The silence ended for me on the sixth day.
It happened that one of my roommates, Vlad (yes, he also mentioned Count Dracula), spoke to me. As he later said, he sensed something interesting in me even in the silence.
So we talked a little then. Then a few times during the day. And in the days and nights that have passed since then, we have had a few philosophical conversations. Philosophical in the full sense of the word. We may even have a trip together.
Then it will be figured away.
Just in case, I took off the “SILENT” badge the next day.
Actually, I kept this badge as an option. If such deep (high) thoughts come to me that need silence, then I use this option. If there are no such thoughts, then there is no need for it.
The time came when I said: the silence is over.
Of course, this had its results.
New relationships were formed immediately.
I met several great people in two days. Tuesday was quiet, though.
Of course, a few of the conversations ended with us being talked about, and rightly so.
It was worth it. On Wednesday, after lunch, we had a great time with a small group of people at one of the outdoor benches. There was a lot of laughter, stories, and good humor around the otherwise quiet table.
We covered the “Silent table” sign with a scarf. I think that was the secret.
A Russian girl invited me to do afternoon volunteer work together. She came up with the idea of sweeping leaves from the meditation path in the forest on the mountain. While we were doing this and talking a lot, I found myself saying that this is the perfect Zen job.
If I look at it from the perspective of how rational it is to sweep leaves from the path in an autumn forest full of falling leaves, the answer is clear.
But if I ask the question how sublime it was to create a change that was visible for a short time – I can say, for the moment – in the ever-changing forest, my answer will be different. And my feeling will be different too.
The next day, the same girl and I repaired the old, torn chanting books.
On Tuesday afternoon, I took a long walk and took a lot of pictures. Vlad is a photo artist, he told me a lot of stories, so on this lonely walk I experimented with quite a few new things.
Starting the day in the kitchen
Maybe on the morning of the 3rd day I went to the kitchen for the first time. Since then I start every day there, and for a few days I am usually the first or second to get there.
I have chopped all kinds of vegetables. In industrial quantities.
With blunt knives. So since the day before yesterday I have two wounds on one of my fingers. The knife broke it.
Yesterday in the forest, as a result of a careless step, a stone cut the skin on my left sole.
This at least created a symmetry between the two sides, and every step hurts. That is not a problem now. Another pain really fit loosely in the package.
With this morning work in the kitchen, the entire framework of my days was formed. It was very good to live like this.
Nothing new, just the framework
This is how my days at the temple were put together. I trust that I managed to show the time spent here the way I saw it.
I am glad you were here with me in my imagination.
I wish you to have this or similar experiences in your life.
I was not looking for anything in this church. Yet I feel like I have found exactly what was meant for me.
Buy me a coffee?
If you enjoyed this story, you can buy me a coffee. You don’t have to – but it means a lot and I always turn it into a new adventure.
Buy a coffee for Steve
Linktree
Short introduction