Divine Messages By Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Silence

Silence Develops Love

Silence is the only language of the realised. Practise moderation in speech. That will help you in many ways. It will develop love, for most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words. When the foot slips, the wound can be healed; but when the tongue slips, the wound it causes in the heart of another will fester for life.

The tongue is liable for four big errors: uttering falsehood, scandalising, finding fault with others, and excessive articulation. These have to be avoided if there is to be peace for the individual as well as for society. The bond of brotherhood will be tightened if people speak less and speak sweetly. That is why silence was prescribed as a vow for spiritual aspirants by the scriptures. You are all spiritual aspirants at various stages of the road, and so this discipline is valuable for you also.

Talk Sweetly without Anger

The first step in spiritual discipline is the cleansing of speech. Talk sweetly without anger. Do not boast of your scholarship or attainments. Be humble, eager to serve; conserve your speech. Practise silence. That will save you from squabbles, idle thoughts, and factions.

Make the Place Where You Are a Citadel of Silence

You need not escape into a forest to gain silence and the chance of uninterrupted spiritual practice. You can make the place where you are a citadel of silence; shut off the senses, let them not run after objects. Your home becomes a hermitage; your spiritual practices will then move on, without any obstacle.

Stay Away from Bad Company

I know that you are finding time, in spite of the hard work throughout the day, to attend cinemas, to engage in wayside chats, to promote and partake in factions, and quarrels, and for many other distractions that add to the sum of your worries.

It is best you stay away from companions who drag you to such distractions that weaken and worry you; spend a few minutes every morning and evening in the silence of your own shrine or home; spend them with the highest of all powers that you know of. Be in His elevating and inspiring company; worship Him mentally; offer unto Him all the work you do; you will come out of the silence nobler and more heroic than when you went in.

Communion with the Master

Just consider – do you come out of the cinema theatre more peaceful, more heroic, purer, nobler than when you went in? No; your passions are aroused, your animal impulses are catered to, your lower nature is fed. Nothing else can give one the rich reward that silence and prayer and communion with the Master can give. Not even a decent bank account, or a string of degrees, or the muscles of a prize-fighter.

Kindness Has to Be Fostered in Silence

One great temptation for weak minds nowadays is the opportunity for publicity. Even a gift of five rupees to some charitable organisation is announced in thick banner headlines! Conceit is thus encouraged, and man slides into paltry pomp. Kindness has to be fostered in the silence of the mind.

The Silent Man Has No Enemies

The tongue is the armour of the heart; it guards one’s life. Loud talk, long talk, wild talk, talk full of anger and hate – all these affect the health of man. They breed anger and hate in others; they wound, they excite, they enrage, they estrange. Why is silence said to be golden? The silent man has no enemies, though he may not have friends. He has the leisure and the chance to dive within himself and examine his own faults and failings. He has no more inclination to seek them in others. If your foot slips, you suffer a fracture; if your tongue slips, you fracture someone’s faith or joy. That fracture can never be set right; that wound will fester forever. Therefore use the tongue with great care. The softer you talk, the less you talk, the more sweetly you talk, the better for you and the world.

Silence Is the Best Practice to Guard Faith

Silence is the best spiritual practice to guard faith; that is why I insist on silence here also, as a first step in your spiritual practice.

Repeat God’s Name in the Silence of the Heart

The magnet cannot draw to itself a bit of iron that is covered with rust and dust. You cannot yearn for God when your mind is laden with the rust of material desires and when the dust of sensual craving sits heavy on it. Clear the rust, know the glory of God, and repeat His name in the silence of the heart. Any one of the names that denote Him can be selected. Do not listen to people who canvass for one particular name and cavil at others.

Keep Silent if Speaking Truth Causes Grief or Pain

If you want to know the way in which you have to observe truth in speech, read the Bhagavad Gita. It tells you that the best speech is speech that does not create pain or anger or grief to others. The scriptures also say, “Speak the truth and speak pleasantly. Do not speak the truth which is not pleasant. If speaking truth will cause grief or pain, keep silent.”

The Voice of God Can Be Heard Only in the Depth of Silence

It is only in the depth of silence that the voice of God can be heard. Speak as low as possible, as little as possible, as sweetly as possible.

All Joy Is Within

All the joy you crave for is in you. But, like a man who has vast riches in the iron chest but who has no idea where the key is, you suffer. Hear properly the instructions, dwell upon them in the silence of meditation, practise what has been made clear therein; then, you can secure the key, open the chest, and be rich in joy.

