Day 2 – Silence

7 days of presence | a course in inner peace

Day 2 is all about cultivating inner silence. Silence is an essential aspect of all forms, thoughts, and things. Most of the time, you are so immersed in streams of thought that you overlook silence. Giving attention to the silence within is one of the brightest stars that will guide you to your peace. Do not use force in trying to find inner silence because exercising force will break the silence.

Cultivate the absence of noise during the silent moments. The absence of noise is a rare diamond in modern societies. Yet, there are situations where some form of silence emerges. Absolute silence might be difficult to find, but a relative experience of a sudden decrease in the noise will also do. Be highly aware of such situations.Even a small grain of unawareness will make them fleeting. When you hear silence around you, listen to it. Don't try to make anything out of it. You will find out that just listening to external silence is very soothing.

Find out what it's like to embrace inner silence. Listening to external silence is prone to create inner silence. You cannot hear inner silence as auditory perception. Yet, curiously, you can be aware of it. When inner silence emerges, the nature of external noise shifts— the mind-made labels and meanings do not arise anymore. Seek to create conditions for external silence to unfold. Don't create unnecessary noise yourself, as if silence was a delicate flower whose petals would wither away by the smallest of sounds.

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Give attention to the absence of noise.

Listen to your surroundings whenever the world around you calms down. Let your ears rest in external silence. Doing simply and only this will bring forth glimpses of deep peace into your day.

Give attention to the silence within.

Silent openings appear in the streams of thought now and then. These openings might emerge spontaneously or as a result of the absence of external noise. Listen to the world around you during these openings and observe yourself in the clear light that shines through them. Be aware of the openings whenever they emerge, and surrender to the inner silence.

Be more silent than talkative.

Human communication in modern societies thrives on words. You get easily entangled in the deep forest of expressing yourself with words, even though you know they might not always be the best vehicles for communication. Whenever the urge to talk arises, don't say a word unless it's undeniably beneficial to the situation. Lay aside all your knowledge. Just listen.

Observe other people who are silent too.

Don't get drawn into talkative people's thoughts and opinions. Remain on the silent side of conversations. Give attention to those who remain silent. You will discover wordless wisdom in such people, even if they were not aware of it themselves. The balance they bring to communication is crucial. Be aware of this balance.

Find out if there is silence in the noise also.

You can hear inner silence simultaneously with auditory perceptions. This formless inner silence within noise is very subtle. You need undivided attention to find it. This silence is already present wherever you are, but it is easily overlooked. Give attention to the silence within the noise. Let inner peace unfold.

Silence day affirmation