Reading Silence
Read and Recommended: Books by Patrick Leigh Fermor, Pico Iyer, Sara Maitland, Thomas Merton, Pablo d'Ors and Thich Nhat Hanh.
Patrick Leigh Fermor
An exhausted Fermor describes his retreat to a Benedictine abbey in 1953 needing somewhere quiet to write. This slender book (my favourite kind) follows his weeks among monks in France and Cappadocia, where the “huge, black wings” of monastic quiet settle over him — agitation giving way to unexpected peace.
Pico Iyer
For over thirty years, Pico Iyer has returned to a Benedictine monastery in Big Sur, perched above the Pacific. Not religious, he goes to rediscover a silence we often forget exists. Written in brief, epigrammatic fragments, with lots to take away.
Sara Maitland
Part memoir, part intellectual history, Sara Maitland’s A Book of Silence explores silence as a retreat from the noise of modern life. She once led retreats in the Sinai—gatherings I wish I’d experienced.
Thomas Merton
A brisk read of the rather beautiful sayings from a strange breed of spiritual nonconformists: the first Christian hermits living in ancient Egypt and Palestine. Selected by the American theologian Thomas Merton. If you’re in the mood, it’s good medicine.
Pablo d'Ors
Pablo d'Ors is a Catholic priest whose life was changed by Zen meditation. As someone who dabbles with Zen meditation, I found this an interesting read. The book is disarming, honest about the authors struggles, and shows us the deep joy of silence that is available to us all.
Thich Nhat Hanh
“Unless you live alone in the mountains without electricity, cahnces are you are absorbing a constant stream of noise all day.” The first lines of a wise and useful book by a renowned Vietnamese monk.
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