Eloquence Of Silence
મૌન ની વાત
થોમસ મુર દ્વારા.
જો તમારી અંદર ભરપૂર ખાલી ઓએસિસ જેવી જગ્યાઓ હોય — આરામ અને વિરામ માટે ના સ્થળો હોય, તો તમે ખુશ જીવનનો આનંદ માણી શકો છો. જો તમે મુસાફરી કરતી વખતે કોઈ અદભુત પર્વત અથવા તળાવ જુઓ છો, તો તમે રોકાઈ શકો છો અને કંઈ ન કરવા અને જોવા માટે સમય કાઢી શકો છો. જો તમે કોઈ બાળકને ધ્યાનની જરૂર હોય તેવું જુઓ છો, તો તમે જે કરી રહ્યા છો તે છોડી શકો છો અને તેના ઉપર ધ્યાન આપી શકો છો. જો તમને ફક્ત ખુરશી પર બેસી રહેવાનુ મન થાય, તો અતિસક્રિય થવાની તમારી આ આદત તમને સ્વાગતયોગ્ય આરામ કરવાથી રોકી શકશે નહીં.
તમારા જીવનને બગીચાઓ, દરિયાકિનારઓ અને પર્વતીય માર્ગોથી ભરેલું માનો. હું આ શબ્દશઃ: નથી કહી રહ્યો, પરંતુ તમે દિવસ કેવી રીતે વિતાવો છો તેના રૂપક તરીકે છે. તમારા દૈનિક સમયપત્રકમા “બારીઓ અને દરવાજાઓ” રાખો — એટલે કે ખુલ્લી જગ્યા રાખો — જેથી તમે બંધાઈ ન જાઓ, કારણ કે તમને હવે ખબર પડશે કે ખાલીપણું કેળવવું કેટલું મહત્વપૂર્ણ છે.
તમારા હૃદયમાં પણ કેટલીક ખાલી સરળ ખુરશીઓ રાખો, જેથી જ્યારે કોઈ વ્યક્તિ આવે, ત્યારે તેમની સાથે બેસીને વાતચીત કરવા માટે અને ઉષ્માભર્યુ સ્વાગત કરવા માટે જગાઓ હોય. તમારા મનમાં પણ થોડી ખાલી જગ્યા રાખો, જેથી જ્યારે કોઈ નવો વિચાર ઉપજે, તો તમે તેને સ્થાન આપી શકો. ખાલી રહો, જેથી જીવન સાકાર થાય.
ખાલીપણું એક ગહન આધ્યાત્મિક સિદ્ધિ હોઈ શકે છે, અથવા તે સામાન્ય જીવનમાં એક ગુણ હોઈ શકે છે. બંને એકબીજા સાથે જોડાયેલા છે — કારણ કે એક સરળ ખાલી કલાક ગહન આધ્યાત્મિક અનુભૂતિને આમંત્રણ આપી શકે છે. [...] દરેક વસ્તુ ખાલી થઈ શકે છે અને તેથી વિશાળ અર્થ માટે ખુલ્લી બની શકે છે. ખાલીપણું પોતે પણ એટલું ખાલી હોઈ શકે છે કે તે તમારા અસ્તિત્વને જ સ્પર્શી જાય.
ચિંતન માટેના પ્રશ્નો:
- 'ખાલીપણું જીવનને શક્ય બનાવે છે' તે વિચાર સાથે તમે કેવી રીતે સંબંધિત છો?
- શું તમે કોઈ વ્યક્તિગત વાર્તા શેર કરી શકો છો જે એવા સમયને પ્રતિબિંબિત કરે છે જ્યારે ખાલીપણા માટે જગ્યા બનાવવાથી તમને જીવન અને તેના અર્થ સાથેના તમારા જોડાણને વધુ ગાઢ બનાવવામાં મદદ મળી હોય?
- તમારા જીવનમાં વધુ વિસ્તૃતતા અને ખાલીપો વિકસાવવામાં તમને શેનાથી મદદ મળે છે?
Thomas Moore is an American psychotherapist, former monk, and writer of popular spiritual books, including the New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that being empty allows life to happen? Can you share a personal story that reflects a time when creating space for emptiness helped you deepen your connection to life and meaning? What helps you cultivate more spaciousness into your life?
