150 Pathways to God: #19 Beyond Words

People in the western world are very word-centered. We think a lot about what has been said and what will be said. We read a lot. We converse a lot. The music we listen to is largely lyric-based. Our judgements about things are based generally on the argument that has been made as to what is right or what is wrong, or better or worse, what we prefer and what we reject. We hear the opinions of others and then we decide what we think and then add to the conversation. Most of what we consider important comes to us by way of words: the news, political updates, historical information, fiction and non-fiction, prose and poetry, documentaries, the weather report, articles and essays, dinner-time conversation, heart to heart talks, arguments, phone calls, sign language, braille, the giving and receiving of directions and instruction, teaching and learning, phone messages, texts and much of social media, emails, tweets, blogs, sermons, hymns, liturgy, even the sacraments are distributed with words. Words explain, justify, defend, inform and describe. 

Words are sounds which are vibrations or waves of energy that our ears receive and our brains interpret. In and of themselves they hold no value. We assign all meaning and power to the words we hear, read, sing, and speak. And we decide how to receive the words in our life. Have you ever thought about how many words you encounter in a given day? If there were no words would there still be meaning? The spiritual life utilizes words to be sure, but often in an attempt to reach beyond them. What is meaningful about life cannot be measured with any accuracy in words: birth, death, the bonds of affection, joy, peace, love and whole range of human interaction. The most profound spiritual experience cannot be described. Art and musical instruments, or voices that utter sounds that are not words can get into the places that words cannot.

Over the centuries spiritual communities have wrestled with words and developed practices that work to move us beyond them. One of these in monastic life is the practice of silence. It aims to reduce the overstimulation of constant conversation. It is a difficult practice for many people. Quantumly speaking: One needs to be up to speed vibrationally with silence or else it feels jarring and uncomfortable. The first few days of a silent retreat can be grueling for those not prepared. But for many, silence is a blessing and much is gained in a short time. It is of note that during silent retreats people often move from the spoken word to the written word. We simply move our conversations to the page. 

I find it helpful to take a mini word sabbatical on a daily basis, loosely, not being too strict about it. What time of day lends itself to no words between your waking and sleeping? The amount of time is immaterial really. A word sabbatical is not meditation. And it can be very brief. Perhaps long enough to fold the laundry. It might get longer as one gets vibrationally up to speed with wordlessness; that is when it becomes more comfortable then uncomfortable. In wordlessness one might go about the simple work of the day, cleaning and cooking and gardening. Doing art. Listening to or playing instrumental music. Driving to work. Sitting in the sun or watching the rain outside the window with a cup of warm tea and watching the swirls of steam that you never noticed before. Knitting. Walking a well-worn path alone or just wandering around the yard. Brushing the dog. 

But you say: Well I'm still thinking and those are words! Yes, for awhile. But like any practice the fruits come with repetition. When someone is involved in creative act they reach a time when impressions rather than words come to the front: They are inspired. Probably not the first time; but after many times they learn how to slip into an inspired creative state quickly and easily. Many people can work on a project, like sewing or car repair, for hours and not realize that quite a long time has gone by. Others can drive from one place to another and not remember the trip. They might remember what they were "thinking" about but it might be more like a dream filled with images. Some feel as if at times they "blacked out" while remaining conscious and nothing at all can be recalled. When we remove ourselves from the world of words for a short time day after day, impressions begins to appear; the voice of the divine which is beyond words begins to make itself known. It rises up from a deep place within us and expands into a kind of spaciousness; free from the constraints and conditions of words. Some practice meditation to achieve this; but I think that a simple time of wordlessness practiced in the midst of every day life and tasks can be as useful. Rightly described, this is a practice of receiving that which is beyond words.