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" A good traveller has no fixed plans,

and is not intent on arriving "

Lao Tzu

Entering the Silence

April 14th, 2020

In this session I talk about the way different groups of people around the world are making a noise to express difficult feelings, and support health-care workers. In the UK everyone goes out and claps and bangs pans at 8pm every Thursday to support the NHS. In Belper in Derbyshire residents moo every evening at 6.30pm. Let me know if you have any more stories of howling, mooing or clapping.

But when we’re not making a noise, we are collectively making less noise: “researchers have noticed a significant decrease in the amount of vibration on Earth’s surface. This “seismic noise” is created by human movements such as driving, construction work, and anything else that might make the ground shake.”  See this National Geographic article on this.

We’ve entered the Silence – and it’s very peaceful, even though it is, of course, an anxious and difficult time for us all.

We then look at Dr Peter Cawston’s second two suggestions for how we can respond to this crisis:

“Be a midwife of the new as well as a hospice worker to the old: while much suffering arises from loss, give your love and energy also to activities that point to what is to come.”

Peter, as a doctor, links a medical role to something deeper – by being non-specific: “give your love and energy also to activities that point to what is to come”. In medical terms that could be a baby or for a hospice worker this points to the life of the soul beyond death. Both roles can also be seen as those of doulas.

“Give your love and energy also to activities that point to what is to come,” also leads us to the next suggestion:
“Choose to make sense of this apparent catastrophe as humanity’s last chance to avert a much greater disaster. From the collapse of the old economic order commit to building the earth-wise, conscious, connected and enduring society that will follow.”

In this current situation, it’s hard to see how we can return to life as it was before. What will it be like?
Here are three thought-provoking views worth knowing about: (and these are just three I’ve come across in the last week – there must be many more):

1. The Doughnut Plan.
2. The French Government ask their citizens what they want for the future and solicit ideas: The Day After survey.
3. Dr Andy Stirling challenges the way we are thinking about all this: Modernity without its Clothes.

I finish with mentioning the weekly meditation sessions available here: in The Garden of Flowing in Perpetual Happiness.

One Response to “Entering the Silence”

  1. Thanks for the wonderful Tea time Philip! 🙂 I can relate to All aspects of Hospice work. I currently work in a Rehab Center with Recreation/Music Therapy, and also assist with hospice patients. My first job in the Therapy field was Hospice work with infants/children (& working with mentally/physically disabled/challenged children).

    I agree, that it’s important now, to Bring in New energy/change/ideas/action (Midwifery) to the planet, as the Old energy breaks down, collapses, & is released (hospice). I have felt it’s been important to do more Silent Meditation again, & have really loved it. I feel that Gaia is Loving more Silence too! At some points in my life I was Only doing silent meditation (rather than guided). I’m continuing to do Both, with more of the Silent again (in Nature). Thanks for all you do, to bring Druidry to the planet. /|\

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