Noise is a form of communication. It is pollution for the senses. An overwhelming noise wins attention. “Get out of my way! I am here....” is the message. The outer world has its own ways.

Even though tolerance can allow us to endure noise, disengagement from it; will allow us not to be there while being there. The journey of knowing, starts in experiencing noise; then that experience ascends to a sound which when arranged harmoniously, will become music to the ears. The journey ends up in the most beautiful, fulfilling and complete sound of all: silence.

Nature has sounds: we hear the voice of the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees , along with the cheerful chanting of birds , in a magnificent duet, which brings sensory beauty to the exquisite pleasure of seeing Nature's elegant display of colors and shapes. In that setting, man is in harmony with the self only when allowing himself to be touched by the caressing hands of mother Nature. In that fulfilling state, sounds become music. An unforgettable tune with no lyrics other than an appreciative heart.

The heart displays its own tune through a heartbeat, and those sounds become a tender lullaby which have the ability to awaken the beauty of the soul. The spirit becomes alive and awaken through the experience of beauty in Nature, that is when the mind opens up by letting itself go along with the gentle notes of that natural song coming from the heart.

That is a precious experience.

The mind becomes empty of thoughts, ideas, beliefs and memories. The mind is finally free from the bondage of words. The mind becomes free from the roller coaster of emotions. In that state resides the opportunity to feel something unlike yesterday; that is the chance to feel “alive” now.

That is silence of the mind.

However, the mind desperately clings to ideas and beliefs like branches of a tree relying on the strength of a column to raise up. Those beliefs, ideas and “truths” become the only source of security. The tree becomes dependent on that column to survive, just like the mind without the experience of silence becomes dependent on the noises to feel alive. The mind creates a wall of expectations: Every known thing has a label and through words, the mind decorates those labels, those names with pretty flowers. Those labels become the object of survival. They become the thing rather than just a description of the real thing.

An empty mind of preconceptions, ideas, words, labels, judgments and opinions is necessary to experience that fulfilling, restful silence . In that state of emptiness, the rays of happiness of the sun of knowledge, the supreme being; will be cheerfully received by the eager sunflowers. The mind is an eager sunflower which needs that light of spirituality to survive. A mind that is fulfilled with that beauty requires to be empty first. Emptiness brings silence; and love to God brings sweet silence.

The journey of freedom starts by knowing noise, for only when we know noise, we can cherish silence.