Add Your Reflection
16 Past Reflections
On Oct 13, 2025 Bhavana Pankaj wrote :
First, such a beautiful post and the illustration lending itself to so many interpretations... That itself created space! Thank you. My yoga teacher, a wonderful young man in his thirties, often quotes from Patanjali and asks to drop all action, tension and anxiety that comes from doer-ship. ' I do nothing, I want nothing, I am nothing' is what he reminds us to do even if for a couple of minutes. That letting go of the (misplaced) belief that I am the doer creates expansion for me, at least the possibility of it starting with resting in that moment. Otherwise, running around like a plucked chicken believing that if I didn't hurry up and did not multitask, I would be leaving something undone which is very important. The fact, sometimes in hindsight, sometimes if I am lucky, right then, I can see how just sitting back and gazing out is so relaxing. And then everything done from that space is beautiful, even if it isn't complete. Meditation helps me to deliberately sit down physically to... [View Full Comment]
Post Your Reply
On Oct 10, 2025 Eileen wrote :
This was such a simple and beautiful image. So easy to envision myself opening a space in my interior for gifts to easily wander in and stay awhile. I can only receive the gifts of living with an open hand. That open-handedness is what it means for me. My favorite making space practice is to sit still outside and receive life through my five senses without giving my attention to the name-tags my mind wants to use to sort and label and categorize. Thank you for this reminder.
Post Your Reply
On Oct 8, 2025 John Deacon wrote :
I have never been good at the contemplative component of our faith.
But I am good for an empty chair or two in my attention span for grand kids and street people. Invariably they take my mind and spirituality in directions I would otherwise never go.
I can vouch from these experiences the unique gift emptiness brings to my inner person and to everyone I know.
But I am good for an empty chair or two in my attention span for grand kids and street people. Invariably they take my mind and spirituality in directions I would otherwise never go.
I can vouch from these experiences the unique gift emptiness brings to my inner person and to everyone I know.
Post Your Reply
On Oct 7, 2025 JT wrote :
I liked the Awakin that you sent this morning. I often feel that state of what they called emptiness. I refer to it as expansive awareness. When I notice that the mind has become contracted in thought, I release and return to the state of pure awareness. There, the twinkle of the stars in the early morning sky appear more vivid and the chorus of birdsong sounds especially melodic. Life is beautiful when cleansed of mental clutter. Response from Anthony (serving life in prison and a beautiful soul)
Post Your Reply
On Oct 7, 2025 tides wrote :
This was a nice drop in my inbox, just before meditation too. Thank you. Beautiful
Post Your Reply
On Oct 7, 2025 Barbara Schwartzbach wrote :
Yoga, Meditation, Nature, Music, Love create more spaciousness in my life. Slow living, appreciation and counting my blessings.
Post Your Reply
On Oct 7, 2025 David Doane wrote :
Empty to me means no things, tasks, goals, striving, worries, or agenda, and simply being. Simply being is being empty. Life happens whether I am empty or not. Being empty I can more easily be aware of life, settle into it, be present in it, go with the flow, and enjoy it. I spent half an hour earlier tonight sitting outside in my back yard being at times in emptiness, being present, enjoying the fresh air, feeling the breeze, listening to the sound of the breeze through the trees, watching birds, looking at trees and flowers, watching leaves fall. Being in that emptiness helped me deepen my awareness of my being part of all that is happening, part of nature and life. What helps me cultivate emptiness is awareness of how enjoyable, relaxing, invigorating, and worthwhile it is.
Post Your Reply
On Oct 7, 2025 jagruti wrote :
Hollow and Empty...... this phrase had opened the doors years ago to cultivate empty spaces and dive into nothingness. This practice has opened me to deep rest; and sometimes arising from within....... new approach to creation without mind-maddening chatter! #AllEmpty
Post Your Reply
On Oct 6, 2025 Mariette wrote :
Life - it in its fulness, realness, completeness - happens only in the spaces between all the stuff. And oh, how difficult and painful it can be to create those spaces and keep them free of clutter. I love the imagery of "some empty easy chairs in your heart." So welcome. So generous
1 reply: Marleen | Post Your Reply
On Oct 5, 2025 allie wrote :
What cultivates spaciousness in my life is creating time for practices that inspire harmony and happiness in mind heart and body … it’s how the yoga radicals book project was born … I needed to seed my gratitude for what I had been given … 🌠🎶🐝🌱🙏🏽
Post Your Reply
On Oct 4, 2025 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
Emptiness is fullness and fullness is emptiness. In order to learn new ideas the mind has to let go of old worn out ideas. We have a tendency to hold on to old ideas and that prevents us from creating new ideas. In order to move on we need to let go and not get stuck with old ideas and we need to let go of the old worn out ideas. That's the way to move on in our life. Innovative ideas are born when we let go of the old worn out growth blocking ideas.
My father taught me how to quiet and empty my mind to listen to new ideas. He taught me how let go of the distractions and be fully present with me and with others. Building wholsome and new connections with oneself and with others also requires letting go of holding on to the old and worn out ideas.
Old habits are hard to break. In order to cultivate new habits we need to cultivate courage to let go of the old habits. Mindfulness of such bondages has helped me to liberate myself from the grip of the bondages. May we all be li... [View Full Comment]