Silence

In our everyday lives, we Americans have become very used to constant noise pollution and the tools that “keep us connected” with others such as cell phones and e-mail. We are so used to the “background buzz” that more and more people are finding it challenging to “un-plug” themselves, even for short periods of time, theirs minds craving a continuous feeling of stimulation. Silence can help to reverse this numbness. Silence as a spiritual practice means not talking, not singing, not conversing with others (unless absolutely necessary) -- not even by e-mail, but attempting to be in a space of silence, both outside and inside.

Imagine yourself in a room full of people who are practicing silence while eating a meal. At first, you may feel uncomfortable because you cannot casually turn to the person next to you and comment about the taste of the food, your morning’s activities, or about anything else under the sun. However, as you persist, you most likely will become aware that some of your senses are heightened. You may be more aware of your food, its taste, and the mechanics of how you are chewing it. Your hearing will most likely be clearer, as will your powers of observation.

At the end of a full day of silence practice, it is common to find oneself with extra energy. This is because there tremendous energy used by conversing. Thoughts like: “do I agree with this?”, “what will my response be?”, “this person’s point of view really ticks me off!”, “I wish I said what was really on my mind!”, and so forth, slowly begin to loosen their grip on the mind, and the energy required to keep such thoughts in motion is available for other things.

At Lama Foundation, we practice silence until breakfast every morning. The “Watch” can call community wide silence days. Further, any community member is free to create a silent day for their own personal practice.