If you close your eyes late at night and just listen – you will hear the sound of nothing.
Before you close your eyes to fall asleep, open your ears as wide as you can, as if you are trying harder to hear something.
You can feel almost the slightest of pressures on your eyelids…slowly rolling down to the tops of your cheekbones.
Listen harder. And then, you’ll truly hear it.
Nothing.
No voice. No sound.
No chatter. No doubt.
Nothing.
And if you listen to this, the sound of nothing for a while, you begin to realize that it is that simple. Right now, in this moment, there is nothing. The absence of sound becomes louder – almost numbing the inside of your ears.
Your eyes blink open.
Then your eyes quickly blink back shut.
But that sound is gone. But the short grin isn’t. Because in that moment, you realized…
That from nothing, you can create everything.
Evan Sanders
The Better Man Project
As a practicing Buddhist, I really enjoyed this, thank you.
Further to your article, I hope you don’t mind me sharing some words of Ajahn Sumedho [Buddhist Monk] on the ‘sound of silence’..
————————–
How does what you call the “sound of silence” relate to “relaxed attention?”
I have found in my own practice when I am in this relaxed attention state, and I’m not absorbed or focused on anything in particular, that I hear this kind of high-pitched vibration or a sound of whatever it seems to be. I call it the “sound of silence.” It’s kind of like the background of everything. And so once that’s recognized, then I find that it is like a stream that you can rest in, and it allows both attention on this wide spectrum of awareness and it stops the thinking mind.
The “sound of silence” can serve as a point of reference, to know when you’re in the natural state of awareness. It means having a relaxed attention towards the feelings in your own body, your emotional states, and your thoughts and memories. You are experiencing them from the perspective of this empty place rather than the endless reactivity that the mind usually has to your feelings or emotions. It’s not a created sign, something that you have to perpetuate. It’s just a matter of recognizing and trusting in your relationship to the world around you.
The encouragement is to recognize and learn how to rest in relaxed attention rather than trying to concentrate the mind or get in a particular state you imagine you should have. Your relationship to the conditioned world becomes one of awareness and reflecting on the nature of impermanence.
The sound of silence is not an object that you have to sustain through concentrating upon it, it’s just recognizing and trusting it so that whether you are aware of it or not, it’s still there.
————————–
Peace, DD
Reblogged this on AnnoyingBobby.
Because you’re so wonderful I nominated you for a Beautiful Blogger Award. http://abihya.wordpress.com/
Thanks for all you do!
Wow. That’s incredibly profound. Thank you for sharing!
Reblogged this on Unearthing Me and commented:
Perfect reminder
Very inspiring stuff 🙂 well done Evan!
Good to remember.
wow…love it.
Very cool, thanks!
Reblogged this on Thoughtscape and commented:
One of the most incredible things I have ever read. Gonna try it tonight….
Wow 🙂
Reblogged this on Shamz Unlimited.
Reblogged this on Health, Wellness and Fitness Consultant.
One word- meditation.
In my efforts of finding ways to deal with my Bipolarity, I have discovered, despite my minds tendency to work over-time, I do have the power to turn it off. I can tell my emotions that I know they are there and I will deal with them when I can…but for now I need NOTHING so I can rest. This excercise may sound silly to some but it works for me. In addition, after I get the rest that I need, the emotions are still there but not clamoring for attention making intellectual reasoning difficult. Nothing is more empowering than taking control of emotions that were once out of control. Indeed, you know if you can win that battle you can do EVERYTHING that you set your mind to. Thanks for sharing this with us. 🙂
Evan, I don’t know how you do it. You’re words are magic, your thoughts are sublime. you truly create something meaningful from nothing. Can I reblog this post of yours? Its inspirational. Thank you.
I love this! It made me feel peaceful. Hugs Paula. Xx
A most excellent thought on this word “nothing”. I read somewhere the word for “nothing” in the Buddhist faith is “mu”
love it… really love it.
from nothing… you can create everything.
thank you for sharing.