Bhagavan on Silence

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Bhagavan on Silence

>From Conscious Immortality

 

Language is only a medium for communication of one's thoughts. It is

used after thoughts have arisen, and they arise only after the `I'

thought. The `I' thought is the root of all conversation. One can

understand another when one remains without thinking, by the universal

language- silence. Silence is ever-speaking; it is perennial; speech

interrupts it. Words obstruct that mute language. When there is

electricity flowing in a wire, and resistance occurs in its passage,

it glows as a lamp or turns as a fan. The wire remains full of

electric energy.

Similarly, silence is the eternal flow of language obstructed by

words. What one fails to know by a conversation that extends to

several years, can be known in a flash, in silence or before silence;

look at Dakshinamurti's teachings, for example. That is the highest

and most effective language.

 

People insist on asking me questions and so I must reply, but the

truth is beyond words.

 

Editors note: `I watched a visitor who was a famous public speaker,

and a rigorous debater known for his intolerance and

argumentativeness, enter the hall and begin to question the Maharshi.

Scarcely waiting for and answer he began to provide the answers

himself. He laid down the law in a loud voice. For instance, he said,

`I want to know the way to find truth,' and a minute later he said,

`Service of humanity is the best way to find truth! The Maharshi

replied, `That is what you say.' He began to argue with two others in

an obnoxious manner. The Maharshi kept quiet and did not say a single

word until the man left, when he remarked, `Silence is the great

weapon with which to answer such people.'

 

Q: Would you say that the influential force that comes from sitting in

silence, meditation on the Self, is able to overcome the passion and

agitated thoughts of most people?

M: Yes, it is the highest power and overcomes everything.

Q: Why do you not preach to set people on the right path?

M: You have already decided that I do not preach. Do you know who I am

and what preaching is? How do you know that I'm not doing it? Does

preaching consist of mounting a platform and haranguing people?

Preaching is simply the communication of knowledge. It may also be

done in silence. What do you think of someone listening to a speech

for and hour and going away unimpressed? Compare that with another who

sits in the holy presence and goes away after some time with their

outlook on life totally changed. Which is better--preaching loudly

without effect, or sitting silently emanating intuitive forces that

influence others?

 

Again, how does speech arise? There is the unmanifest ab-stract

knowledge, and from here the ego gives rise to thoughts and then

words. In this order of descent, words become the great-grandchildren

of the original source. If the word can have some effect, how much

more powerful will reaching through silence be? Judge for yourself.

 

Q: Why doesn't the Maharshi help the masses by lecturing to them?

M: Is God not working? Is He making speeches? Can work be done only

through speech? Do you know the amount of work that can go on silently

without any speech?

Q: I suppose you have realized God?

Editors note: The Maharshi remained silent, his eyes gazing into the

distance. When the baffled question had departed, the Maharshi

explained to his disciples that answering such questions was useless

and would lead to endless talk.

M: The meaning of significance of `I' is God. The experience of `I am'

is to be still. Mowna is not just keeping your mouth shut. It is

eternal speech. That state which transcends speech and thought is

mowna.

Q: How can we achieve it?

M: Hold onto something firmly and trace it back to its source. Mowna

is the result of concentration. When practice becomes natural it will

end in mowna. Meditation without mental activity is mowna. Subjugation

of the mind is meditation, deep meditation is eternal speech.

See the mind. You must stand aloof from it. you are not the

mind.

Q: How should we do all this?

M: The lack of the feeling that we are the Self is the root cause of

the trouble. Have nothing to do with thoughts, and be, just be. It is

the thoughts alone that create the hindrance, they are the trouble.

Find out to whom the thoughts occur. As long as you think that a wrong

self exists, it will appear to do so, but find out where it arises and

it will disappear. Those who have discovered great truths, have done

so in the still depths of the Self.

 

Editors note: His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore visited the

Maharshi for fifteen minutes, and remained silent almost the whole

time. At lunch that day, when the devotees were talking about the

incident, the Maharshi commented on the visit.

 

M: He is a high advanced soul. He is a Janaka. What need is there to

talk when a knower meets anther knower? It is enough for the eyes to

meet in a glance; immediately they turn inwards in response and

recognition. Verbal conversation is then unnecessary.

Q: I want to ask a question. may I do so?

M: Yes what question? You said you had read Paul Brunton's book The

Secret Path. Read it a thousand time--P.B. has expressed me correctly;

then why do you not practice it? Turn to page 73 and see if you don't

find answer to your question in paragraph 2.

Silence is never-ending speech. Vocal speech obstructs silent speech.

More things are achieved by silence and more thoughts are conveyed by

silence to a wider world. Oral questions and answers may appear to

benefit the questioner and a few listeners in this hall, but actually

they obstruct, delay and interrupt the silent communication of thought

waves to thousand of spiritual aspirants all over the world. So any

sadhaks who come to me for enquiry and elucidation would amply benefit

themselves and others by sitting before me silently-absolutely

speechless.

 

The greatest and most effective forces are those which are invisible,

such as the ether or electricity. Any query you desire to make, ask

your own mind or thought- you will