“True silence is the rest of the mind; and is to the spirit, what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.”
~ William Penn
I read something the other day that made me realize that there is never really silence in my world. It’s relative.
As now the ticking of the furnace as it stops running; a hum I can’t identify but imagine to be an electrical something-or-another; a faint grinding of the snowblower running as Gerry clears the neighbourhood driveways; these things take the place of true silence.
That is just the world I live in.
I believe in the power of silence to incite calm, reveal wisdom, and create space for creativity. Relative or not, it’s something I need in order to feel grounded. Maybe you too?
Without silence I listen in vain. How can I expect to hear the still small voice of the Divine amidst a cacophony of noise? Even in quiet it takes effort to discern Wisdom; but at least, in silence, my limited human resources can focus on listening.
I listen, in relative silence, to hear something that is not audible.
That too, is just the world I live in while here on planet earth.
A wonderfully restful photo … I love silence. Up here in the hills, there are places where it’s possible to be away from all man-made noise. I can’t read, write or do anything creative if there’s music/radio/TV on in the same room …
How fortunate you are to live in such a place, Alexa!
Have you experienced a black out or a brown out? That’s true silence. You don’t realize how much noise there is until there is no noise (not even the white kind)….at all. The best silence I can hope for now is being at home, TV off, radio off, cell phone off, computers closed. Ah! Though I don’t that much. I do like to meditate once in a while – I’m talking the sitting completely still, hands open and extended, deep breathing…I don’t get to do it much, but it’s bliss.
Yes! You’re right, Karen. There is a distinct silence that falls when the power goes out! Good on you for the meditation practice. I had a regular morning meditation practice when I was working and found it a wonderful way to start the day.