Stillness Speaks #1
John Pulleyn — December 13, 2023
This is the first day of the December 2023 sesshin.
We are reading from Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle.
Who Is Eckhart Tolle?
Born in Germany.
Struggled with severe depression — became homeless and lost.
At age 29 (same as the Buddha), he experienced a deep awakening.
For the last 45+ years, he has taught and practiced based on that realization.
Though not formally a Buddhist, Tolle’s teachings align closely with Zen and Dharma.
Purpose of a True Spiritual Teacher
A real teacher does not give you something new.
They remove what separates you from your true nature.
You don't gain knowledge — you uncover your inner depth and peace.
"If you’re looking for stimulating ideas or beliefs, you’ll be disappointed."
The words are just signposts pointing to something deeper within you.
What Is Stillness?
Stillness is your true home — deeper than name, form, or thought.
It’s not passive emptiness — it’s vibrantly alive.
Losing touch with stillness =
Losing touch with yourself.
Getting lost in thoughts, worries, and external noise.
Listening for Stillness
Whenever you notice silence, listen to it.
Silence awakens stillness inside you.
Even in noisy places, you can listen for the space underneath the sound.
Tolle:
"Listening to silence connects you to the stillness within."
Deer are hyper-alert for survival —
We can learn to listen deeply without fear, staying open to life.
Meeting the World Without Labels
Exercise from Byron Katie:
Meet a tree without labeling it "oak," "beautiful," "ugly."
Simply experience its "tree-ness."
Stillness lets you experience pure being, not filtered through thoughts.
Love and Oneness
When you perceive life through stillness,
You feel a deep oneness with all things.
True love = feeling the shared life underneath appearances.
Stillness Exists Even in Noise
You don’t need outer silence.
Even in noisy environments:
Accept the noise.
Notice the background stillness.
Resistance to what’s happening creates suffering.
Acceptance reconnects you to peace.
Spaces Between Thoughts
Notice the gap between two thoughts.
Notice the gap between words.
Notice the pause between breaths.
In those gaps, pure awareness shines through.
"When attention rests in the gap, awareness itself emerges."
Real Intelligence Arises in Silence
Insights, creativity, and real solutions come from silent presence, not noisy thought.
Science even shows: The brain reacts before conscious insight arrives.
Thus, intuition and "aha" moments arise out of stillness — not from effortful thinking.
The Trap of Having Goals
You can't force awakening by chasing it.
You must set aside striving and be open to not-knowing.
In Zen, "not knowing" is the highest wisdom.
"Passion is good.
But direct it toward openness, not toward chasing a result."
Trauma and the Body
A caution:
Stillness practices may surface old trauma.
Trauma survivors may find body awareness very difficult.
Trauma must be met gently, with compassion, and often professional support.
Sitting with pain slowly builds compassion — for ourselves and others.
Meeting suffering with understanding transforms it into compassion.
Beyond the Thinking Mind
Tolle calls the human condition: "Lost in Thought."
Thought mistakes itself for reality.
Beliefs become prisons (religious, political, scientific dogmas).
True awakening = stepping out of the prison.
Dogmas feel safe because they create the illusion of "I know."
But reality is vast, flowing, unknowable.
Practical Takeaways
✨ Don’t believe everything you think.
✨ Question troubling thoughts: "Is this true?" (Byron Katie method).
✨ True wisdom comes from attention, not analysis.
✨ Full attention dissolves barriers between you and life.
✨ Even boredom can teach presence — if you observe it without escape.
Stillness Is Your Essence
Thinking is useful — but it’s just a small part of who you are.
Stillness is consciousness itself — the root of galaxies, grass, birds, you.
You are already awareness —
you just need to return again and again to it.
"True intelligence operates silently."
Quick Takeaways
(Heath & Heath, 2007 style)
🎯 Stillness is the root of your being — it’s already here.
🎯 Real teachers remove what blocks you, they don’t give you beliefs.
🎯 Listen for silence — even in noise.
🎯 Question your thoughts — don’t automatically believe them.
🎯 Accept resistance with compassion — that’s how suffering transforms.
🎯 Awakening is not chasing — it’s opening.
🎯 You are the awareness in which thoughts and feelings arise.
