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Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Great Silence


The Great Silence 

1. Once the disciple Bhaskali approached his Guru, Bhava, and asked him where that eternal, the Supreme Infinite, the Brahman of the Upanishads is. The master spoke not. The disciple asked him again and again but the master did not open his mouth. He kept perfect silence. At last the teacher said: “I have been telling you again and again but you do not understand me. What am I to do? That Brahman, the Infinite, the Eternal cannot be explained but by deep silence know it. There is no other place for Him to dwell in, but the one eternal deep silence! Ayam Atma Santah—This Atman is silence.”

2. Silence is Atman. Silence is Brahman. Silence is Truth. Silence is immortal Soul. Silence is God. Silence is the substratum for this body, mind, Prana and senses. Silence is the bliss or background for this sense-universe. Silence is Power. Silence is a living Force. Silence is the only Reality. The peace that passeth all understanding is Silence. The goal of your life is Silence. The aim of life is Silence. The purpose of your existence is Silence. Silence is within. It can be felt or realised by silencing the boisterous mind. If you can feel it within, you can surely express it without.

3. The message of the desert Sahara is Silence. The message of Himalayas is Silence. The message of the Avadhoot who lives stark naked at the icy Gangotri or Kailas is Silence. The message of Lord Dakshinamurthy to his four disciples Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanatkumara was Silence. When the heart is full, when you get overjoy, there is silence. Who can describe the glory of this silence?

4. There is no healing balm better than silence for those persons who have a wounded heart from failures, disappointments and losses. There is no soothing panacea better than silence for those who have wounded nerves from the turmoil of life from friction, rupture and frequent domestic quarrels.

5. In deep sleep you are in close touch with this stupendous silence, but there is the veil of Avidya. The silence that you enjoy during deep sleep and the silence that you experience at dead of night give the clue to the existence of that ocean of Silence or Brahman.

6. Silence is golden. Silence is more eloquent than words. Seers and sages do not talk. Silence is the means of communication. This is strange but powerful mode of conversation. Real aspirants who are pure and who live with sages only know this unique language of Silence. In that stupendous silence you will find the proof of the existence of God. Learn to enter into the silence daily in the morning at 4 a.m. for one hour, by withdrawing the senses and mind from the external objects. The language of God is silence. Try to learn this language of silence. Listen to its soundless voice by stilling the mind. Hear the voice of the silence with rapt attention. It will guide you. It will remove your doubts. It will inspire you. Learn all about Silence from the new-born babe and become wise.

7. In the beginning when darkness was rolling over darkness there was Silence only. This Silence is Sat. This Silence is Chit. This Silence is Ananda. This Silence is pure, all-pervading, invisible Consciousness. Maya lies hidden in a corner of this Silence in a seed-state during cosmic Pralaya. In the beginning of Maha Kalpa, Brahman wills and a vibration (Spandana) arises. The equilibrium of three Gunas is thereby disturbed. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas manifest. Then the Samsaric wheel is set in motion. It is the Rajas that generates much activities and much noise in the world.

8. In common parlance to sit quite without talking to anybody is silence. If your friend does not write to you for a long time you will say: “My friend is keeping icy silence. I do not know why?”
If anybody does not talk in a big lecture hall for some time when there is a thrilling lecture, you say: “There was pin drop silence last evening when the philosopher delivered a lecture.” When the boys make much noise in the class, the teacher says to the boys: “Silence please.” When you come across two Sadhus, one Sadhu tells: “The other Sadhu is a Mouni. He is my friend. He is observing the vow of silence for the last six years.” This is all physical silence.

9. If you do not allow the eyes to see objects and if you withdraw them from objects through the practice of Pratyahara or Dama, this is silence of that particular sense, eye. If you do not allow the ears to hear any sound it is silence of that particular Indriya. If you observe complete fast on Ekadasi days without taking even a drop of water, it is silence of the Indriya tongue. If you do not perform any work and if you sit on Padmasana for three hours, it is silence of the feet and hands.

10. What is really wanted is silence of the bubbling mind. You can observe the vow of silence but the mind will be building images. Sankalpa will be cropping up. Chitta will be developing memories. Imagination, reasoning, reflection and various other functionings of the mind will be going on continuously. 
How can you have real peace or silence now? Intellect should cease functioning. The inner astral sense should be at perfect rest. All the waves of the mind should completely subside. The mind should rest in the Ocean of Silence or Brahman. Then only you can enjoy real everlasting Silence.

11. Of course much depends upon the practice. You know that practice makes man perfect. Feel the thrill of extreme joy that dawns when you near the goal. You will experience a wonderful calm now. Drink the nectar in the deep silence. In the profound silence, mysteries of Atman will be revealed unto you like an Amalaka fruit in the palm of your hand. Avidya and Maya and their effects, Moha fear, etc., will take to their heels. There will be light, knowledge, purity and bliss only everywhere.

12. Purify the mind and meditate. Be still and know that you are God. Calm the mind. Silence the bubbling thoughts and surging emotions. Plunge deep into the innermost recess of your heart and enjoy the magnanimous Silence. Mysterious is this Silence. Enter into Silence. Know that Silence. Become Silence itself. Become a Maha Mouni. You are a Jivanmukta or liberated Sage now.



Peace, love, harmony