Silence does not mean to push away or avoid all noise;
doing this is resisting the present moment and the joy and liberation it holds.
Silence means to refrain from succumbing to our habitual reactivity that gets in the way of fully experiencing the present moment as it is.
Rebecca Li, Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method
Turn within
and drop off everything completely
and realization will occur.
Silently dwell in the self, in true suchness, abandoning conditioning.
Open-minded and bright, simply penetrate and drop off everything.
Hongzhi Zhengjue, 1091–1157 Chan Buddhist monk, Practice Instructions
I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude, and not on external circumstances.
and that I can live happily in the present moment
simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy
Thich Nhat Hanh
You have heard that every buried treasure
has a snake guarding it
Kiss the snake to discover the treasure
Rumi, Harsh Evidence [extract]
If it were possible to be in touch
with our inherent peace and happiness
without being dependent on external circumstances,
would that not be the greatest discovery one could make?
Rupert Spira, You are the Happiness you Seek
In all ten directions of the universe, there is only one truth.
What can ever be lost? What can actually be attained?
If we attain something, it was just there from the beginning of time.
If we lose something, in reality it is hiding somewhere near us.
Ryokan, 1758 – 1831, Japanese Zen monk and poet
Mindfulbalance 