Discipline

"The importance of silence ...." We Indians know about silence. We are not afraid of it. In fact, for us it is more powerful than words.

Our elders were educated in the ways of silence, and they transmitted that knowledge to us. Observe, listen, and then act, they told us. That is the way to live awake.

Observe the animals to see how they care for their young. Watch the elders to see how they behave. Watch the white man to see what he wants. Always watch first, with heart and mind still and then, you will learn. When you have observed enough, then you can act without fear.

With you it's the opposite. You learn by talking. They reward children who talk more at school. In his parties everyone tries to talk. At work they are always having meetings where everyone interrupts everyone, and everyone speaks five, ten or a hundred times. And they call it "solve a problem". When they are in a room and there is silence, they get nervous. They have to fill the space with sounds. So they talk impulsively, even before they know what they are going to say.

White people like to argue. They will not even allow the other person to end a phrase. They always interrupt. For the Indians this is very disrespectful and even very stupid. If you start talking, I'm not going to interrupt you. I will listen to you Maybe I'll stop listening to you if I do not like what you're saying. But I'm not going to interrupt you. When you're done, I'll make my decision about what you said, but I will not tell you if I do not agree, unless it's important. Otherwise, I will simply remain silent and move away. You have told me what I need to know. There is nothing more to say. But that is not enough for most white people.

People should think of their words as if they were seeds. They should plant them, and then allow them to grow in silence. Our elders taught us that the earth is always speaking to us, but that we must keep silence to listen to it."The importance of silence ...." We Indians know about silence. We are not afraid of it. In fact, for us it is more powerful than words.

Our elders were educated in the ways of silence, and they transmitted that knowledge to us. Observe, listen, and then act, they told us. That is the way to live awake.

Observe the animals to see how they care for their young. Watch the elders to see how they behave. Watch the white man to see what he wants. Always watch first, with heart and mind still and then, you will learn. When you have observed enough, then you can act without fear.

With you it's the opposite. You learn by talking. They reward children who talk more at school. In his parties everyone tries to talk. At work they are always having meetings where everyone interrupts everyone, and everyone speaks five, ten or a hundred times. And they call it "solve a problem". When they are in a room and there is silence, they get nervous. They have to fill the space with sounds. So they talk impulsively, even before they know what they are going to say.

White people like to argue. They will not even allow the other person to end a phrase. They always interrupt. For the Indians this is very disrespectful and even very stupid. If you start talking, I'm not going to interrupt you. I will listen to you Maybe I'll stop listening to you if I do not like what you're saying. But I'm not going to interrupt you. When you're done, I'll make my decision about what you said, but I will not tell you if I do not agree, unless it's important. Otherwise, I will simply remain silent and move away. You have told me what I need to know. There is nothing more to say. But that is not enough for most white people.

People should think of their words as if they were seeds. They should plant them, and then allow them to grow in silence. Our elders taught us that the earth is always speaking to us, but that we must keep silence to listen to it.