The Sound and the Soundless

It seems that I’ve been broken by the swaying greens. Trees have been written about for centuries, in stories, fables and poems. I’ve always found them boring and repetitive, but I had not been listening well enough. Here, the trees let themselves be taken by the wind, the birds, and all the life around them. A continuous song echoes through their leaves. And yet, these trees are still planted firmly on the ground.

I have broken the fat hurricane of clutter in my mind to listen to the noise outside, the noise of the trees. There lies a stillness that is not empty, but open and light.

In this moment, my heart has broken free from heaviness. It’s lost a lot of weight. Although I don’t know exactly where it is, I feel it beating. Mukesh Bhai, a wonderful human and our un-monk guru, said that the heart is the truth. It is full of happiness and joy, separate from the momentary pleasure caused by material things. Only if we listen.

I feel the broken walls that had once kept me isolated and above the ground that these trees stand firmly on. The connection between each person, every insect and animal and the earth is heard. “Let your soul speak to the souls of others” said Mukesh Bhai. The first time I stepped into ESI, I was told that we are all family. That was unusual. We were met with a mass of smiling eyes, as we were welcomed home. I felt my soul connect with the souls of others. Love was the language we spoke. And no words needed to be spoken.

Although it may sound like I am lost in a river of fleeting happiness, I feel that I have opened a door to an understanding that has begun to stir.

 As I put together my thoughts on the past few days, I think about all the sound and soundless moments. I wonder how I had never been in tune these ingrained soul-to-soul connections between humanity. I have seen it in the morning chanting at Manav Sadhna, in the quiet circle formed by us and the pre-school teachers in ESI, at the community centers for women and children…

I realize the power of this stillness, this noise, this heart and this soul. It has opened many doors, and perhaps I am on the road to exploring the adjacent possible. 

--Jenny