The Silent Source is the story of a quest, an ancient inner journey that is both personal and historical. You will learn how an astounding discovery at a Zen Buddhist temple in Seoul, Korea sparks a lifelong quest into the wilderness of silence.
Silence holds many mysteries. For starters:
● What is silence, anyway? Where is it? How do you investigate something so nebulous?
● Why have humans sought out silence since the dawn of human consciousness?
● How have these inner explorers of silence gained access to the depths of silence?
● Why have investigators from virtually every cultural, spiritual, and religious tradition been drawn to explore the mystery of silence?
● Could we be in danger of losing our capacity for inner quiet?
In exploring these questions you may recognize more clearly your own unique quest. You may recognize how you are drawn to silence. Some of us will also recognize how we are already becoming the new vision of monks.
The story of The Silent Source is told in twelve chapters that include suggestions for practice and follow-up.
PART I: THE PUZZLE
1. Mystery on a Rock – in Korea glimpsing the great puzzle
2. The Puzzling Presence of Silence – a global quest
3. Doubts and Hesitations – confronting the challenge
PART II: THE SECRETS
4. The Zen Master – clues to finding silence
5. A Gate and a Map – glimpsing beyond, navigating silence
6. Secrets of the Stones – picturing a different world
PART III: THE EXPLORERS-Ancient Discoverers of Silence
7. Four Awakenings – opening the interior frontier
8. Siddhartha – Silent Explorer
9. Passageways into Great Silence – access points
PART IV: DAWN OF THE NEW MONK
10. Vanishing Interiors – the end of silence and the era of the urban monk
11. The Stones Speak – messages for the future
12. Dawn of the New Monk