Pablo d’Ors begins Biography of Silence with the challenges of learning to meditate: restlessness, discomfort, and distraction complicate the simple act of sitting quietly. A Catholic priest whose life was changed by Zen meditation, he writes about persisting with the practice and the search for self-understanding that it opens.

Silence as engagement

The essay considers silence not as an escape from life but as a way of meeting it more attentively. Through meditation, d’Ors describes moving toward a deeper peace and understanding of his own nature, while remaining engaged with life as it is.