The sound of silence

Back in Naptown.

The other morning I was at the gym and reading Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das, and I came across such beautiful words that truly spoke to me. And not saying that the entire book isn't helping me through the inner turmoil I have been dealing with...this just seemed so right and so true.

A paraphrased speech by Manjusri the Maha Bodhisattva of Wisdom:
" Silence is the threshold to the inner sanctum, the heart's sublime cave. Silence is the song of the heart, like love, a universal language, a natural melody open to anyone, even the tone deaf or religiously challenged. Try going out into the woods or sitting very near the ocean's waves. Look up at the bright stars at nigh; open your mind's inner ear and listen to the lovely song of silence. Here is the joy of contemplative sweetness. Follow this bliss."

It is so hard for people, especially family, to understand in the few free hours I have in a day....i NEED to be by myself and quiet, and not doing anything. I don't want to talk about my day, i don't want to go anywhere or be productive, i just want to be. It is so thoroughly cleansing for me, and with everything I have had going on: working, dancing, teaching, dealing with a break up, those moments of vacuum are like precious jewels.