Maintaining Silence

In monastic communities there is often an emphasis placed on maintaining silence throughout one’s day. A monk’s day is often filled with structured periods of manual labor, personal time for reading/study/personal practice, and communal spiritual practice. Various communities may place more or less emphasis on the degree of personal silence which must be maintained, but it is generally encouraged that most of the day is spent without speaking. The following quotation is from the Rule of St. Benedict, a primary sourcebook for much of Catholic monasticism.

“Let us follow the Prophet’s counsel: I said, I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I have put a guard on my mouth. I was silent and was humbled, and I refrained even from good words (Ps 38[39]:2-3). Here the prophet indicates that there are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence… Indeed, so important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be granted even to mature disciples, no matter how good or holy or constructive their talk…”

Thus, simply maintaining silence during extended periods of one’s day is considered a spiritual practice in many monastic traditions. Highly related to maintaining personal silence is the practice of extended solitude, for instance in a Hermitage or Poustinia, or for non-monks at a retreat house.