Deep inner silence

Larry Rosenberg speaks eloquently on inner silence in his book Breath by Breath. Here's one passage on the subject:

Silence is extremely shy. It appears when it wants to and comes only to those who love it for itself. It doesn't respond to calculation, grasping, or demands; it won't respond if you have designs on it or if there is something you want to do with it. It also doesn't respond to commands. You can no more command silence than you can command someone to love you.

There are concentration practices that achieve silence, but that silence is relatively coarse, willed, provisional, and brittle, very much subject to conditions. The silence I'm talking about is much deeper. It awaits us; it can't be grasped for. We don't create it; we find our way into it. But we have to approach it with gentleness, humility and innocence.

The road to silence is filled with obstacles. The major obstacle is ignorance. We don't experience silence because we don't know it exists. And though I am emphasizing the difficulties, it is important to understand that silence is an accessible state for all human beings. It isn't just for hermits who live in caves in the heights of the Himalayas. It is available to everyone.

Perhaps the best way for us to start is simply to give ourselves permission to experience silence. And I like what Rosenberg says about humility. Silence runs from spiritual pride. So simply let go and be willing to experience this deep reality. Slowly you will be able to return again and again and silence will be real for you on a regular basis.