The Sound of Silence

I spent the week before last in silence at the Adyashanti retreat.

In that space I found an incredible richness in the absence. Not just the absence of conversation and identity but the absence of all distraction. I have had few experiences which felt more natural or fulfilling. There was a sense of completion as I gifted myself permission just to be.

I needed little external distraction at first as I was entertained by the commentary from my mind, reminding me of how I was different or special or bored or less than. But the mind had an agenda which found little support in this environment and surrendered very quickly.

In the retreat environment there was little to provide the evidence the mind needed to reinforce its arguments for separation, and even less for it to argue with. As the week went on I resided for longer periods of time in that most sacred of spaces beyond thought. A deep peace in which contains everything and nothing exist simultaneously. 

That space is a portal to many realisations. Some profound, others less so. Surprisingly many are comical as the absurdity of much of our chosen illusion is revealed. The comedy is in no way cynical, but loving and gentle, like watching a child in the process of discovery. A kind of "did I really believe that!" awareness.

Whilst that space is very difficult to describe what I took away from the week is that that space is the most constant aspect of our experience. It is always there, waiting patiently without judgement or opinion. In the words of Ramana "Let what comes come. Let what goes go. See what remains".

Returning from the retreat was always going to be "interesting". It is difficult not to look critically at the distractions of life which appear to be designed specifically to keep us from that space, but those distractions are in fact life. They are the expressions of the consciousness we choose to explore. 

It appears we are innately driven to feel better, which is both humanity's greatest gift and greatest curse.To quote Adyashanti "it is our constant need to feel better that makes our experience worse". Our rejection of "what is" and the subsequent seeking out something better is what distances us from that sacred space. It turns out that the space which I went in search for is the life in which I am immersed in, the trick is to acknowledge life, to say yes to life. 

The simple act of saying yes to life is the shift in consciousness which turns every moment into that sacred space. The act of saying yes allows what comes to come, and what goes to go, and then simply pay attention to what remains.

Yours in silence

Love 

Bill