Avoid Entangling Yourself in the Affairs of Others

Detachment is the first step in spiritual practice. Silence helps you avoid entangling yourself in the affairs of others; that is why it is encouraged as a preliminary.

Talk to Others in Whispers

One of the first principles of straight living is – practise silence. For the voice of God can be heard in the region of your heart only when the tongue is stilled and the storm is stilled and the waves are calm. There will be no temptation for others to shout when you talk to them in whispers. Set the level of the tone yourself – as low as possible, as high as necessary to reach to the outermost boundary of the circle you are addressing.

Silence Promotes Self-Control

Silence. This is the first step in spiritual practice; it makes the other steps easy. It promotes self-control; it lessens chances of anger, hate, malice, greed, pride. Besides, you can hear His footsteps only when silence reigns in the mind.

Spiritual Practice Is Done in Silence

There are many who go about the country, preaching about repeating God’s name and meditation, pretending to be highly advanced experts. They claim to be masters, so that they can collect huge audiences and show off their skills. But such exhibition of talent is not a sign of spiritual attainment. Spiritual attainments shun publicity. Spiritual practice is to be done in silence, away from public gaze. The name and form of God are extolled by Mira as “precious gems”; precious gems are not brought out as wares to the market place; only vegetables are so exhibited for all to see. The units of our organisation should not encourage pomp or show – for they are alien to the spiritual path.

Maintain Silence in the Recesses of the Heart

God is omnipresent. So, do not act differently when you are away from My presence. Be always and everywhere conscious of the presence. Be vigilant, even while engaged in little tasks. Maintain silence in the recesses of the heart, as well as outside.

Cultivate Inner Silence

The very first spiritual practice one must adopt is the cultivation of inner silence, to put an end to the endless dialogue with the mind. Let the mind rest for a while. Do not project on the mind irrelevant details and pollute it with fumes of envy and greed. Every idea we entertain, either good or bad, gets impressed on the mind, as on carbon paper. An element of weakness and unsteadiness is thus introduced in the mind. Keep the mind calm and clear. Do not agitate it every moment by your non-stop dialogue.

The Mind Must Desist from Wandering

Speech is produced cheaply, but it has high value. It can elevate as well as demean man. Listening to a speech, a zero can rise into a hero or a hero can collapse into a zero. Speech can inspire or plant despair. It must be true and sweet, not false and pleasant. Man must endeavour to acquire speech untouched by subterfuge, limbs untouched by cruelty, hands free from violence, and thoughts free from vengefulness. Frenzy, fanaticism, and gusts of anger have to be controlled, for they lead to disasters whose range is beyond calculation. By constant practice, these can also resort to the vow of silence. The mind too must desist from wandering when the tongue is desisting from talking. Otherwise, the vow cannot be fruitful. Be conscious that every word we utter or hear will leave an impression on our consciousness and provoke reactions that may or may not be beneficial. This is the reason why the company of God and godly people is to be sought.

Practise Silence to Conserve Energy

Spiritual energy has to be conserved by all possible means. The sages practised silence to conserve the energy lost through speech.

Triple Purity That Pleases the Lord

There are three things that are immensely pleasing to the Lord: a tongue that never indulges in falsehood, a body that is not tainted by causing harm to others, and a mind that is free from attachment and hatred. These three constitute the triple purity. Refrain from uttering falsehood, inflicting pain on others, and entertaining ill will towards others. Practise silence as a means of preventing the tongue from straying away from truth. The ancient sages practised and preached silence for this purpose.

Restraint in Speech Develops Mental Agility

The effect of excessive speech on the behaviour and mental faculties of people was the subject of research at Columbia University. The experiment was conducted in a primary school for twenty-five years. The students were grouped separately in batches of ten. Those students who spoke the least were offered prizes. Tests were conducted on students indulging in excessive talk and those observing silence or reticence. It was found over the years that the intellectual abilities of students observing restraint in speech were of a high order. There was purity in their speech. They had a broad outlook. They developed enquiring minds. They had a high degree of discrimination.

In the case of students indulging in excessive speech, it was found that their memory power was weak. They were narrow-minded. They lacked discriminating power. The result of the experiment testified to the wisdom of the ancient sages who went to the forest for silent contemplation. Every one of the practices of the ancient sages was designed to lead men to the highest stage. Remember that through restraint in speech you can develop mental agility.

