Learning to be silent is far more difficult and far more important than learning to recite prayers.
Interpretation
True wisdom comes from listening and being silent rather than just speaking or reciting words.
This quote emphasizes the profound value of silence and contemplation in spiritual and personal development. It suggests that while reciting prayers or words can be easy and superficial, the deeper understanding and connection found in silence is much more challenging yet essential for true growth and communication with the divine or oneself.
In practice
During a meditation retreat, this quote can inspire participants to embrace the power of silence.
... the ecological problem of our times demands a radical reevaluation of how we see the entire world; it demands a different interpretation of matter and the world, a new attitude of humankind toward nature, and a new understanding of how we acquire and make use of our material goods.
Arrogance and fanaticism cause the hardening of positions taken and entrenchment can only lead to a dead end.
In doubt a man of worth will trust to his own wisdom.
If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity.
Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.
Give yourself more opportunities for privacy, when you are not bombarded with duties and obligations. Privacy is not a rejection of those you love; it is your deserved respite for recharging your batteries.
Having compassion starts and ends with having compassion for all those unwanted parts of ourselves. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.
Though sages may pour out their wisdom's treasure, there is no sterner moralist than pleasure.
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