Monastic Silence
Monastic Silence
by Fr Michael Casey
The spiritual discipline of silence or restraint of speech operates at many levels. Different factors contribute to that state of tranquillity which makes possible greater attention to the non-sensate realities of the spiritual world. At different times, according to circumstances, more effort in one particular area will have a positive impact on one’s spiritual life.
Reduction of Physical Noise
The stimulus of sound is difficult to ignore. Noise makes concentration difficult and attention to inward realities almost impossible. This means that any attempt at meditation or prayer needs to begin with an effort to remove ourselves from the alienating effects of noise and to allow the organism to quieten down after it has been battered by living in a noise-filled environment.
Avoidance of the Sins of the Tongue
Although, in itself, speech is morally neutral, the Epistle of James (3:1-12) and many writers of the monastic tradition see in silence the only effective means of neutralizing our tendency towards sins of the tongue. This means learning to control the flow of speech so that it does not become the vehicle for unconscious malice in the form of contention, detraction, domination, contempt of others and pride.
Conservation of Energy
Silence is at the service of intense living. Time spent in idle conversation is time not spent in more useful activities; attention given to trivialities lessens our capacity for serious endeavour. Although many people find relaxation in talking, it can sometimes serve as a means of escaping from or postponing the imperatives of their personal situation. In addition, those of an introverted nature experience excessive talking as de-energizing.
Listening
It is not possible to speak and to listen at the same time. Without the discipline of silence it becomes impossible to engage in meaningful dialogue, since this involves leaving aside one’s personal thoughts and endeavouring to hear what the other is saying. Our own urgency to speak prevents our absorbing what the other is expressing and often causes us to rush to fill the pauses that are a necessary part of what is being communicated.
Concentration
The inner noise due to the multiplicity of thoughts is the ultimate source and power of emotional disturbance, temptation to the vices and distraction in prayer. Vigilance over the thoughts and over inner and outer dialogue is essential for leading a peaceful life, in relative freedom from doubt and inconsistency, with an unhindered capacity to be refreshed in prayer. Excessive talking is both the cause and the expression of mental dispersion.
Listening to the Heart
A certain element of withdrawal is necessary if one is to give priority to spiritual realities. Such solitude and silence allows concerns to be seen in perspective and in proportion and facilitates attention to the more profound murmurings of the Spirit dwelling in the heart and of one’s own conscience.
Apophasis
At a certain point both in prayer and in life, God’s presence is experienced as a profound dissatisfaction with all attempts to express the divine reality in language. This results in an attraction towards a reverent silence, a preference for unknowing, and a sense of the appropriateness of negative images like desert and darkness.
