The Lost Art of Silence – Reconnecting to the Power and Beauty of Quiet

This beautiful book takes readers through many domains of silence with its call to reconnect within. Already in 1225, silence was defined as ‘The state or condition when nothing is audible; complete quietness or stillness; noiselessness,’ – what bliss! And from the 20th century, Ram Dass: ‘The quieter we become, the more we hear.’ Many writers, artists and aspects of silence are covered - the Antarctic, walking, swimming, cathedrals, icons, retreats, silent places, mountains, deserts, snow and fog. Swiss writer Max Picard wrote about the silences of nature, which can be expressed in myriad ways: ‘In winter silence is visible; snow is silence become visible.’ And Meister Eckhart: ‘There is nothing so like God as Silence.’ With its tradition of Hesychasm from the Greek meaning ‘stillness, rest, quiet, silence,’ the Eastern Orthodox Church has been more effective in keeping the practice of silence alive. Other mystics quoted include Miguel de Molinos, William Penn, Marguerite Porete and Thomas Merton: ‘Silence is a listening to the truth of things. If we do not listen, we do not come to truth. If we do not pray, we do not even get as far as listening. The four things go together: silence, listening, prayer, truth—the truth about ourselves, others, and God.’ A hugely important book for our noisy and distracted time.