Stillness of the spirit is a very dynamic and energising power. This is why when we meditate, we feel renewed, refreshed. We find a new energy and a new clarity emerging in our lives, a new depth and a new vitality. But there is a false stillness, which is something we can easily slip into. It is a danger which even experienced meditators can fall into. That’s why the teaching embodied in a group and in a community is so important. Even when we have been on the path for some time, it is very easy for us to slip into some form of selfdeception or self-indulgence. What John Cassian called the pax perniciosa, what he also called the lethal sleep, is something that people can remain in for many years, or slip into. We all perhaps are familiar with it. You find, sometimes, the mantra guides you into a state of peace, tranquillity, harmony and a deep sense of well-being. And at that point, many people say, “The mantra now is no longer necessary. I no longer need to let go because I’ve been given what I have been looking for, and I don’t have to let go of this because this is the very thing that I’ve been trying to acquire.”
( Aspects of Love 1 by Laurence Freeman OSB )
