Music is pleasing not only because of the sound but because of the silence that is in it: without the alternation of sound and silence, there would be no rhythm. If we strive to be happy by filling in the silences of life with sound, productive by turning all life’s leisure into work, and real by turning all our being into doing, we will only succeed in producing a hell on earth. If we have not silence, God is not heard in our music. If we have not rest, God does not bless our work. If we twist our lives out of shape in order to fill every corner of them with action and experience, God will seem silently to withdraw from our hearts and leave us empty.
Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island
photo : jon rawlinson
Mindfulbalance 
What a lovely picture. Moments like that are really special aren’t they. I first heard of Thomas Merton through the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. They met and Thomas Merton was so impressed with Thay’s teachings that he wrote –
“Just the way he opens the door and enters a room demonstrates his understanding. He is a true monk.” Merton went on to write an essay, “Nhat Hanh Is My Brother,” an impassioned plea to listen to Nhat Hanh’s proposals for peace and lend full support for Nhat Hanh’s advocacy of peace. There is a book about their teachings -“Thomas merton and Thich Nhat hanh – Engaged Spirituality in an Age of Globalization”
I look forward to following more posts –
Miles
http://www.mindfulphotos.org
I so agree. So many of the Baby Boomer crowd, like me, spent most of our lives doing the opposite. Achieve, strive, do, go. Our children were over scheduled, our jobs were our lives, and our relationships became “to do” lists. After dealing with the crushing aftermath of such a life, I can now honestly say that there is nothing I enjoy more than frequent periods of silence and stillness. It’s all part of the journey.