Silence

मौनं
Breaking the silence! My rambling thoughts

Why do we talk? To communicate. There are compulsive talkers; they have to utter something (pl do not use this argument against me), a listener is a pretext. We are excluding them from discussion.
What should we communicate?
In college, the Principal who took a class on morals, argued why lying is a sin like this: the purpose of speech is to convey a truth; lying goes against that. A subhashita seems to suggest the same: वरं मौनं न च वचनमनृतम् (Silence is better; not speech that tells an untruth).
But, speech has become an evolved subject and goes beyond what it might have meant in the beginning. Through speech here, we are talking on मौनं, not on speech.
मौनं is generally understood as absence of speech. Some sayings commend मौनं thus:
1. मौनं सर्वार्थसाधनः Silence is the means to achieve whatever one wants to. (Perhaps winning an election in India is not covered in this. Also, all submissions to god are made loudly rather than in silence! God must be hard of hearing).
2. मौनिनः कलहो नास्ति There is no trouble for one who is silent.
3. Speech is silvern, silence is golden.
And there is a left handed compliment: विभूषणं मौनं अपण्डितानां Silence is an ornament for fools. The idea is also conveyed in: It is better to remain silent and be considered a fool rather than to open your mouth and confirm it.
It is also believed मौनं स्वीकृति लक्षणम् (மௌனம் சம்மதத்திற்கு அறிகுறி): Silence is tacit acceptance. Normally, this is presumed to be the answer of a boy/girl about an alliance. It applied to a few generations ago.

It is said that silence is the heart of music. Music has to be such that it enhances the quality of silence. Music is a language by itself, it is said. It communicates, does not just entertain.

Silence is absence of speech, not absence of communication. Dakshinamurthy communicates effectively through silence: मौनं हि प्रकटितं व्याख्यानं शिष्याः छिन्नसंसयाः. Silence is the mode of teaching and the disciples are cleared of all doubts. சுருங்கச்சொல்லி விளங்கவைத்தல் (explaining with minimum words), brevity is the soul of wit, etc. emphasise being precise.

Now, what is the vow of silence?
It is abstinence from speech. It has been found to be beneficial by many people in many ways. It is a personal experience.
My aunt used to be on the vow often, but she used to ‘talk’ with lips and gestures. Only sound was missing.
When I tried silence half-heartedly, I found that my mind was in violent conversation with some absent or even imaginary persons (no, I am not yet mad). Thus in many cases, what is practised is that sound pollution is avoided.
मौनं is looking inward. We are all the time looking outward. That is the purpose and function of the senses. The Upanishads beckon us to shut the path of the senses and turn oneself inward. It is to undress, in a manner of talking, and see what the naked self is – peeling off the कोशा (sheaths) and be that which we are without those outer covrings.
There is in that deep silence absence of conflict and strife that charcterise our life, and the Ananda which is our ‘natural’ state.
The vow of silence is a beginning to that state, it is not avoidance of another, but realizing that there is no other.
When someone asked Ramana how we should avoid hurting others, he replied, ‘There are no others.’ The answer is subtle and profound. It is when we see another, the very chance to hurt occurs. When we see ourselves in others and others in ourselves as Gita says, there can be no intention to hurt.
That is far removed from direct experience and is theory for the most part.
But, the world will be a great place if silence is the preferred mode.

From my diary (4.7.2002)

I have been thinking and saying for some time now of the need for Freedom of Silence rather than Freedom of Speech. Kalil Gibran in an article on "Mister Gabber' says: 'Where can a lover of tranquillity find rest from him? Will God ever have mercy on my soul and grant me the grace of dumbness so I may reside in the paradise of Silence?'

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Silence

Silence is not about keeping secrets, but about understanding secrets. Silence is not about avoiding being caught stupid, but sharpening the intelligence (ability to know).
Silence is not about winning over someone else, but one's own mind.
Silence is not the means to an attainment, but attainment.
What have I been doing? Breaking the silence. Alas, that is the issue. Silence is not easy.

