In commemoration of 9/11, on Sunday 9/11 all Samovar locations will be serving complimentary Ocean of Wisdom tea. Please join us for one hour of silence at our Tea Lounges or wherever you may be, for contemplation, reflection, and connection. During that hour there will be no music at the Tea Lounges. We request no or minimal speaking. Just joining together for some tea to reflect on humanity -ourselves and the world around us – the beauty of life, and the potential good that exists for everyone.
9/11, 2011 was a tragic day for the world. A day where deeper and more divisive lines were drawn and “us” and “them” became seemingly clearer. A day that spawned a new era of fear, anxiety, hatred and turmoil. The irony is that as we elevate our fear, we close down to the world around us. As we close down, love, community, creativity, and meaning evaporate further. It becomes a never ending cycle of closing down. And finally we’ve got to ask – where is the Meaning if life becomes just about closing down, fearing, and fighting? The reality is that we really are all connected. And, we really have the same needs. We need food and shelter, friends and family. And we need to know our lives made a difference. Our actions are making a difference. So how do we go from fear and anger to love and making a difference? Really simple – we love. Ourself. Eachother. We give kindness and compassion. Period.
How? We start in silence. By taking a moment of silence to witness the sound of our breath and our beating heart, nothing happens. It’s just quiet. For a moment. And then it gets uncomfortable because we begin to see and hear inside. There is an urge to get up. Do something. Check email or text a friend or read something. The urge is so strong to create noise in our lives because with the noise we are oblivious to what’s inside. But silence, howver momentary, is the key. With silence we can see and listen, to feel compassion for ourselves, and then to those around us.
So please join us at Samovar for a moment of silence, if not today or tomorrow then another day, soon. We like to sip tea in silence, but silence can be experienced anywhere, anytime. And best of all it’s free.