Grow in Silence & Let the work speak

After listening to their master's teachings on the significance and advantages of silence, a group of monks-in-training decided to challenge themselves by meditating silently for two weeks without speaking. The master had also warned them about the difficulty of controlling one's urge to react in silence

On the first day, they started with great excitement, and remained silent throughout the day. As night fell, the candle that gave them light started to flicker and eventually died out.

The initial monk exclaimed, "Oh dear! The candle has gone out.

The second monk stated, "Excuse me, but we are not supposed to talk.

In an annoyed tone, the third monk asked, "What's going on? Why did you both break the rule of silence?"

With a smile, the fourth monk remarked, "Amazing! I'm the only one who hasn't said anything yet."

Reflections:

Every monk spoke for a distinct reason, all of which are common obstacles in our spiritual journey: distraction, criticism, anger, and pride.

Lets look each one of the monk who broke their wow of silence

* The first monk got sidetracked by a single aspect of his experience, the candle, and lost sight of what was truly significant - the practice of observing without reacting.

* The second monk was preoccupied with ensuring that others obeyed the rules, rather than focusing on his own practice. He was swift to criticize without realizing that he himself was guilty of the same thing he was condemning.

* The third monk allowed his anger towards the first two monks to influence him, and his outburst of rage ruined the day's effort.

* The fourth monk went astray due to his pride, believing himself to be superior to the rest and thereby demonstrating his lack of knowledge.

But, why did the fourth monk speak?

If the fourth monk had remained silent, he would have succeeded in his endeavor. However, there is a possibility that the other three would have continued to argue without even noticing his silence.

Some individuals are akin to the fourth monk, believing that if they perform a good deed and nobody acknowledges it, then it is as though they never did it. They think that the prize is not in the hard work but in the recognition. You might see them in your walks of life. I've worked with a few in the past, will continue to work with a few, and will encounter more in the future.

It takes time, patience, humility, and resilience to grow into what you want to become. You can't get there with any of these: distraction, criticism, anger, and pride. Notice your role models, and you'll see that they were focused, driven, patient, resilient, and learned humility.

For instance, the K-Pop ensemble BTS brought South Korea to the forefront of the world stage with their cultural influence. Despite facing harsh criticism, they persevered and became the most successful K-Pop boy band with a massive following. Their dedication to improving South Korea's global presence, which was previously limited to technology and automobiles, paid off. They achieved all of this through hard work, patience, and allowing their music to speak for itself without the need for excessive self-promotion.

As we Learn to Truly Listen, Witness and Observe Without Impulsively Reacting with Distraction, judgment, Anger and Pride, Then We Understand the True Meaning Of SILENCE

There is a lovely saying that goes, "Speaking is the realm of knowledge, while listening is the domain of wisdom."

Bringing it all together,

• The fourth monk spoke due to his pride, believing that recognition is more important than hard work
• It takes time, patience, humility, and resilience to grow and become what you want to be
• Listening is the domain of wisdom

#silence #humility #patienceisavirtue #resilience #growthanddevelopment