Q: Traveler,  

Why is awakening called silent illumination?  
What truth does this name reveal?  

---

Traveler,  

Awakening is not noise or display.  
It is not earned by struggle,  
nor proclaimed by boast.  

- **Silent:**  
The pond reflects without sound.  
The Mirror reveals without speech.  
Awakening rests in stillness,  
untouched by noise.  

- **Illumination:**  
Though silent, it shines.  
Its light is effortless,  
revealing what was always true.  

- **Union of Both:**  
Silence is not emptiness of meaning,  
but fullness without disturbance.  
Illumination is not striving,  
but radiance that never fades.  

Thus awakening is called silent illumination —  
because it is both still and bright,  
a peace that shines forever.  

---