Two Functions of the Tongue

Control of the senses should be one of the primary aims of students. More than the sense organs, the sensory perceptions are powerful. They are: sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. Among the sense organs the most important one is the mouth (or tongue), with the power of speech. If one can conquer the tongue, he will be the master of all the other senses.

The tongue has two functions: speaking and eating. Whoever is able to master these two faculties will be able to raise himself to the level of the Divine. When the tongue becomes silent, the mind begins to talk. To control the mind’s talk, the buddhi (intellect or intelligence) has to be awakened. Then one should strive to turn the intellect or intelligence towards the Atma (the Divine).

True spiritual striving consists in turning the tongue towards the mind, the mind towards the intellect, and the intellect towards the Atma. Although this royal road is available to man, he chooses to immerse himself in worldly pleasures and becomes submerged in sorrow.

Two Functions of the Tongue

Control of the senses should be one of the primary aims of students. More than the sense organs, the sensory perceptions are powerful. They are: sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. Among the sense organs the most important one is the mouth (or tongue), with the power of speech. If one can conquer the tongue, he will be the master of all the other senses.

The tongue has two functions: speaking and eating. Whoever is able to master these two faculties will be able to raise himself to the level of the Divine. When the tongue becomes silent, the mind begins to talk. To control the mind’s talk, the buddhi (intellect or intelligence) has to be awakened. Then one should strive to turn the intellect or intelligence towards the Atma (the Divine).

True spiritual striving consists in turning the tongue towards the mind, the mind towards the intellect, and the intellect towards the Atma. Although this royal road is available to man, he chooses to immerse himself in worldly pleasures and becomes submerged in sorrow.

How to Find Peace of Mind

by Swami Sivananda

PRAYER AND DEVOTION FOR PEACE OF MIND

Pray for him who has done you harm. Send thought- currents of peace and good-will to him and the whole world at large when you sit for meditation or prayer.

Satsanga or association with sages and wise men, is indispensable for attaining peace. Also you cannot rest in peace without Rama.

How fortunate and happy is the man who remembers God and sings His names! The devotee of God is free from all cares, worries, fears, sorrows, pains and tribulations. God takes care of him. He enjoys peace. In his very presence everyone will enjoy peace.

Hear the divine whisper in silence. Realise the power of faith. Feel God’s sustaining grace.

Know the way of escape. Build the shrine of love or temple of devotion in your heart. Enter the glorious silence. Enjoy the life transcendent. Live within. Merge in the soul. Know the Self. Become That. Be free and move about happily.

ROOT CAUSE OF RESTLESSNESS

The cause of all restlessness, quarrels, fights, dissensions, is Ignorance. Selfishness, greed, pride, egoism, hatred are all born of Ignorance; they are products or modifications of Ignorance. The person who has realised the oneness of life, the unity of consciousness will never engage himself in strife or quarrel.

The removal of ignorance alone can stop all dissensions and restlessness. Spiritual culture, ethical education and all those methods that are best calculated to instil love and a sense of unity in men and women, can prevent nations from resorting to quarrels and fights. Every man or woman should have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the good or purpose of life. All people should get spiritual training and ethical culture.

PEACE OF THE SELF WITHIN – MANY METHODS FOR FINDING IT

Peace is the very nature of the innermost Self of man – Shanto-ayam atma. Even he who strives to realise this Self, has begun to direct his attention towards this Self, enjoys this peace that prevails in the Self. Even as the nuclear explosion spreads destruction for miles around, this superphenomenal experience of the Peace of the Self generates the powerful current of Peace that dispels the darkness of ignorance and disharmony from the heart of those that attune themselves to the Yogi of such experience.

Even a few Yogins of inner spiritual experience, of Self-realisation, Yogins who have attained this inner Peace, can transform the whole world and bring peace, plenty and prosperity. For, millions devoted to them will share the spiritual treasures acquired by them; they will begin to feel that the One Self dwells in all, the one Life lives in all, the One Cosmic Will expresses itself through countless beings. They will begin to see that all distinctions are man-made and that all boundaries are imaginary. They will begin to think in terms of humanity, to practise the universal religion of cosmic love. This is the road to peace.

Therefore, turn the gaze within. Shut the doors of the senses. Restrain the turbulent mind. Slay the doubting intellect. Fill your heart with the nectar of faith and devotion. Serve humanity selflessly. Do Japa. Concentrate. Meditate. Pray and wait. Seek the Peace within. Realise the Self. Shine as a Yogi, the greatest benefactor of humanity. May God bless you all with health, long life, peace, prosperity and Self-realisation.

