Silence

In the space between our words and thoughts exists oneness with all that is.  In the silence, we find the vast creative consciousness that breathes life into our world of form, the world we know.  God is there, in the silence.

It is, for me, an amazing exercise to allow myself to notice all that is contained in silence.  Until recently, I interpreted silence as a void, a place where something is lacking.  I was always listening for something.  But if we just listen without expectation or preconceived notions of what is supposed to come next, we can hear in the silence an unlimited opportunity for creation.  In the silence, and in our openness to it, all things are possible.

In my meditation practice I have watched my thoughts come and go, and I've gotten better acquainted with the constant chatter that is my mind.  I've even learned to quiet that chatter to a certain degree.  But I have been so focused on watching my mind's activity that I never thought to really notice what exists in its absence.

Between one thought and the next, I am.  That's all.  There is no identification with the external circumstances that I thought defined me.  Being part of the ongoing miracle of creation, and experiencing the perfection of that, is the only truth in that flickering moment.  

What I am left with is a tremendous sense of joy in being here, and a deep peace that stems from knowing that whatever happens in this world of form is perfect, holy, and fleeting.  In the space between the noise, there is a rightness to all things.

I think musicians must be aware of the grace inherent in the space between sounds.  I have noticed it listening to my son performing with the orchestra that he's a part of.  In the silence between two beautiful notes, I have been achingly aware of the creative potential of what's to come, delighting in the beauty when it comes but not holding my awareness on that one beautiful note, because that would mean not being completely open to the next one.  I want to live my life like that.

We can take a pause in the moments of our days to listen to the silence.  During the brief rests in dialogue we can notice the gift of choosing how to create the next moment.  In the quiet between the sounds we hear in nature, we can know our oneness with all of life.  And in the quiet between our own harried thoughts, we can feel God consciousness living through us.

In the silence, may we hear the sound of eternity, may we see with eyes that know only beauty, and may we feel the immense joy of our being.

May this tool be a blessing.