tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19785125.post114766407357465590..comments2024-01-03T07:56:32.311-05:00Comments on quaker oats live: sweet and deep silenceAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488876505679035140noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19785125.post-1150239516850661072006-06-13T18:58:00.000-04:002006-06-13T18:58:00.000-04:00Thanks for all your comments on silence! It's ama...Thanks for all your comments on silence! It's amazing how it can be such a profound experience, and I like Paul's thoughts about Quakers being able to name different kinds of silence like Eskimos can name different kinds of snow. What an amazing gift, to be able to share in the practice of silence together--just for the sake of be-ing. How cool is it that we learn from it too?!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07488876505679035140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19785125.post-1148276175652848932006-05-22T01:36:00.000-04:002006-05-22T01:36:00.000-04:00I, too, know the taste of sweet and deep silence....I, too, know the taste of <I> sweet and deep silence.</I> It is delicious. Recently I was considering how other traditions encourage a certain practice,for example to focus on the breath, in silence. While instructions such as these may help one begin to Be-in silence, the instructions interfere with the natural process that happens in simple silence, where all one needs to do is to sit quietly and notice. A friend of mine calls this "Open Source Meditation" when you just let whatever happens in silence happen, without manipulation. Quakers have been sitting in "open source" since our beginnings. The beauty of our silence is that Spirit is shared so fully, so sweetly, so expressly, and we only need to stay Awake to realize it.<BR/><BR/>Thank you, Cherice.Meredithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09432640322896933989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19785125.post-1147969247125774982006-05-18T12:20:00.000-04:002006-05-18T12:20:00.000-04:00I've been reading Rex Ambler's Experiment with Lig...I've been reading Rex Ambler's Experiment with Light, and I was struck by a comment he makes in there, to the effect that modern individuals can't use silence, we always have to be manipulating something, always have to have something in our heads. I know I tend to put on music or news when I'm home cooking, or on the computer, or driving in the car. Recently I've tried just having silence. I think the effect builds up over time--you learn to "listen to silence" better if you have more silence in your life.<BR/><BR/>Peace,<BR/><BR/>DavidDavid Korfhagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08483910268144751116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19785125.post-1147917882515358052006-05-17T22:04:00.000-04:002006-05-17T22:04:00.000-04:00I’ve thought about silence the way people have sai...I’ve thought about silence the way people have said Eskimos think of snow. It seems that Eskimos have lots of different names for snow, depending on the condition of the snow. I wonder about different names or at least the different conditions of silence. Here are some silences I think I’ve experienced:<BR/>• Awkward silence<BR/>• Bored silence<BR/>• Stunned silence<BR/>• Anticipatory silence<BR/>• Heavy silence<BR/>• Peaceful silence<BR/>• Guilty silence<BR/>• Awed silence<BR/>• And of course…Gathered silence<BR/><BR/>There are others that can no doubt be named, but suffice it to say that for a person who is attentive to the experience of silence, these subtle, qualitative differences become apparent. So I really resonate and appreciate what your friend said after meeting concerning the quality of silence. I’ve experienced being in meeting for worship when no one spoke and the silence seemed shallow and maybe agitated. Then other meetings have also been without a spoken message, but the silence has seemed alive, gathered and deep. What is it that gives us these senses of the meeting? I find it hard to explain to folks why the silence felt one way or another.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09429320213684430282noreply@blogger.com