Silence

Silently and serenely one forgets all words;
Clearly and vividly That appears. . .
When one realizes it, it is vast and without limit;
In its essence, it is pure awareness,
Full of wonder in this pure reflection. . .
Infinite wonder permeates this serenity;
In this Illumination all intentional efforts vanish.
Silent is the final word.
Reflection is the response to all manifestation.
Devoid of any effort,
This response is natural and spontaneous. . .
The truth of silent illumination
Is perfect and complete.

Those thoughts come from Garma C. C. Chang’s 1958 book, The Practice of Zen. Reaching this state of perfection in objective awareness is an exciting thought. Blending the subjective with the objective is new work for mour Western brains, but it is familiar.

Accepting our duplicity is a step towards reflection, albeit a short step. We are perfect and complete, but we are always changing. Accepting our inner consciousness refreshes the puddle of our peaceful minds and silence sees itself in its reflection.