From 2015 to 2019, I attended Plum Village retreats near Mt. Fuji. One of the practices there was observing Noble Silence from dinner until breakfast the following day. Although challenging initially, it gradually became a practice of tuning into myself, listening to the different inner voices, as one of the sisters explained.
I've noticed that this is something I've been missing in my daily life. I've been relentlessly pushing myself since 2019, burdening myself with the pressure of performance.
It's time for a break. I'm now ready to embrace Noble Silence again.
There's no need to talk, to think, to produce. There's no struggle, no rush. It's about absorbing both the inner and external experiences.
This inner journey will be facilitated by an external one. The path I'll be following is called "o-henro," the Japanese pilgrimage route spanning 88 Buddhist temples on Shikoku Island. These temples are linked with the legendary Buddhist monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi), who lived between 774 and 835, and established the esoteric Shingon school of Buddhism.
My aim is to experience Noble Silence, temple by temple, taking one step at a time and listening to what arises.
The journey begins tomorrow.
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