The world's constant hustle & bustle and our never-ending self-talk (heavily influenced by "negativity bias") dominate our attention & lives. No wonder it's rare for anything new - especially the quiet voice of wisdom - to enliven us.
“Because the volume of the world is so loud,
it’s drowning out the whisper from the heart.
That whisper in your heart
may not have wings,
but it has the power to fly.” Muhammad Iqbal
We can, however, learn to intentionally shift our attention away from noise, and increasingly towards what we deeply value: the more subtle, nuanced, far more meaningful, interesting, PLEASANT aspects of life. This shift is like switching from the clanging of metal garbage cans to quiet classical music. It takes a while for the ringing in our ears to subside, & develop the skill to actively listen with our whole self to all that is quiet, gentle, meaningful.
‘How can we claim the years have taught us anything,
if we’ve not learned to sit and listen
to the secret that whispers in the brooks?’ Carl Jung
"So if I look at a fire, for example, with ego-consciousness, I see a fire. But if I gaze into the flames, in that contemplative gazing at the flames, I sense in the flames the intimations of the holiness and the mystery manifesting itself as this flame. That’s why I think when we try to talk about it, we’re trying to grab it in words. But if we sit in meditative silence infused with love, the state of wonder, we intimately taste directly for ourselves for which no words can be found. That’s why we long for the experience to which our words are alluding to, and how to stabilize in it, and how to share it with people.”
James Finley PhD https://batgap.com/james-finley/
“No relationship can thrive without the sense of spaciousness that comes with stillness. Meditate or spend silent time in nature together. When going for a walk or sitting in the car or at home, become comfortable with being in stillness together. Stillness cannot and need not be created. Just be receptive to the stillness that is already there, but is usually obscured by mental noise.” Eckhart Tolle
“We are on a voyage of discovery with no endpoint ... an endless exploration of how to be in the world for the benefit of ourselves and all beings.” Adyashanti
I highly recommend Bill Morgan's 10-minute talk "Why Practice Meditation?" - near the bottom of the page, "August 16": https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resources/daily-sit/
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| Alexandrya Eaton "Pink Apple Blossoms" fogforestgallery.ca |
Thinking of I Thou element in such quiet times.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Post. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏽
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