Bhagavan on Silence

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Bhagavan on SilenceFrom Conscious ImmortalityLanguage is only a medium for communication of one's thoughts. It isused after thoughts have arisen, and they arise only after the `I'thought. The `I' thought is the root of all conversation. One canunderstand another when one remains without thinking, by the universallanguage- silence. Silence is ever-speaking; it is perennial; speechinterrupts it. Words obstruct that mute language. When there iselectricity flowing in a wire, and resistance occurs in its passage,it glows as a lamp or turns as a fan. The wire remains full ofelectric energy.Similarly, silence is the eternal flow of language obstructed bywords. What one fails to know by a conversation that extends toseveral years, can be known in a flash, in silence or before silence;look at Dakshinamurti's teachings, for example. That is

the highestand most effective language.People insist on asking me questions and so I must reply, but thetruth is beyond words.Editors note: `I watched a visitor who was a famous public speaker,and a rigorous debater known for his intolerance andargumentativeness, enter the hall and begin to question the Maharshi.Scarcely waiting for and answer he began to provide the answershimself. 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 Maharshireplied, `That is what you say.' He began to argue with two others inan obnoxious manner. The Maharshi kept quiet and did not say a singleword until the man left, when he remarked, `Silence is the greatweapon with which to answer such people.'Q: Would you say that the influential force that comes from sitting insilence, meditation on the

Self, is able to overcome the passion andagitated 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 amand what preaching is? How do you know that I'm not doing it? Doespreaching consist of mounting a platform and haranguing people?Preaching is simply the communication of knowledge. It may also bedone in silence. What do you think of someone listening to a speechfor and hour and going away unimpressed? Compare that with another whosits in the holy presence and goes away after some time with theiroutlook on life totally changed. Which is better--preaching loudlywithout effect, or sitting silently emanating intuitive forces thatinfluence others?Again, how does speech arise? There is the unmanifest ab-stractknowledge, and from here the ego gives rise to thoughts and

thenwords. In this order of descent, words become the great-grandchildrenof the original source. If the word can have some effect, how muchmore powerful will reaching through silence be? Judge for yourself.