Friends of Silence: Quotations & Awareness

Quoting Silence Resources

https://friendsofsilence.net/quotations

Room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy

Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

To stay with that shakiness—to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feelings of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge—that is the path of true awakening. Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path. Getting the knack of catching ourselves, of gently and compassionately catching ourselves is the path of the warrior. We catch ourselves one zillion times as once again, whether we like it or not, we harden into resentment, into a sense of relief, a sense of inspiration.

~ Pema Chodron in WHEN THINGS FALL APART: HEART ADVICE FOR DIFFICULT TIMES

Look in the places you look away from

You have to allow disruption in your life. You have to take account of the parts of yourself you would throw out. You have to look in the places you look away from. And this is so the divine comes into birth. The divine wishes to come into birth in every moment.

True love and prayer are learned in the moment when prayer has become impossible, and the heart has turned to stone.

~ Thomas Merton in NEW SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION

The outer work

The outer work can never be small if the inner work is great. And the outer work can never be great if the inner work is small.

~ Meister Eckhart in THE REINVENTION OF WORK

Ok ill- will

https://insig.ht/8ixAk6rY4Rb

Life’s challenges and changes don’t always have to be seen as negative. Even moments traditionally viewed as gloomy—like passing clouds—can bring unexpected beauty and meaning. By shifting our perspective, we can learn to appreciate that every experience, however transient, adds depth and color to our lives. Instead of waiting for perfect moments, we start to notice the subtle splashes of beauty in everyday circumstances. This kind of mindful appreciation can transform ordinary experiences into moments of gratitude and inspiration, encouraging us to embrace life in all its varied hues.

see the poem 'The Healing Time'