Man is a product of his thoughts. Thoughts grow well in silence. Thoughts mature in silence. Thoughts become creative in silence. Clarity and brevity of thoughts are attained through silence. Unhealthy and unwanted thoughts are flushed out in silence like a drainage. “They never taste who always drink. They always talk who never think.
- Matthew Prior

The words on this screen are merely signposts for what lies deep within you. It seems that we have abused words by making them all there is in this world. They are not the message, they simply point to the message. The message itself can only be heard by spirit/stillness.
- Laura

Finding Silence

Prompted by this science post I referenced before and by my recent silent meditation retreat, I feel moved to write about silence.

I am constantly trying to find ways to grow. The main course I’ve stuck with is to look within. But relentless, self-absorbed introspection can be unhelpful and certainly tiring. As soon as one begins to look at one’s mind it becomes so clear how noisy and frantic our thoughts are. They’re a constant barrage containing memory wisps, emotion, grasping, imagination, speculation, fear, control and who knows what else. Learning to find space and silence in our mind is just as important as learning to find it in our lives.

Silence is of four kinds. Silence of speech, Silence of the eyes, Silence of the ear and Silence of the mind. Only the last is pure silence and is the most important. Silence is the only Eternal Speech- the one Word, the Heart to Heart talk. Silence is like the even flow of electric current. Speech is like obstructing the current used for lighting and other purposes.
- Maharishi Raman

Silence is a method that helps to free our minds. If practiced thoughtfully, we can make space for reflection before defensively responding to another. We can notice fearful thoughts, actions and words that arise withing ourselves. We can use silence to face situations of mental and physical stress or emotional upheaval. Often our most powerful expressions of anger or hatred come through speech. Silence is a requirement for meditation and mindfulness practice. Silence increases our will power and sharpens our minds.

Silent is the meek, humble, noble, powerful. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.
- Gandhi

Idle chatter may seem harmless enough, but I would recommend we all take a closer look. Often unrestrained talk-fests lead to insults, judgment, ridicule and just general negativity. This isn’t beneficial for anyone involved. Our unruly minds surface and present to us some of the darker aspects of our psyche. By creating space, observing mindfully our silent times (and times when we aren’t silent) we can gain great insights into the workings of our mind and self. How often does random chatting lead to futile arguments, that leave us feeling drained and uneasy? It’s so easy to speak the first thing that we think of and so hard to stop, restrain ourselves and think about what we are saying. Looking within to find where this speech has come from is difficult. Is it an automatic response, an old habit? A societal rule you’ve bought into subconsciously? Something you feel uneasy about? An ego judgment? A justification of past actions? A response to unreleased emotional pain?

Next time you find yourself in the midst of a diatribe, stop and ask yourself what is really going on. Take a few moments during your day to just breathe. Look at the trees. Calm your noisy thoughts. Find your inner silence and enjoy it.

Inner voice is heard in silence. Truth is revealed in silence. Divinity of the Self is unfolded in silence.