On occasion we make purposeful effort to be in silence. Yet, in this intentional quieting we can notice just how noisy we already always are. Indeed, no matter how hard we try to not think thoughts, we may discover how nearly impossible doing so is. And from here, we may start to understand that not thinking isn't actually the main goal of living into the present moment. Rather, we are simply getting better at listening to more of the words already in us, being with more of our own noise and the noise of the world. In this way, we may be practicing, first and foremost, how to be with our own words in ways that don't deter our open-heartedness, compassion, compersion, and inner calm. What helps you listen first or more?
[imaged description: A heart sits facing squarely forward toward the viewer in Zazen meditation posture in brightly-colored setting. The sky is red. The trees are yellow. The sun is orange. The meditation singing bowl is blue, purple, and pink.]