“Stillness is not just an indulgence for those with enough resources-it’s a necessity for anyone who wishes to gather less visible resources.” Iyer and Cohen continue in their mountain-top discussion, astutely noting that “making a living and making a life sometimes point in opposite directions.” “ Going nowhere the grand adventure that makes sense of everywhere else.” – Iyer paraphrasing Cohen. It’s a peculiar way to start a book about stillness, until you learn that Cohen-in his sixties at the time the book was published-had been adhering to a life of monastic rigidity for the past thirty years.Ĭohen’s explanation of the drastic change in lifestyle (through the words of Iyer): “Being in this remote place of stillness had nothing to do with piety or purity, he assured me it was simply the most practical way he’d found of working through the confusion and terror that had long been his bedfellows.”
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Yes, the famous musician known for his wordsmithery, good looks and full exploitation of the rockstar lifestyle. Iyer opens the book with a trip up to a monastery in the mountains where he meets Leonard Cohen. I’ve compiled some significant quotes from The Art of Stillness, with brief explanatory notes throughout. All quotes are organized under the same titles as are in the book. He explores “Nowhere”-its soft language, deep tradition, and sometimes frighteningly lonely customs. In fact, his personal website is a testament to that.Įven though “going nowhere” doesn’t seen like much of an adventure, Iyer paints a brilliant picture of slow transformation, abiding calm, and focused appreciation in the midst of a world that’s growing increasingly busy, increasingly distracted and increasingly chaotic. Despite his passion for travel, he has found great beauty and meaning in stillness.
In a book about “Adventures in Going Nowhere” (the book’s subtitle), it’s either ironic or perfectly fitting, that the author is Pico Iyer, an internationally known travel writer.
I usually refer to stillness as a lack of noise or distraction, or, alternatively, a state of inner balance, but there’s another way to describe stillness: lack of movement.
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