Holistic silence cannot be induced. It is not merely the result of some cause, either physically or mentally. One cannot make oneself be holistically silent. All effort, by the brain, involves motive… and motives are a result of desires and goals; with such effort, there is always a thing to be achieved, a reward to acquire.
A dynamic mind, that does not merely robotically bounce from one desire or one goal after another, may perhaps come upon (or manifest as) holistic silence. Holistic silence is not the result of any calculated direction, nor is it what merely radiates in limited and calculated directions. It cannot — as so many mundane things are — merely be recognized and pinpointed; this is one reason why one cannot “know” that one’s mind is of a holistic silence. It, being rather timeless, is beyond mere possession and acquiring. But perhaps it may occur when the mind perceives the conflict and limitations of thoughts, noisy mental images, and concocted mental patterns.
Holistic silence, perhaps a bit like the sun — we are using a crude analogy here — though it does not radiate in one, limited direction, can emanate with beautiful, miraculous effects. If we merely darkly, robotically, and habitually cling to one reacting thought after another — which most all of us do — then there will be little possibility (and space) for such dynamic, natural, bright silence to manifest. Thoughts are generally old, second-hand, residual, limited, of the past, and merely symbolic. If the mind — as most minds — is merely content to exist as one series of sequential thoughts after another, then (like what the previous sentence suggests) it is darkly moving from one sequence of old, limited, symbolic images to another. The new does not take place where the old merely is what is constantly repeating endlessly.
Understanding the mind, understanding thoughts and going beyond the habit of foolishly always merely being them — without technique — may perhaps open a door. Whether the magic of holistic silence flows through or not… well that is another matter…
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Once there were three little birds effortlessly sitting in a tall tree
They watched a man down below
with his legs firmly crossed while trying to meditate
The birds were very curious as to why the man did not move
They flew away, enjoyed life, and a good while later returned to the tree
One of the birds defecated on the man's head
The man did not notice
He was too busy craving for something to descend upon him
He later went home (weighing a bit more than before)
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Oh! Oh what a photograph of one of my most endearing friends! SPECTACULAR Tom…. As for what you call “holistic silence” this is something that happens to me in the woods as I walk… this time of year I hear my feet shushing through the leaves, listen to the water flowing, noting how bare trees reveal such spectacular trunks…. and then it happens…I am no longer thinking just being… I cannot bring this state on… all I can do is put myself into the silence of the forest (that is always full of sounds) and then it often happens…I have absolutely no control over this…
Thanks about the Cicada photograph, Sara. 😊 Cicadas are cool and their symphonic melodies are magically entertaining as they emanate from their perches high up in the trees!
One hopes that holistic silence is actually happening, in your case, but it is not something that one can know is happening; therefore, your comment that “this is something that happens to me in the woods as I walk,” has little significance to me.
Hmmm what I meant by that is that it’s in this space that this happens – I am not aware until afterwards
It’s context dependent for me
Ah, even afterward, one cannot know that it happened.
Cidadas sang to me late yesterday – though not nearly close enough for a photo!
Could the birds poem be metaphor for new perspectives “falling on us” unrequested (and maybe initially unnoticed)? When wrestling with situations that stump I often feel “heavier”. But that’s helped me mature – one challenge at a time to brain typically on “auto”.
Wow, Jazz, you are super lucky to hear cicadas at this time of year. 😁 They are all gone in our area, except for the ones now underground, of course. Very cold weather is not conducive to the well-being and singing of happy insects.
It’s not so much a metaphor for new perspectives “falling on us” but is more about when a person erroneously goes through mechanical, calculated processes to try to get something that is clearly beyond mechanical, calculated processes; such a person ultimately gets s..t as an end result. (Little wonder why so few are truly enlightened.)
Wow that picture is absolutely amazing
Much appreciated, M.B.! 😊
One of the more intriguing blog post titles, for sure.
pstachowski, i have no idea what you are talking about. Tee-hee 😁
Your poem made me laugh involuntarily, thank for that, it freed my mind 🙂 Wonderful photo of the cicada, I was about to ask you about it then noticed the photo credit.
I’m glad, Tasview, that you got something out of the posting. And thanks about the Cicada! 😊
First of all….so, that’s what a Cicada looks like close up? 👀 How in the world were you able to capture such a captivating shot, Tom? 📸 I’m going to start calling you Grisley Adams! LOL 😜
This is an interesting dynamic: “Thoughts are generally old, second-hand, residual, limited, of the past, and merely symbolic.” Honest to goodness, I never thought about holistic silence in that way. How enlightening my friend. 🙏🏽
Well, Kym, i didn’t climb to the top of a tall tree to get a photograph of that Cicada, thank goodness! I invited him down and he crawled down from the tree onto the ground. 😉 No, actually, these things only live a limited time above ground (in the tops of tall trees), and they end up dying back down on the ground from which they emerged (from being the long-lived larva). So this poor bugger was already on his way out when i took a pic of him. He was still alive but was definitely on his final lap. 🙁
Thanks about being appreciative of what i wrote about holistic silence; one sure hopes it resonates with you with real clarity! 😊
Amazing image!
Thank you much, Susi! 😊
You’re welcome, Tom! 🙂