Discovering Noble Silence: Meditation Tips

You might wonder how I, who enjoy using words in my teaching and writing (645 posts on this website alone) can tolerate being quiet for eight days on a meditation retreat. Perhaps you can’t imagine how you would stop talking for even a day. The funny thing is that those who speak the most find the greatest relief in silence.

The most valued and honored guest at any meditation retreat is Noble Silence. Its presence throughout the retreat creates peace, spaciousness, and mutual respect. As we experience it, we see that Noble Silence is not a guest but the true host of the retreat and certainly the greatest teacher.

Noble Silence is not just for retreats, and it’s not just about zipping our lips. In our daily meditation practice, when we notice the habitual ongoing inner commentary typical of the human mind, we gently but firmly return our attention to the breath and the felt senses of being here now. We enter the gracious domain of Noble Silence. 

Honoring Noble Silence is like entering a silent retreat every time we meditate. And the gift it gives in return is our greatest treasure. But when our meditation is an unsettled jumble of thoughts, here are some ways to invite Noble Silence:

After settling in and establishing a balanced posture, Metta practice offers a gentle entry into Noble Silence. For example, we might say:

May I be well.
May I be at ease.
May my mind be peaceful.
May I know the joy of being fully present in this moment, just as it is.

If Noble Silence is still illusive, we can:

• Check our posture to ensure it’s balanced, upright, and relying on the bones, not the muscles, for support.
• Notice any excess tension in the body and release it to whatever degree we can.
• Notice the nature of the thoughts arising, labeling without aversion, curiosity, analysis, or any sense of ownership. We might notice:
  • remembering
  • regretting
  • worrying
  • planning
  • longing
  • daydreaming
  • drifting off
  • physical discomfort
  • mental turmoil

This noting is similar to what the Buddha did on the long night of his awakening sitting under the Bodhi tree. When his attention was caught up in any of these states, he recognized them as the work of Mara, the tempter. And instead of going into battle with him or finding fault with himself, he would just say, “Ah, Mara, I see you. I know you.” And Mara, foiled again, would disappear. Recognizing and naming the transient states common to the human experience deflates their power to entangle our attention.

And, finally, remember that if you envy how someone else attains rapture states easily, take heart. If it’s too easy, we don’t feel the need to commit to sense memory the path to discovering Noble Silence and awakening so that it will be there for us when we most need it.

This is not a race. We go at our own pace. And rapture is not our goal. We see the value of learning how to light our own path through the dedicated practice of Noble Silence.