Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-27

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Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-27

 

>From "The Silent Mind"

By A. R. NATARAJAN

 

THE POWER OF SILENCE

 

Dakshinamurthi, Lord Siva, as a youthful Guru, has been the symbol

from time immemorial of the potency of a silent mind. His exposition

of truth, the "Brahma Tatva", to elderly disciples was in silence.

These disciples had mastered the scriptures but not their essence.

Their doubts were set at naught in the vast and all pervading

silence of Dakshinamurthi. Again we have reiteration of this power

of a silent mind in "Kaivalya Navaneetam" which narrates the story

of Tatvaraya. An ardent disciple of his composed a "bharani" on him.

When this was read out in an assembly of scholars, all of them

objected protesting that a "bharani" could only be on a hero capable

of killing a thousand elephants. Thereupon, in order to bring home

their folly to the learned disputants the disciple took them to the

Tatvaraya. In his presence the silence was simply overwhelming. The

whole day passed, the night came and some more days and nights and

yet all were lost in that silence. Not a single thought occurred to

any one of them till Tatvaraya himself broke the silence. With one

voice, all assembled declared "there is nothing equal to the silent

power of a Sad-Guru for such is his silence that the "rutting

elephants", the minds of each of us, have been quietened". The glory

of Dakshinamurthi, the story of Tatvaraya, seemed utopian, ideals to

be hungered for.

 

Ramana has metamorphosised everything by his incessant teaching of a

straight path to a silent mind. His life itself is constant

testimony to the validity of the power of the silent mind embodied

in Dakshinamurthi and Tatvaraya.

 

Paul Brunton carefully jots down a series of questions which he

wants to put to Maharshi Ramana. Full of doubts and queries he

enters the hall where the Maharshi is seated on a couch, gazing

fixedly with open eyes through space. "The Maharshi's body is

supernaturally quiet and pin drop silence prevails throughout the

long hall". The minutes mount to half-an-hour and then it becomes a

whole hour. There is not a ripple and absolute peace prevails.

Another hour goes by. One by one, the questions drop away. Brunton

does not care whether they are asked or not. "He is only aware of

the steady river of peace flowing near and penetrating the inner

reaches of his being".

 

In Maharshi's presence, this language of silence was a common

occurrence, though it was most potent in the twilight hours of the

evening. We have the case of "Savarathi" at Sri Ramanasramam. A

sadhu came there about eight at night and requested the Maharshi to

expound the meaning of the "Hymn to Dakshinamurthi". The sadhu and

the others sat and sat. Ramana was poised in stillness, with no

consciousness of the body. "Eight hours passed in peace, in silence

of Being" and the persons present could understand the meaning of

silent communication.

 

Ramana would seldom answer questions straightaway. A penetrating

silence would precede a cryptic reply going to the very root of the

matter. This was so from the time he broke his virtual verbal

silence to clear the doubts of Ganapati Muni on the true meaning of

austerity, of tapas, in 1907. Often there would not be any need to

reply for the doubt would be dissolved by the mere silent presence.

When needed, just a few words would suffice. The benediction of the

silence was felt by all in Ramana's presence.