मौनं
Breaking the silence! My rambling thoughts
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.
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.
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?'
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