Silentium

His colors became darker and darker, as if he were bringing us to the threshold of transcendence, the mystery of the cosmos, the tragic mystery of our perishable condition.

The silence of God, the unbearable silence of God.

— Dominique de Menil

These words are from ‘The Rothko Chapel: Writings on Art and the Threshold of the Divine’. Dominique de Menil is the co-founder of The Rothko Chapel.

Today, I explore the nature of the unbearable silence of God, of Rothko, and of our own practice of silence, sharing a short period of silence at the end.

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If we have no silence, God is not heard in our music. If we have no rest, God does not bless our work. If we twist our lives out of shape in order to fill every corner of them with action and experience, God will silently withdraw from our hearts and leave us empty.

— Thomas Merton

In this episode, I read and contemplate these words of Thomas Merton. Whatever your faith or background, you can find benefit in this contemplation on the value of leaving space for silence, stillness and rest in our life.

The Silentium podcast is supported by patronage and donations. You can become a patron at patreon.com/supportando and make a donation at paypal.me/supportando.

Where I read from The Art of Writing: Lu Chi’s Wen Fu, a book written in China in the third century.

Listen, as I share the nature of silence and words, starting from words, walking you back to the silence.

across a frozen landscape— winter falls

Music and poem.This, my second ever piece of music production, the expression of winter, poetry and silence embodied.

Music and audio pieces are shared first with patrons. Join my growing community of patrons today at patreon.com/silentiumstudio. Support my work with a donation.

A Quiet Stream podcast and journal, as all my work, is supported by subscriptions, patrons, donations, students and clients. Please consider supporting my work, as I begin to found a tiny retreat space (Silentium Retreats) and a small press (Silentium Press).

An invitation to silence.

Today’s podcast is a reading from J. Brent Bill’s book, Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality, followed by 10 minutes of shared silence, and a few closing words from myself.

Remember, even amidst the noise, we can turn our attention inwards, and find this Holy Silence. Everything is sacred. Everything is spiritual.

J. Brent Bill’s book, and the Holy Silence shared by Quaker Friends, is an invitation to experience more fully the life-changing power of sacred silence.

A Quiet Stream podcast and journal, as all my work, is supported by: subscriptions, patrons, donations, students and clients. Please consider supporting my work, as I begin to found a tiny retreat space (Silentium Retreats) and a small press (Silentium Press).

hidden in an empty field —10,000 unborn flowers

Keep walking, even when life looks empty, and barren.

Life goes through periods, sometimes of days, weeks, months, even years, where everywhere we look, all appears barren. Don’t give up. Remember those hidden unborn flowers. Trust, and walk on.

Learn to love the barren too, then when the flowers appear, their perfume will be all the sweeter for it. When we can love the smell of dust, the scent of bare earth, then we can love life as it is. This too has the most beautiful perfume.

It’s simply a different one.

Hiding, in an empty field, ten thousand unborn flowers.

Note: This podcast features the new opening and closing podcast music produced by Andō.

Thank you for reading. You can support Silentium by becoming a paid subscriber here; becoming a patron; making a regular or one-off donation; becoming a student or client.

There is a channel between voice and presence, a way where information flows.

In disciplined silence the channel opens. With wandering talk, it closes.

— Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

Today, I contemplate these words, and lead us into silence with them.

All my work, is supported by subscriptions, patrons, donations, students and clients. Please consider supporting my work, as I begin to found a tiny retreat space (Silentium Retreats) and a small press (Silentium Press).

A recording made at my tiny light-filled hermitage in the Yorkshire Wolds this morning, where I read a short poem, and words on contemplation from Fr. Martin Laird and St. Teresa of Avila. Where I share both words and silence on the nature of contemplative practice, and our own, true nature.

Footnote: The podcast, as all my work, is supported by subscriptions, patrons, donations, students and clients. Please consider supporting my work.

Below high cliffs I spend my days with plants no sign of people just leaves in the wind valley birds call at dusk the mountain moon lights the night a crane taking off from a pine showers my robe with dew.

— Stonehouse (Shiwu / 石屋)

In this voice note, I read from Stonehouse’s Poems for Zen Monks, translated by the author Red Pine.

The publisher, Empty Bowl, is raising funds for the creation of Port Townsend Meditation Center.

A brief explanation of the voice notes I will share here between the longer weekly and monthly podcasts.

After the first 30 days, voice notes will only be for paid subscribers. Free subscribers will access text and visual notes, plus a once monthly podcast. Paid subscribers will access all content, including a weekly podcast.

There is no fixed schedule here, other than there will be perhaps three voice notes each week, and a weekly podcast, punctuated with text, image and video notes.

Please write to me if you have particular aspects of silence and the silent practices, that you would like me to share and explore in these notes and podcasts.

Footnote: The podcast, as all my work, is supported by subscriptions, patrons, donations, students and clients. Please consider supporting my work.