Stillness

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S tillness is an important part of reading and an important part of concentration.  The word root is still coming from the old english "Stille" meaning motionless or stationary.  The component word Ness denotes a quality or state.   

T here is the stillness of our soul and mind, and the stillness of our environment.  Internal and external.  A stillness of environment helps create stillness of soul.  We all have experienced the stillness of the library, and know of it's blessing and wonder.  Or the stillness of the forest, when the pine is sweet. However I think ultimately we are the best readers when we obtain an internal stillness that transcends whatever environment we are in.  I have read of many great readers who had such great concentration, that it seems a canon could have gone off outside their window and they would hardly stir.  In a similar way I think a wise book can help us find stillness of soul, even in an environment of chaos.  And conversely a poor book can take us away from stillness. 

I t seems Stillness is a golden path, which leads us to greater listening, and in turn to greater learning and in turn to greater reading.  Stillness helps us become One Book Wiser.  If I knew greater stillness I wonder what I would be doing?  Well in the meantime, I will find comfort knowing I still have a long ways to go...

Quoting History  -For Idea

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“The inner is foundation of the outer
The still is master of the restless

The Sage travels all day
yet never leaves his inner treasure” 
                    ― Lao Tzu

“There's an old adage," he said, "translated from the ancient Coptic, that contains all the wisdom of the ages -- "Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die.” ― Beryl Markham, West with the Night

In Ancient Tongue  -For Knowledge

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Hebrew:  דּוּמִיָּה   (doo-me-yaw')

Greek:  ἡσυχία  (hay-soo-khee'-ah)

Latin:  Silentium  (siˈlen-ti-um)

-silentium est aureum-