The Spirit of Silence

John Lane is a painter, author and educationalist who was chairman of the Dartington Hall Trust and was instrumental in the creation of Schumacher College. This book follows on from his earlier works Timeless Simplicity and Timeless Beauty and is an essential antidote and spiritual oasis in response to the speed, distraction and noise of modern life. Like Jacob Needleman in his book Time and the Soul, John feels the inner pulse and rhythm of life and inspires readers to reconfigure their inner space and allow their natural creativity to flow out. The book is full of uplifting and illuminating passages from great writers and thinkers, derived from a long life of reading and reflection.

The spirit of silence is linked to those of tranquillity, solitude, spirituality and simplicity, which is to be found at the centre of all spiritual traditions, illustrated here from Christianity, Hinduism, Zen and Taoism. It is also present in artists like Vermeer and Cézanne – one can sense the deep contemplation infused in their work. Pascal's quotation that 'the sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room' is well-known. John uses it to talk about the lives of Yeats, Hildegard of Bingen, Ryokan, Emily Dickinson, Thomas Merton and others. He quotes Merton.: 'let me seek, then, the gift of silence, and poverty, and solitude, where everything I touch is turned into prayer: where the sky is my prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for God is all in all.' These contemplative figures may well provide models for a future existence with less emphasis on material acquisition. They certainly encourage the reader to consider the balance between contemplation and action.

A chapter on the enemies of silence highlights both external and internal interruptions to one's peace of mind. Among the outer challenges are noise, speed, and the pressure towards material consumption. These are all reflected in our inner states and also in the values embedded in compulsory schooling where the feminine principle of love, care and nourishment is largely absent. John concludes that 'we need silence as an antidote to the clamour, solitude and barrier against the distractions, and slowness as a cure for the current speed of life.' Most readers will, I think, feel a similar need.

The next chapter is devoted to the pursuit of contentment, creativity and refreshment of spirit. The ordinary moments of our daily life can carry much greater significance if we are conscious of our actions and really see our surroundings. Some specific activities like gardening, needlework, baking and music have an overall calming effect, while the practice of gratitude and wonder can enrich the very texture of our experience. We can appreciate the beauty and healing power of nature and the importance of love and relationship, we can practise living in the moment and recognising, like Thich Nhat Hanh, the miracles of blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child. We can walk, and make space for silence, which John regards as 'the foundation of love, for love requires clarity, reflection and focused awareness.' He also writes that 'silence can teach us who we are. It can nurture our souls and renew our vision. Humans are diminished, their humanity degraded, when they lose contact with their own interior freedom.'

The last chapter asks how we should behave in response to the present time. John points out that the question is hardly new as all generations have faced a degree of decadence and turmoil. He takes some cues from a small number of remarkable people whose lives were focused, peaceful and humane: Virgil during civil wars in Rome, Montaigne during French Wars of religion, Walt Whitman during the American Civil War, Yusuf Islam and the orphans of war, and finally the career of the Nobel peace prize laureate Wangari Maathai. They have all lived true to themselves, turning adversity to advantage and drawing on silence as a source of their service and creative expression. John concludes that 'silence, solitude and slowness are indispensable to those who seek to become more alive to the existence of the present moment, the only reality we are privileged to know.' This book is a timely and inspiring reminder to put these qualities at the centre of our lives as a source of order and harmony – I cannot recommend it too highly.