The concept of "benign silence" rises in my life. In a recent chat with fellow Wise Heart Lez, she described this odd but challenging notion. She mentioned how awkward it feels, being a teacher whose job is to impart knowledge, to remain in a state of receptive silence when the first impulse is to explain. (I hope she'll share more on this on WHW.) A few nights ago, at a dinner party with another professor, I mentioned struggling to remain in "benign silence" in conversations. His eyes lit up. "I'm learning to rest in the words of others," he replied. He no longer does others' intellectual work. Beautifully said, I thought. Then my beloved mentioned living the contradiction of being
silent while speaking. If we are silent while speaking, we're in the clearest space of awareness. And we are speaking from heart, not head. Note: I recall hearing a male editor say, thinking I was out of earshot: "I love Kären's aggressive mind." It bothered me; still does. My greatest growth is to comprehend that the mind is merely a tool, not a place to live. Particularly if its a restless, grasping, overactive, hypercharged swirl. Benign silence is the antidote. (This photo is of my Shadow Self with a nod to Mr. Jung).
