White Noise, Black Noise! Silence and Focus (July 2022 Newsletter)

Our daily stresses are all related to our rapid, constant, and meaningless thoughts. The process goes on and on and invades our days and nights. The words that linger are the negative ones that come through all the chatter.

From the Bhagavad Gita:

“Thought, that ingenious device

By which all boundaries are set at naught,

Commanded by the thinker

To span the struts of days and distance,

Constructs bridges of brush strokes

And promenades with words for cobblestones,

Lanterning them with meaning.

Thus is time paved

And space bestridden

By mind the conqueror.”

How do we control this wayward mind? By staying on task. By taking the moment seriously. Focus on what you are doing. Do it. Nothing else matters at this moment. Be silent. Listen instead of speaking. Don’t just jabber with words that have no content. Well, of course there is content to all our speech, but is it worthwhile? What did it change? Who did it affect? Above all, was it true and tested? What we believe is true is not necessarily so. If we thought through what we were going to say and chose our words carefully we would hurt each other less, and there would be less misunderstanding and pain in the world. Best of all is silence. Listen carefully instead. The best conversations are consequential and clear, and when you listen in silence, the words you utter are likely to be wise and compassionate

Namaste,

sipra