American Mussar Cycle Week 10: Silence

https://youtu.be/PlMI026-I4Y

Welcome to Silence. This soul trait governs what we should say, and what we should not say.

Like many people, I was raised with the idea that if you mean well, whatever you say is ok. Mussar teaches that this is not the case. Rather, we need to consider the impact of our words. If we hurt someone else with our speech, good intentions do not absolve us of our responsibility to make it right. We have already seen this concept when we were practicing Truth. Just because it is true doesn’t mean that we have a right to say it, especially if the words will hurt another without any discernible benefit to the world.

As is says in the book of Proverbs, “In abundance of words, offense will not be lacking but one who restrains his lips is wise.” As you may have gathered, the Soul Trait of Silence sets a rather high bar. More often than not, we tend to say too much, and being more restrained and thoughtful in our speech is important.

Silence also covers internal quiet. When the mind is quiet, there is an opportunity for the Divine to come into our life. If you are unsure of the Divinity, remember that inspiration comes in times of quiet contemplation, not when our thoughts are racing all over the map.

Finally, for some people, their spiritual curriculum entails speaking up more. When there is danger, or if we are being taken advantage of, we need to say something.

The goal of the soul trait is to bring mindfulness to when we speak, and to cultivate quiet as a way to both quiet the mind and connect with beauty in the world.

Too Little Silence: Hurtful speech.

Too Much Silence: Lost opportunity to bring good into the world eg speaking against injustice 

Practice:

American Mussar practice has three parts: a morning mantra, daily actions, and journaling. If you haven’t done so already, watch the video above.

Look for times during the day to bring more Silence into your life. If you have never tried meditation, this is a great time to check it out.

Mantra

Write the following mantra on an index card, and place it by your bedside

Nothing is better than silence.

This mantra comes from Greg’s teacher Alan Morinis.

In the morning, recite the phrase out loud several times and contemplate the meaning. This will frame your thoughts for the day. Pay attention to times when your Silence Soul Trait comes into play.

Action

If you tend towards too little Silence, listen more and talk less.

If you tend towards too much Silence, talk more. It is important to have your say and be heard.

You don’t need to do anything dramatic – just take a small step outside of your comfort zone.

Journaling

Write about your experiences at night in your Mussar Journal.

If you are not into journaling, just take a few notes in your phone, or record yourself a voice memo. The key is to contemplate the action in a non-judgmental way to help enable small gradual change in the soul.