Section 16

The idea of the silence is repeated throughout the Tao-Teh-King because it is Lao Tse’s way of trying to approach the Tao. Everything has to go back to its original Source, the ‘eternal state’. Remember the silence is a force which is always there and which you can become part of if you tap into it. It is not something you do, but something you can participate in. It is a part of the force we call space; silence and space form the third force of the solar system.

Very few people could achieve a silence simply by saying to themselves they were going to have a silence; you have to put your mind into a state whereby the silence comes. People often think they can achieve it by emptying their minds and holding off their thoughts, but usually they would be so identified they would be practising quietism. The main difference between quietism and the silence is that with the former you are asleep and identified and with the latter you are awake and there is a separation.

To work toward getting into the silence you must first put into your mind a mantra to divert and replace the associative thinking which is the ‘confusion and evil activity’ of the mind. The simplest and best method is to say God’s name in your heart; choose a two-syllable name such as Allah, Buddha, Jesus or any other that is meaningful to you, and keep repeating it with awareness of what you are doing. You must know that you are saying God’s name. This will slowly quieten the associative thinking until you are full of the idea of God in yourself, and then the silence will come.