Friedrich, A Walk at Dusk, 1840
So it is that we might almost say silence is the tribute we
pay to holiness; we slip off words when we enter a sacred space, just as we
slip off shoes. A "moment of silence'' is the highest honor we can pay
someone; it is the point at which the mind stops and something else takes over
(words run out when feelings rush in). A "vow of silence'' is for holy men
the highest devotional act. We hold our breath, we hold our words; we suspend
our chattering selves and let ourselves "fall silent,'' and fall into the
highest place of all.
Pico Iyer
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