The Interior Silence

The Interior Silence: 10 Lessons from Monastic Life | Sarah Sands

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Well, this book wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I can discuss why that's probably okay. Sarah Sands was a journalist and heavily involved in the BBC's Today show - constantly busy, worked all the time, never a lot of down time or rest without constant headlines and deadlines.↘️

ReadingEnvy If you want to see it as her own journey of self-discovery, this is a good read. But I really wanted to read the book it said it was, a journey to ten monasteries and a discussion of silence. Part of the problem was personality and pace - she would stay one night or bring family with her but one day is unlikely to go into silence, and bringing people with you is not going to allow you to immerse into the silence.↘️ 2y

ReadingEnvy I also believe inner silence - meditation and the meditative life - is a practice, while Sands treats it here like a tourist excursion. She would spend one night at these historical sites and then write about it? But she hadn't experienced it yet! She writes about the scarcity and the quiet without really sharing an understanding of it herself. That happens a few times with a few different traditions and I kept putting the book aside.↘️ 2y

ReadingEnvy Then covid happened and her actual life grew more quiet and inner and it was like her life became her monastery. I actually thought that was the best inner journey component of the entire book.

All said, there are many better books about these monasteries and many better books talking about various traditions of contemplative life, and this one was disappointing. 2y

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