM
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My two cents:
I practice periods of outer silence while simultaneously practicing inner Japa (chanting). After sometime, I notice the mantra recedes to the background of my consciousness. If I am able to keep the mind still, I let it dissolve completely and practice inner silence (which brings about the Omkar vibration *inner sound of OM). If the mind starts to get restless, I simply return back to the Japa until the mind is ready to be still again.
Anyway, that's my 'story' :)
Blessings! |
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vow of silence