PEACE OF MIND THROUGH MANY-SIDED SELF-CULTURE

Remove suspicion, hatred, ill-will, jealousy, selfishness. Establish peace in your heart by meditating on the ever peaceful self or the Atman that dwells in the chambers of your heart. Then alone will you be able to establish peace in the world. Individual peace alone can lead to the establishment of universal peace.

It is the vanity of man that goads him to reform society without first reforming himself. Vanity rules the world; when two vain people meet, there is friction and quarrel.

Your heart should expand; you should cultivate cosmic love. That is the secret of peace, harmony and unity. Serve all; love all;� be good and do good. Think no evil, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Introspect regularly. Meditate. Remove your own defects. Realise your essential Sat-chit-ananda Svarupa, not in the unknown future, but right now, this very second.

Find peace within at first through discipline and meditation, and then disseminate peace outside, in the world. Peace is the divine flame that is fed by the fuel of pure love. Love alone can bring peace on this earth.

WORLD-PEACE AND PEACE OF MIND THROUGH SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

Spiritual awareness is the prerequisite for individual and world peace.

The key to world peace rests with the spiritually conscious leaders of the world.

Selfishness will naturally create discord, disharmony and destruction. Materialism has man’s selfishness as its motive power.

Let all cultivate goodness and love. There will then be peace in the world.

Peace can be established through love, goodwill, mutual understanding and sympathy.

The way to peace is the way of truth, non-violence, love, purity, right conduct, tolerance and understanding.

God is peace. Root yourself in peace or God. Now you are fit to radiate peace.

The transient nature of the world and all bodies and the unceasing inner aspiration for perfection and peace show that there must be that unending Perfection which is Peace and Joy and which must be underlying this perishable, objective world. This Eternal Conscious Perfection is God, and the method of reaching Him is Religion.

MEDITATE AND BRING PEACE TO THE WORLD

Do not feel that you are only an ordinary individual, one in millions. Do not think that unless you have co-operation from thousands and thousands all over the world, nothing of real importance will be done. No, you forget that every thought sent out by you, you the humble individual that you think you are, every thought sent in the proper manner with full trust in God, for pure unselfishness, has behind it the support of all well-wishes, embodied and disembodied. You do not know how many great well-wishers of the world are everywhere in spirit ready to give invisible help to selfless workers.

Every thought that you send out is a vibration which never perishes. It goes on vibrating every particle of the universe and if your thoughts are noble, holy and forcible, they set in vibration every sympathetic mind. Unconsciously all people who are like you take the thought you have projected and in accordance with the capacity that they have, they send out similar thoughts. The result is that, without your knowledge the consequences of your own work, you will be setting in motion great forces which will work together and put down the lowly and mean thoughts generated by the selfish and the wicked.

Just as the sun goes on continuously converting into vapour every drop of water that is on the surface of the earth and just as all the vapour thus rising up gathers together in the form of clouds, all the thoughts that you project from your own lonely corner will mount up and be wafted across space, join similar thoughts projected by those who are like you and, in the end, all these holy thoughts will come down with tremendous force to subjugate and destroy the evil forces which at present threaten to overpower the good.

If every reader of this message makes it a point to devote one hour every day in meditation, to the projection of peace thoughts there will be thousands of people doing the same thing every day and the total effect of such combined thought projection is inestimable. Not only will there be the individual force of every such person acting in cooperation, but the additional strength received from Invisible Helpers, the ever present Masters, the Videhas, who will silently guide all and make them pursue the right path. They are the great Beings who enter into the intellects an

Silence

From the teachings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati

The aim of life is silence. Silence is the language of God or Brahman. Peace is silence. Silence is the language of the heart. Silence is the language of the wise. Silence is immense strength. Silence is great eloquence. Silence is power. Silence is a living force. Silence is the only reality. Behind all noise and sound is silence, your innermost soul. Silence is intuitive experience. To go into silence is to become God. There is no healing balm better than silence for those who have a wounded heart from failures, disappointments and losses. The silence that you enjoy during deep sleep and the silence that you experience at the dead of night give the clue to the existence of that ocean of silence.

Physical silence and silence of the mind

In common parlance, to sit quietly without talking to anybody is silence. If your friend does not write to you for a long time, you will say, “My friend is keeping silence. I don’t know why.” If nobody talks in a big lecture hall when there is a thrilling lecture, you say, “There was a pin-drop silence when the philosopher delivered a lecture.” When the children make much noise in class, the teacher says, “Silence, please.” This is all physical silence.

