And the light shone in the darkness and
Against the world the unstilled world still whirled
Above the center of the silent WORD.
~ T.S. Eliot with thanks to S. Charlene Schafer
The monk made the bamboo come alive, capturing the sounfds of the universe and bringing them into the room. Long, deep, haunting tones vibrated in my chest. The notest demanded introspection. The noise of the rain somehow accentuated the silence between each phrase, adding an inconceivable dimension to the music.