christiannonduality.com Blog

On this first day of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere (let us not forget those ɹǝpunuʍop), BabaRamDass tweets:

We’re fascinated by the words- but where we meet is in the silence behind them.

On the last day of Summer, Brian McLaren shared with us some thoughts from from Nouwen … on silence and words:

“Continuing on the theme of silence and words (from the previous post), Nouwen quotes the Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu:

‘The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of the word is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to.’

Then he references Diadochus of Photiki:

‘When the door of the steambath is continually left open, the heat inside rapidly escapes through it; likewise the soul, in its desire to say many things, dissipates its remembrance of God through the door of speech, even though everything it says may be good. Thereafter, the intellect, though lacking appropriate ideas, pours out a welter of confused thoughts to anyone it meets …’

One recalls another great theologian, Bruce Cockburn … in his song “Burden of the Angel/Beast” he says:

‘Those who know don’t have the words to tell
And the ones with the words don’t know too well‘

These are the warnings I carry in mind and heart today as I go out to share words …”

Thanks a million guys; these are the warnings I’ll carry as I launch my first blog.

Oh, snap!

One can view the Sounds of Silence here.