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This is the twenty-eighth of the series of reflections arising from a month in silence and solitude; the musings invite the reader to explore the Truth for himself or herself. May the writer's reflections be windows to look in, or out, onto the vista of our one Beloved, our deepest, truest Self. Peace! Brian K
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SPEECH OF SILENCE
An aged, wise man
sat daily
alone, by the road,
remaining silent,
'Sir,' said a passerby,
'why sit here alone
and I never hear
you say a thing?'
Spoke, friendly, expressionless,
the wise, aged man,
'I remain silent for
what I say is too important
to speak.'
'But,' came the reply,
'I never hear anything
from you.'
'Yes, well-said of your not hearing,
spoke the wise man, for that spoken
is not from me: you are not prepared yet
to hear that never said.'
'How,' asked the passerby, 'shall
I hear this not spoken?'
'When wearied enough of
trying to hear, one is ready
to listen.'
* * *
WORDS, WORD, SILENCE
In the way of Wisdom, all appears reversed to what the human mind is habituated to. One means of picturing this, however imperfectly, is as follows. One is withdrawn from words, being entered into the Word, or Timeless, Alive Wisdom proceeding from the Father, or that aspect of Reality removed in Itself from form. The formless Word is the Self-communication of the Father, the Word being a wordless, personalized communion always here-and-now, in timeless, unformed, all-pervasive, living, flowing Incarnation ~ now in form, but not form Itself. This Self-communication is applied to the one being entered into the Word by the agency which withdrew him or her from words, the Spirit, which the Christian Scriptures calls 'the Spirit of Truth' and 'the Spirit of Wisdom'. And, as spoke Jesus Christ, 'I have many things to speak to you, but you cannot receive them now. When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the Truth, She will guide you into all Truth.' This is a reason Silence is so vital, for Silence is movement from words to receptivity to the immediacy and vitality of the Word communing with you, with everything. Really, the withdrawing from words and entering this communion-with-Word is a single movement, also to eventuate in union-with-Word. Varied spiritual paths have diverse ways of saying this. This is one way. Yet, any idea of this process, which really is a single act outside time, or procession, dissolves in the absolute Simplicity of Silence, for there no ideas retain power to remain, dissolved back into Formless Truth, and the mind is freed to be open to living Grace, not as something given only but something That is in and as the Communion-and-Oneness of Form and Formless. Here, as the Buddha taught, 'Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form.'
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WORD and WITHINNESS
Truth is not an idea or collection of ideas, such as right-thinking, regardless of how supposedly holy or wise. Truth is Presence, beyond ideas of personal and impersonal, living and able to express as either personal or impersonal. So, the speaking of the Word within may be sensed as thoroughly, intimately personal, at other times as thoroughly, intimately impersonal. Both intimate, in different ways, both in different ways unable to be understood but in the Withinness where this expression takes place; therefore, nonconceptual, unable to be brought back as form, such as, thoughts, words, images ~ these serving as means of Truth and, so, the inspiration of the Word when aligned with and porous to Truth. Silence is the best articulation of Truth and, truly, Truth always remains Silent, even when form is means of communicating It and always without Its Fullness, so intimating a Completion form cannot contain or share.
* * *
*All material, unless another source is cited, is authored by the presenter of Lotus of Heart, Brian Kenneth Wilcox, Florida USA. Use of the material is permitted; Brian only requests that credit be given and to be notified at 77ahavah77@gmail.com .
*Brian's book, An Ache for Union, is available through major booksellers.
*Move cursor over pictures for photographer and title.j
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