Dangers of Quietude

 In Attaining the Way, we read the following from Master Boshan: "the most fearful thing is to settle into a state of stagnation and attach to quiescence, becoming dry and lifeless, unknowing and ignorant, and detesting activity while taking pleasure in quietude". He then compares quietude with the dangers of "eating honey and candy". (p.8). I think the most crucial thing here is that we should not become attached to quiet to the point where we no longer function in the world. Quietude can be too easy, because we stop searching--stop wondering why we are really in the world, and who we are prior to all the cogitations and thoughts. 

  I have to say that this piece of advice works well when people are attached to quiet of solitary retreats, but there is the caveat that most people are living in a world of noise, in the form of everyday distractions, temptations, multimedia and the like. So I think the danger of most people nowadays is too many choices and way too many interruptions. The attraction of quietude may not be all that bad, because it encourages the mind to be simpler and to focus on the here and now. For this reason, I don't see why quietude cannot be pursued in some small measure at least in the beginning of practice. However, I can also see how quietude can become addictive, habitual, and a kind of shield from the busyness of life. In fact, we can find quietude in the midst of the everyday, because each moment is already unborn, unmade and does not die. When we are truly at peace with every moment, we don't need to wait for special times of quiet to become quiet. Things are already inherently quiet.