October 29, 2016

It requires candour to speak our mind fearlessly; it requires character to hold the tongue when nothing effective is achieved by such utterance.

In a meeting of importance, we must speak what we consider appropriate for effective decision making.

(It is a futile reminder to myself).

*

Spirituality does not depend on belief in god. It depends on belief in self and TRUTH.

 

Noise is sound in common parlance and unwanted interference in signal transmission.

Noise with meaning is word or means of human communication. Signal without interference is means of communication in electromagnetic spectrum.

Silence is absence of noise.

But, silence in spiritual practice is more than absence of outward noise. Our mind produces noise incessantly more than even oral production by some characters like Doolittle who match the vocal chord with the mind. It is this mental noise which obstructs and often distorts communication and understanding even in earthly matters, and more so when we try to grasp the esoteric, essentially existential, knowledge.

Religion specialises in noise like jumbo mumbo and may come in the way of spirituality. Spirituality is universal, obstructed by mental noise misled by the wayward senses, and not really aided by faith which is a personal choice. We see violence incited by religion because of false identification with chaff. Religion at times forbids spirituality as inimical to faith.

Religion that blocks spirituality is what is harmful. Any religion is susceptible to this negativity. Fanatics are secularly distributed and have spawned among all faiths.

The world needs spirituality today more than ever. 

Writing

To write or not to write – that is the question.

To write like a hack or keep quiet like a dunce?

To write the raw impressions of an unsettled mind that sways with the wind or current, ambivalent and uncertain, or to keep watching in silence how everything passes and passes us by too?

To write angrily on the absurd and heartless things that overwhelm us in person or on reading the newspaper headlines, or turn a blind eye and keep a tranqill mind as if in compliance with Gita?

To write funnily and make others laugh, or to keep the tongue and pen in check lest we hurt innocent souls?

To admire others for the virtues they cleverly depict or seek the inner truths to understand how all life is equally grand and stupid?

To recall the glorious moments as well as the gloomy ones to share with equal-minded peple, or to leave behind the past and care for the present as many forwarders din it into our heads day in and day out?

It is best perhaps not to write.

(I have perfected over time how to write with nothing to tell!)

A poem by Arasi:

என்ன எழுத? எதற்காக?

ஏன் சொல்ல வந்தேன் என்றால்,

எத்தனை பேருக்கு எத்தனை முறை சொன்னாலும்

அவர் அவருக்குத் தெரிந்ததைவிடவா?

தவிர, அவருக்குத் தெரிந்ததே போதுமே,

நான் புதிதாக என்ன சொல்லப் போகிறேன்?

புதிதென்று ஏதுமில்லை, இருக்கப் போவதுமில்லை

எல்லாம் சொன்ன பாடமேதான், கேட்ட விவகாரம்தான்,

எதுவுமே புதிதில்லை, பழைய கதைதான் எல்லாம்,

மற்றவையும்தான் – பின்னே, என்ன என்கிறீர்கள்?

பின்னுவதும்தான் ...

பின்னப் பின்னக் கதை, கவிதை

புதுமை என்று இதிலே ஏது?

ஒன்றும் இல்லை என்றே சொல்வேன்

From my diary:

I cannot write something because I can find words to say. I must have something to say, which will connect with others as a routine in their life.

In the bank I came across proposals written in stylish English with literary allusions and it was a joy to read. After a few proposals, I grew weary of them. It seemed to be laboured and not to the purpose. At best, it seeks to divert the reader, if not to confuse. Writing is a waste if to showcase one’s bookish mastery and arrogance if intended to prove superior.

At the end of the day, Maugham must have the last word. All writing must be simple, lucid and euphonious, if possible. Standard must be the watchword, style being optional where elegant, as in dress. Unless one writes for the mere glee of showing how he is one up on others at the cost of relevance and communication.