The Message of Silence

I had gone to see a monastery in South Africa. Most of the inmates over there were observing a vow of silence. I asked the chief administrator of the monastery, “What is the reason behind this?” He said, “The reason is clear.-We will never hear that constant subtle sound within us if we speak continuously.”

I understood the precious lesson. I know the secret of silence. A taciturn person will hardly be thoughtless while speaking. He will weigh each and every word. Many people are seen to be very eager to talk. If we agitated souls were to understand the importance of silence, then half the troubles of the world will be solved. Before the attack of modern civilization on us, we used to get at least 6 to 8 hours out of 24 for silence. Modern civilization has taught us to convert night into day and precious silence into useless din and uproar. How great it would be if for at least a couple of hours every day, we take recourse to the solitary corner of the mind and listen to the voice of great silence within us. If we are ready to listen, the divine radio is always singing within us but without silence it is impossible to hear it.

For me, silence has now become both a physical and spiritual necessity. In the beginning it was a means to relieve the stress of work. Besides that, I wanted time to write, but after a few days of practice, I realized its spiritual value. A thought flashed across my mind that this is the time when I can establish a good rapport with the Lord.

For a seeker of truth like me, silence is of great help. The soul can see its path clearly during silence and everything starts looking crystal clear, which otherwise would have been difficult to grasp or possibly misunderstood. Our life is a search for truth and the soul needs inner repose and peace to reach the peak of its greatness.