Have you ever wondered why silence is so frightening to a lot of us? Why is it so difficult for our minds to be still and for us to sit with our own energy for extended periods of time? In the observation of western society and the conditioning that is present in craving instant gratification to appease ones ego, it leaves the average person hating the idea of stillness. One becomes unable to sit in the energy of silence because there is an innate fear of letting go of distractions that plague the mind. These distractions then becomes so powerful in its parasitic connection to our psyche, that it demands our attention in any given moment and makes it almost impossible to break free of its influence. In a sense, this creates a birthplace to ones own monster that enforces limitations on the knowledge and insight one can tap into. But what is it that holds someone in that capsule of addiction to those distractions?
The refinement of silence goes beyond just being able to meditate. It carries over into all aspects of everyday life and connecting to ones essence. It is the foundation for being able to see beyond illusions that are placed in our life to keep us in the cycle of reincarnation to this realm. It also teaches one discernment in the ability to respond to a situation as opposed to reacting. Resulting in more mastery of self in being able to control the urge of impulsion, which almost never results in an outcome we find favorable. When we go into true solitude with no electronics, no one to verbally converse with, and with no method of stopping the mind to travel deeper into its own labyrinth, we discover the powers that lie within silence and the initiation into its understanding.
In my experience of silent meditation and of being in a temple away from society, I’ve come to realize that the sound of silence comes alive if you can allow yourself to be open to connecting with it. It is a source that forces you to confront your mind in all aspects, that makes you dig deeper into your insecurities, your flaws, and holds you accountable for the part you play in your own unhappiness. It holds no bias and it holds no emotion. It’s a force you cannot lie to and it leaves you no choice but to trust in its ability to teach. Silence has the power to heal and to welcome you into its realm of wholeness and absolution.
The only reason why we find it so difficult to allow our minds to go ‘blank” is because we are conditioned to living in a constant array of sounds that always keeps us at a safe distance from what lurks beyond. We have become complacent in our ability to distract ourselves from what silence is trying to teach us. You will come to find that a lot of issues that may plague your understanding as well as your energy leaving you in stagnancy can be solved with the simple practice of sitting in silent meditation.
Its interesting because even looking into any aspect of spirituality as a practice, it begins as well as end with the ability to meditate. Now while there are various techniques that have different benefits and purposes, nothing can take the place of sitting in silent meditation. It is the quintessential foundation for any type of spiritual work across this world as well as others, and that is a strong testament into the power of what silence has to offer.
If one can begin to connect and appreciate the power and language of sound itself, then one can also see the juxtaposition of silence pulling from a different angle of the same source. Just as love and hate share the same core essence, so does the language of sound and silence. If one allows it to speak you can learn a lot about yourself as well as humanity in general. In fact one can even begin to understand that sound frequency and silence can act on one accord as the same mechanism. The power of silence is infinite, however its secrets only reveal itself to those disciplined enough to tap into it.
– MD