Why practice silence? For some spiritual traditions, including the Hindu religion, the path to God is an inward journey. Many believe that absolute quiet is necessary in order to listen to that "small, still voice within."
The Christian Bible contains proverbs extolling the virtue of silence, including Proverb 17:28, "Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is counted prudent." (New American Standard Version)
Some ashrams in India, like those in and around Rishikesh in the state of Uttar Pradesh, offer silent retreats, or meditation retreats. Many Buddhist temples also promote silent retreats.
The good news is that Westerners do not have to fly to the other side of the planet to make this special inward journey of silence. The power lies within the seeker, as the silence constitutes spiritual diligence in the inner, psychological and spiritual landscape of the soul.
Vow of Silence as an Internal Spiritual Retreat
In Erase the Ego, Sri Ramana Maharishi spoke extensively on the importance of silence of the mind. He teaches that, "The state which transcends speech and thought is mouna; it is meditation without mental activity."
Maharishi goes on to teach, "Grace is within you... Grace is the Self. The highest form of grace is silence. It is also the highest spiritual instruction. All other modes of instruction are derivations from silence and are therefore secondary." (Erase the Ego by Sri Ramana Maharishi, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1963)
Silence for Powerful Spiritual Healing
Facing inner demons is not easy, but a necessity to move past the pain. The power of a temporary vow of silence give courage to face the inner demons.
Dr. Dawna Markova's book, No Enemies Within, begins with a story illustrating that healing can only begin once the inner demons are faced. Milarepa, a great Tibetan poet, faced many hardships, difficulties and sorrows, but was only able to transform them once he faced them head on.
Describing the inner demons as an externalized, "nasty creature...fangs dripping evil... open jaws revealing a dark, foul black throat. Milarepa stepped closer to this huge demon... and said with quiet compassion, 'I must understand your pain and what it is you need in order to be healed.' Then he put his head in the mouth of this enemy. In that instant, the demon disappeared..."
A commitment to a temporary vow of silence often allows enough time to bravely face inner demons head on and work through them to allow for deep, spiritual healing.
Silence Raises Consciousness by Increasing Mindfulness
When practicing silence, the inner chatter and inner dialog of the mind is quieted. Hindus refer to this as the "monkey mind."
The power of silence quiets the "monkey mind" and leads to increased mindfulness, including more observations of the present. Buddhists refer to this mindfulness as "being in the moment," or "being present."
Silent Retreat a Good time for Affirmations and Mantras
When practicing a temporary vow of silence as a spiritual journey, the intent is much more than simply resting the vocal cords.
"Silence should not merely be an absence of speech. If it is ... it can even be emotionally and spiritually damaging. ... Fill yourself with mediation. Fill yourself with contemplation. Fill yourself with your mantra. Make silence an opportunity for a dive into the deeper layers of the mind." (Silence, SRSG Publications, 2007 by Swami Veda Bharati of the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation International in Rishikesh, India)
Silence is one path to God, the Higher Self, and enlightenment. It is a highly personal and spiritually powerful inward journey.
Sources and Resources
Silence, SRSG Publications, 2007 by Swami Veda Bharati of the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation International in Rishikesh, India. This 42-page booklet includes "Guidance for a Practice of Silence," and also covers briefly such topics as the "Psychology of Silence," "Creative Silence," "Silence Therapy," and "Personal Silence."
Erase the Ego by Sri Ramana Maharishi, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1963. This 56-page booklet explains much about the path to self-realization and enlightenment via meditation, silence, and the answer to the universal question of human consciousness, "Who Am I?"
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