Ramana Maharshi about True and False Mouna

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“The silence of solitude is forced. Restrained speech in society amounts to silence. For the man then controls his speech. If the speaker is engaged otherwise speech becomes restrained. Introverted mind is otherwise active and is not anxious to speak.” -- Talks 60

Bhagavan says that going to places of solitude for the purpose of cultivating the habit of silence is not of much value; for it is a forced state for lack of company; whereas control of the tongue in society is true silence, and thus true self-control. 

The desire to speak arises in the mind, but if the mind is engaged on a subject other than that of the conversation,speech becomes greatly minimised.Bhagavan continues:“Mouna as a disciplinary measure is meant for limiting the mental activities due to speech. If the mind is otherwise controlled disciplinary mouna is unnecessary. For mouna becomes natural.” -- Talks 60

Note: Why do sadhakas cultivate silence? In order to silence the mind. But this is holding the stick by the wrong end; for it is not speech that causes thinking, but thinking that causes speaking. Conversation, no doubt, provokes thinking and therefore talking, but if the mind has not been brought under control, even if there is no one to talk to, the mind will talk to itself; memory in particular will surge up and will fill the mind with thoughts of the dead past. The mind in solitude will then be in a far worse condition than in society. Memory is a more dangerous companion than the society of sattvic friends, who may sometimes talk on irrelevant matters, but this may prove a help to the sadhaka,in that it serves to break his brooding over a chain of unhappy events which are dead and gone, and whose resuscitation may depress the mind, which he endeavours to keep cheerful for the sake of a successful sadhana.

“When Sita was asked by the wives of the Rishis who was her husband among the then assembled Rishis in the forest, she denied each one as he by turn was pointed to her, but simply speechlessly hung down her head when Rama himself was pointed out. Her silence was eloquent. The Vedas are similarly eloquent in ‘Neti’, ‘Neti’ (‘not this’, ‘not this’) and then remain silent. Their silence is the Real state. This is the meaning of teaching through silence.When the source of the ‘I’-thought is reached, it vanishes and what remains over is the Self.” -- Talks 130

“Mouna is not closing the mouth. It is the state which transcends speech and thought. Hold some concept firmly and trace it back. By such concentration silence results. When practice becomes natural it will end in silence. Meditation without mental activity is silence.” -- Talks 231

Source: REFLECTIONS ON TALKS WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI BY S.S. COHEN

-- Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram