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Edward Hays, The Gospel of Gabriel
Thank you, Judas, no willow twig or pincers. This pain is a prophet and a mentor from whom I have some lesson to learn. Like any good student, I must be silent so that my teacher, pain, can speak to me.
Pain is a prophet
St. Umilta of Faenza , The Sun and Moon Over Assisi
Whoever wishes to listen well to divine speech must enclose himself in great silence.
Whoever wishes to listen well to divine speech
John Lane, The Spirit of Silence
Zen is a religion of quietude. Even words can be deemed treacherous when instead of the naked reality of existence one only grasps at a form of words.
Zen is a religion of quietude
Listening & Spontaneity
"For some years before the retreat, I was aware that the way I listened to other people was not what I wanted it to be. Though people regarded me as a good listener, I did not feel that I was. I felt unable to give the person who was speaking to me my undivided attention. While listening, I was working on my response. . . .
"I was terribly tired of this way of speaking with others but had no real idea of how to go beyond it and become more spontaneous. The answer came at that picnic. When my friend spoke, I found myself staring into his eyes and just listening, as I had listened to the birds the entire week. Just listening. No thoughts of my own, just hearing the thoughts of my friend. There was a moment of panic. I thought, 'He's going to stop speaking any second now, and I've prepared nothing! I will have nothing ready to say!'
"I let the panic go. I decided to see what would happen if I gave no thought at all to a response and just kept listening to my friend. As it happened, when he stopped speaking, I started speaking. I had no idea of what I would say, but I said something he accepted well enough.
"From deep listening had come spontaneity, and it has stayed that way ever since."
To Practice: Be aware of how you listen to people; be conscious of just listening without thinking about what you might say in response.
A teaching story on deep listening leading to spontaneity.
Maimonides Essential Teachings on Jewish Faith and Ethics
• "A person should accustom himself to remain silent and should avoid speaking except on matters of wisdom or on things that are necessary for one's physical needs. Even in matters of Torah and wisdom, one's words should be few but their content great.
• "Silence is a fence around wisdom.* Therefore, a person should not respond quickly nor speak too much. He should teach his students calmly and pleasantly, without shouting and without being verbose.
• "It is forbidden for a person to engage in slick talk and flattery. One should not say one thing with the mouth while thinking something else in the heart, but the inner and outer selves should be attuned. That which is in one's heart should correspond to that which one says with the mouth. It is forbidden to deceive people. One should not invite a friend to join for a meal when one knows that the friend cannot accept. One should not offer presents when knowing that the other will not accept them. Even one word of flattery and deception is forbidden. Rather, a person should have a true tongue, an upright spirit, and a heart pure of all deception and fraud.
• "A person should be not overly mirthful and silly, and not overly sad and melancholy, but be happy. Our sages taught that one should receive others with a kindly countenance. A person should not be desirous of treasure, or be lazy and idle, but should be generous. One should diminish time devoted to labor so as to spend more time engaged in studying Torah. One should rejoice in what little is one's portion. A person should not be a quibbler, an envier, a luster after pleasure, or one who runs after honor."
* "Rabbi Akiva coined the phrase 'Silence is a fence around wisdom' (Pirkei Avot 3:13). A wise person maintains silence until he or she has something of value to say."
Maimonides on maintaining silence until you have something of value to say.
Julia Cameron, Walking in This World
Walking and talking humanize my life, draw it to an ancient and comforting scale. We live as we move, a step at a time, and there is something in gentle walking that reminds me of how I must live if I am to savor this life that I have been given.
Walking and talking humanize my life
Czech Saying , Local Wonders
A word which flies out of the mouth like a sparrow cannot be drawn back, even by four horses.
A word which flies out of the mouth
Will Glennon, Practice Random Acts of Kindness
Kindness is found not just in actions and in words, but also in inaction and silence. We may not often think about that because it's hard to notice. After all, if someone bites his tongue and doesn't make a cutting remark, we will never know we could have been hurt but were spared by his kindness. But the Sufi rule of speech is a good one — if we all used kindness as a "speech barrier", much less negativity would be verbalized.
Kindness is found not just in actions and in words
David Whyte, Loaves, Fishes and Leftovers
"Loaves and Fishes"
This is not
the age of information.
This is not
the age of information.
Forget the news,
and the radio,
and the blurred screen.
This is the time
of loaves
and fishes.
People are hungry,
and one good word is bread
for a thousand.
Loaves and Fishes