Pointing to stillness

[Guest guest]

How do you practice stillness?

 

A pointer that addresses this is the following quote from Jean Klein in

his book "Who Am I? The Sacred Quest".

 

"Generally the mental function dominates our senses, our perception.

For global listening, which is your organic state, to occur, this

domination must stop. In stillness the mind functions, taking its place

with the rest of the body functions, but its functioning no longer

refers to a centre. It merely perceives and names. A mind which is

simply in movement is not a problem. On the contrary when the intellect

is grounded in silence everything is spontaneously referred to this

ground.

 

You see a rose. The intellect perceives and names it. Perfect

functioning. But then it goes on and begins to interfere with the

perception preventing it from unfolding in direct perception. The

imaginary person, the centre of viewpoints, sees the colour and compares

it, or likes it, dislikes it perhaps. It thinks about its beauty or

remembers some past reference. But during this activity where is the

real perfume of the rose?

 

Psychological activity is fractional and sucessive. There can only be

one precept or concept at a time, so it is impossible to feel the

wholeness of the rose with the every day functioning of the mind. You

can only add up its parts. But the true perfume of the rose, what it

really is, is not a collection of fractions. When you step back from

stressing the parts, when the mind becomes still, the rose comes to you,

unfolds in you in all her glory. The perfume invades you completely.

The rose is you. You are one.

 

So in listening be still as your legs are still when you don't need

them. Let the words, sensations, situations blossom in you and deliver

their perfume. Live with this perfume."

 

Good stuff if applied. Eh?

 

Love, Victor