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The silence is all there is. It is the alpha and the omega, it is God's brooding over the face of the waters; it is the blinded note of the ten thousand things, the whine of wings. You take a step in the right direction to pray to this silence, and even to address the prayer to "World." Distinctions blur. Quit your tents. Pray without ceasing.
Annie Dillard
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the profound nature of silence and its relationship to existence and the divine.

Annie Dillard's quote emphasizes the importance and depth of silence as a fundamental aspect of life and spirituality. It suggests that silence is not just the absence of sound, but a presence that encompasses and connects all things, urging us to engage in a continuous state of prayer and mindfulness, acknowledging the interconnectedness of everything in the universe.

Themes

SilenceSpiritualityPrayerExistenceMindfulness

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a meditation workshop to highlight the importance of silence.

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What is important is the moment of opening a life and feeling it touch--with an electric hiss and cry--this speckled mineral sphere, our present world.
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Buddhism notes that it is always a mistake to think your soul can go it alone.
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To crank myself up I stood on a jack and ran myself up. I tightened myself like a bolt. I inserted myself in a vise-clamp and wound the handle till the pressure built. I drank coffee in titrated doses. It was a tricky business, requiring the finely tuned judgment of a skilled anesthesiologist. There was a tiny range within which coffee was effective, short of which it was useless, and beyond which, fatal.
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