…missed the "meditation" session in the most recent tapes. How long can bla, bla, bla go on? Even very useful, illuminating bla, bla, bla? I do not think we should even enshrine the word "meditation." What about "the practice of silence and speaking out of silence?" I favor the form we arrived at collectively, 20 minutes of silence followed by 20 minutes in which, as in the wonderful meetings of the Quakers, the floor is open for spontaneously speaking out of silence, speaking from an entirely different level of consciousness and listening from an entirely different level as well. During the first 20 minutes, people who wish can sit cross-legged or in chairs, either in the yogic position (back straight) or comfortably in their own chosen manner, including lying down. Others, who may not be attuned to physical stillness, can stroll silently in the garden. We must allow for diversity of temperament and training; it is the freedom-air we breathe; it is God's gift to the modern world, but the modern world does not yet have the wise art of harmony by which to deal with this volatile Divine Gift - this "art of harmony" is what our circle is exploring. I also think that our communally developed form of talking over afterwards our experiences during the 40 minutes of silence is extremely fruitful - perhaps after taking a dinner break. While listening to the tapes, having been on an extremely restricted diet for over 2 months and having lost 45 pounds, I appreciated even more how delicious and sublime the food Suzanne offers us really is. This is the "mystical banquet" aspect of our circle and it is essential. We…