By Swami Beyondananda
Dear Swami:
I have been trying to be peaceful during these challenging times, and frankly I am puzzled by how difficult it is. Since I am home alone anyway, I thought about doing one of those silent two-week retreats to regain my equanimity. What are your thoughts?
Ike Witt, Fairfield, Iowa
Dear Ike:
Ah, the puzzle of peace. Just know that each of us brings a peace of the puzzle. A little peace here, a little peace there and that is how we create One Big Peace everywhere. All that inner peace we have been cultivating? Time to let it all out – and declare all out peace. And you are right. It is not easy keeping peaceful amidst the noise. So your idea of practicing silence is right on target. I went to a silent retreat a few years ago, and it was amazing. It was so quiet you could hear an opinion drop.
But silence is a two-way street. Many years ago, I met a man who had to be the most joyful individual I have ever encountered. He was literally glowing with bliss. And the funny thing was, he was a psychiatrist. So I had to ask him to make sure. “You’re a psychiatrist, right?” And he nodded yes. “And how long have you been in practice?”
“35 years,” he said, with a big, wide smile.
I said, “That’s amazing. How can you spend 35 years listening to people’s problems and look as happy as you do?”
He laughed and said, “Who listens?”
And there you have it. Not speaking will definitely enhance the peace of those around you. But, wow. Not listening? Now you’re talking!
Swami Beyondananda, cosmic comic, pundit, and uncommontator whose favorite pose is tongue-in-cheek, can be found online at wakeuplaughing.com.
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