In Silence the Universe Beckons
Painting: Horizon II
Original and prints available.
Reflection
Silence thoughts, invite emptiness
And the universe beckons.
Spend time alone in nature and after a while a strange sense of internal quiet takes over. It is very mysterious. The silence inside starts to dominate. A lot of it has to do with the absence of talk. That part of the mind that determines speech relaxes into disuse and is taken over by a kind of emptiness that is deeply peaceful. You don’t notice it at first because you are so deep inside it, but then, all of the sudden, comes the realization that the pre-verbal soup you’ve relaxed into brings a very wonderful and deep sense of internal calm.
If you decide to go on such a journey though, and haven’t done it before, be prepared for a rough two or three days. The mind, formerly engaged in a constant search for things to worry about, for threats, now has nothing to focus on and the result can be a kind of internal anger. A friend of mine who facilitates silent retreats describes it as your internal world settling unfinished business.
The poem draws from the spirit of Han Shan (Cold Mountain), the wandering Tang-dynasty hermit whose poems of silence and moonlight became a cornerstone of both the Taoist hermit tradition and early Chan (Zen) poetry.
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Journaling question to consider
When was the last time you gave talking a few days off to to relax, rest, and recover?
The Tao Te Ching Journal: A Path To Inner Quiet
Zen Mountain Journal blends Taoist hermit poetry, contemplative art, and reflections drawn from a lifetime shaped by wilderness, solitude, and decades doing creative work on the outer boundaries of our culture. These journals are companions for seekers — guides in the reconnection with inner quiet, beauty, and the “soundless music” of a life lived with simplicity and meaning.
• Size: 9.25 × 8.5 inches — convenient size for desk or lap.
• Hardcover — the book can be written in without a table or desk.
• Double wire-o bound to lay flat.
• Printed on Mohawk Superfine, a premium uncoated paper for a beautiful writing surface.
• 160 pages.
Everything Heron Dance does and offers is summarized here.
Zen Buddhism resulted from the encounter between Buddhism from India and Taoism from northern China. Poetry was an important part of the tradition of the Taoist hermit monks of the Zhongnan Mountains. The Tao Te Ching is the best known of those poems but there were thousands of others written over two thousand years ago. Many are as beautiful and mysterious as the Tao.
Zen Mountain Journal also draws from the poetry of the Zen Buddhist monks of old Japan.
Zen Mountain Journal offers a Taoist journaling practice for those who seek to connect with inner worlds, with the deep silence and peace within. The poems and paintings in these posts are part of a journal now being created by Heron Dance Press. It will be available for preorder shortly.
The Zen Mountain Journal is reader supported but there is no obligation to contribute. If you would be willing to contribute, please do that here.