Igniting, Learning in Silence, the latest book by Peak Iyer, the bestselling author of more than a dozen books translated into more than 20 languages, is a powerful account of Iyer’s experiences and teachings during his retreat at a monastery in Big Sur, California.
Read also | My head is behind a tree: Author Martin Goodman discusses his new book on the Bishnoi
All about Peak Ayer’s new book
His first visit to the hermitage came after his home in the hills of Santa Barbara (near Los Angeles) burned down in a fire in 1990. The theme of the book is relevant in light of the fires that engulfed Los Angeles.
“People all over the world are thinking about how to keep the inner flame alive as the outer flame destroys and turns to ashes everything they know and love. How do you maintain hope in a world of uncertainty and remain steadfast in a world of change?” Iyer said at Kepler Books in Menlo Park, Calif., on the evening of Jan. 14.
Iyer wrote about the experiences and the calm response of the monks of the Benedictine monastery during the fires, as well as about his spiritual journey through visiting the hermitage. “I always felt a certain longing when I went to the monastery. As some people do when they see a beautiful person or when they see a strawberry shortcake. I was entering a special silence and felt a really strong pull that was hard to resist.”
He also talked about the many stereotypes and prejudices about monks that he has helped him overcome in more than 100 visits over the past 33 years. “The most open-hearted people I know, and less dogmatic than me and most of my friends,” adds Iyer.
Speaking about his experience in the monastery and the basic practice of silence, he said: “It is not always easy to be alone, and when you are alone in a cell with only your memories and thoughts, your shadows and demons can arise. I feel ecstatic every time I visit this place. It’s great to be freed from myself, and what I’ve learned is that by doing nothing, I can do anything.”
Iyer said he tried to challenge his complacency and ecstasy, and what worked for him might not work for others. “I realized that the solitude and joy I found in this space was to be a gateway to a more community-filled and compassionate life, and to be less alone than I might have been,” he added.
The author also shared in the book his wife’s experience during her visit to the monastery and adds that most of the people who stay there are women, who are not all Catholic but may be practitioners of other faiths such as Buddhism, Sufism, or not. belong to any religion or belief system. “This is not a strict, exclusively male environment at all.”
He alluded to the preamble of awakening from the illusion of separateness practiced by monks and mixing with practitioners of other faiths in this monastery. “One of the reasons I wrote this book after spending 33 years in a monastery is that I feel that our country and our world are more divided than ever, and this is the vision of people who live in by our convictions and by our words in the place where we gather together.”
The book on transformation within us also emphasizes the practice of gratitude.
On what he was able to bring to his daily life while at the monastery, Iyer said, “Gratitude is a big part of what I feel there. It’s a very slow build-up and a hundred stays changed everything. I felt there was a fork in the road between success and joy. It was not difficult for me to choose joy.”
His experience in the hermitage also helped him choose a minimalist lifestyle. “Luxury is defined not by what you have, but by what you don’t need.”
Iyer said a big part of his writing practice is taking daily walks and reducing the amount of stimulants he consumes. “There is so much waiting for us at every moment that it is difficult to separate the trivial from the essential. It’s hard to maintain an inner life because the outer is so strong.”
Emphasizing the importance of silence, “Without the monastery it would be difficult to imagine my life in the real world. The reason I emphasize silence so much in the book is that I believe it is non-denominational and accessible to everyone,” Iyer suggested.
Shalini Kathuria Narang is a writer from the San Francisco Bay Area, USA.
