Thursday, August 20, 2009

Into Great Silence

Having spent so much of my time researching for my show, I've found it hard to just stop the search for religious similarities and, of course, I have to continue the search for that ever elusive serenity. So I am reading "The Joy of Living" written by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche while practicing to be more purposeful. I'm reading Thomas Merton "No Man Is An Island" and trying to let go of the ego. I am meditating a little each morning and I throw a little yoga in every once in a while for good measure. To top it all off, I just finished watching "Into Great Silence" , a documentary by Philip Groning. As my friend, Ginny, says, " living as if I'm hedging my bets."

After finishing these projects (DWTB and The Nashville's Soul) I found myself a bit depressed and lost. "Into Great Silence" wowed me. I expected an informative documentary but it became a meditative practice watching it. I don't know if I could have watched the whole 2 hours and 45 minutes in one sitting. Being a type A person I might have blown a fuse. If you choose to read this article it explains that the experience of seeing it in the theatre was like "floating." The point is that the documentary put a fine point on what I've learned in the process of the aforementioned projects. Interestingly it has given me an impetus to continue the soul project and explore new ways in sharing the experience.