If you do not allow the eyes to see objects and if you withdraw them from objects through the practice of pratyahara, this is silence of the eye. If you do not allow the ears to hear any sound, it is silence of that particular sense. If you observe a complete fast without taking even a drop of water, it is silence of the tongue. If you do not perform any work and if you sit in padmasana for three hours, it is silence of the feet and hands.

What is really wanted is silence of the bubbling mind. You can observe a vow of silence, but the mind will be building images. Chitta will be developing memories. Imagination, reasoning, reflection and various other functionings of the mind will be going on continuously. How can you have real peace or silence now? The intellect should cease functioning. The inner astral sense should be at perfect rest. All the waves of the mind should completely subside. The mind should rest in the ocean of silence or Brahman. Only then only you can enjoy real, everlasting silence.

Mouna or the vow of silence

Mouna means a vow of silence. There are different kinds of mouna. Control of speech is vang mouna. Complete cessation of one’s physical actions is kashtha mouna. You should not nod your head. You should not write anything to express your ideas. In both, the mental modifications are not destroyed. Sushupti mouna is equality of vision and quiescence of mind with the idea that the universe is no other than Brahman, after firmly realising the illusory character of this world. Brahman is called maha mouna because it is an embodiment of silence. Maha mouna is true mouna. Silence of speech is only a help in attaining maha mouna. Mental silence is far superior to mouna of speech.

The organ of speech

Speech is a strong weapon of maya to delude the individual and to distract the mind. Talkative people cannot enjoy peace of mind because the mind is always outgoing. Quarrels and disputes arise through the play or mischief of this turbulent sense. Words are like arrows. They injure the feelings of others. Speech is very mischievous, troublesome, turbulent and impetuous. It must be steadily and gradually controlled. When you begin to check it, it will try to rebound on you. Be courageous. Do not allow anything to come out from the mind through the organ of speech. If you observe mouna, you have shut out a big source of disturbance. If speech is checked, the eyes and ears also can come easily under control. If you control speech, you have already controlled half of the mind.

Benefits of the practice of mouna

Energy is wasted in idle talking and gossiping. Mouna conserves the energy and you can turn out more mental and physical work. You can do a lot of meditation. It has a marvellous soothing influence on the brain and nerves. The energy of speech is slowly transmuted or sublimated into ojas shakti or spiritual energy. Mouna develops the will, curbs the impulse of speech and gives peace of mind. Mouna is a great help in observing truth and controlling anger. Emotions are controlled and irritability vanishes. When one is ailing, observing mouna will give great peace of mind. One who observes silence possesses peace, strength and happiness. In silence, there is wisdom, freedom, poise, joy and bliss.

How to observe mouna

Busy people should observe mouna for some time daily and for a longer period on Sundays. Your friends and family members will not disturb you at that time. They will come to know that you observe mouna at such and such a time. Utilise this period in japa and meditation. If the place is not suitable for observing mouna, go to a solitary place where your friends will not visit you.

If you wish to observe mouna, keep yourself occupied in japa, meditation and mantra writing. Avoid mixing with others. The energy of speech should be sublimated into spiritual energy and utilised for meditation. Only then will you enjoy serenity, calmness, peace, and inner spiritual strength. During the period of mouna, you should not read newspapers. Reading newspapers will bring in a revival of worldly samskaras and disturb your peace of mind. During mouna, you should not write too many slips, or write on the forearm with your finger to express your thoughts to your neighbours. You should not laugh. These are all breaks in mouna. These are all worse than talking.

Discipline of speech

Try to become a person of measured words. Strictly avoid long talk, big talk, tall talk, all unnecessary talk, all sorts of vain debates and discussions, and withdraw from society as much as possible. This itself is mouna. Watch every word. This is the greatest discipline. Words are great forces. Use them carefully. Control your speech. Do not allow the tongue to run riot. Control the words before they pass over to your lips. Speak little. Learn to be silent. High-sounding words cause exhaustion of the tongue. It is mere weariness of speech. Use simple words and conserve energy. Devote more and more of your time for an inward life of meditation and reflection.

Purify the mind and meditate. Be still, and know that you are God. Calm the mind. Silence the bubbling thoughts and surging emotions. Plunge deep into the innermost recess of your heart and enjoy the magnanimous silence. Mysterious is this silence. Enter into silence. Know that silence. Become silence itself.