He said, "You tell us to practice talking less. I don't understand. I enjoy communicating with others." The Sage replied, "I urge you to talk less, so you'll come to know the joy of communicating without a word spoken. When you realize this, you'll have equal joy in talking or not talking. Silence speaks."
*Brian K. Wilcox. "Meetings with an Anonymous Sage."
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When speaking, do so wisely; be content not talking - this will keep you out of trouble.
*Proverbs 21.23
Rash, careless words cut like a sword; words of the wise heal.
*Proverbs 12.18
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The crazy sage Mulla Nasruddin was passing through a forest. He came upon a skull. He asked, "What brought you here?" He was amazed when the skull said, "Talking brought me here." Nasruddin hurried to the court. He exclaimed, "I've seen a miracle! A talking skull in the forest!"
The king could not believe it but was curious. The whole court went into the forest. The king went near the skull and asked, as Nasruddin did, "What brought you here?" The skull remained silent. He asked repeatedly, but the skull did not speak.
Back at the court, the king said, "I knew it, Nasruddin, that you are a liar! I've had enough of your lies. You've played a big joke on me and'll pay dearly for it." He ordered his guard to cut off Nasruddin's head and throw it near the skull for the ants to eat.
When everybody went to dispose of the head, the first skull started talking again. It asked Nasruddin's head, "What brought you here?" The head answered, "Talking brought me here."
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In Buddhism, there are three doors to and the release of grief. These doors are body, mind, and speech.
Not speaking can be healing. Often we open the mouth door and say what we regret or does not edify anyone. A thought arises, and the mouth door opens.
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Meditation is a way to practice not opening the mouth door when words are running out the mind door. In silence, we cultivate a gap between thought and speech. We feel less need to speak. When we do speak, we have the opportunity in that gap to choose how to speak to edify and not bring harm: as noted in the Christian Scriptures, "Watch the way you talk. ... Say only what helps, each word a gift" (Ephesians 4.29, MSG).
In a world of words, we can offer the gift of a mindful presence. Silence is speech, too.
*Use of photography is allowed accompanied by credit given to Brian K. Wilcox and title and place of photograph.
*Brian's book, An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major online booksellers or the publisher AuthorHouse.
