EP345: Willfulness and positionality dissolve into silence

2025-03-17

In my recent silent retreat we explored the fact that nothing was happening. All retreatants had to do was show up when the gong chimed and be quiet. Literally nothing else. Their entire day from 10am to 10pm was scheduled for them. Meals were prepared and served. Life for 6 days was unbelievably simple. And so when it didn’t feel simple – and it didn’t, always – we knew there was one thing going on: imagination. The movement of consciousness we call thought, creating realities that weren’t i...

In my recent silent retreat we explored the fact that nothing was happening.

All retreatants had to do was show up when the gong chimed and be quiet. Literally nothing else. Their entire day from 10am to 10pm was scheduled for them. Meals were prepared and served. Life for 6 days was unbelievably simple.

And so when it didn’t feel simple – and it didn’t, always – we knew there was one thing going on: imagination. The movement of consciousness we call thought, creating realities that weren’t in the room with us.

All of life is this way. This isn’t only true on silent retreat. All of life is unthinkably simple, yet made dramatic and personal through willfulness and positionality.

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