“Consider in silence whatever anyone says; Speech both
conceals and reveals the inner soul of man.”
This sound advice by Cato
the Elder (Marcus Porcius Cato), a leading Roman senator and historian who
lived in the 2nd century, BC, has indeed stood the test of time. It
is as relevant today as it was in his time, more than two millennia ago. He
explained further his views on choosing silence by adding the following
insightful and relevant advice:
“I think the first virtue is to restrain the
tongue. He approaches nearest to God who knows how to be silent; even though he
is in the right.”
The powerful effect of silence has long been appreciated and
utilized by many people in a variety of ways, to achieve their desired goals.
When used appropriately, silence has a certain energy and impact quite unlike
any other energy source available to man. It has the power to produce a wide selection
of contrasting responses that can cover the full spectrum of human behavior. On
the one hand, it can be effectively used to undermine the confidence of people,
or alternatively serve to encourage others to try harder. It can induce people
to think positively and act more decisively, or serve to slow the mind down,
and induce inaction and apathy. Again it can become quite disconcerting to
many, giving rise to worry and anxiety, or on the other hand, become so uplifting
as to cause others to be inspired and stimulated. It is not surprising
therefore that this wide variability in responses serves to render it one of
the most dynamic and effective tools available to any man able to make full use
it.
Perhaps the most damaging effect of silence is by its very
nature of creating a void. In such a state where the mind is left to fill in
the blanks, it usually responds by focusing on the worst fears and the worst ideas
existing within it, controlled by the latent insecurities and inadequacies. This
quickly renders them vulnerable and without any sense of direction. It is for this reason
that people who are isolated and forced to endure long periods of silence
against their will, suffer such serious consequences.
But
on the other hand silence undoubtedly improves the ability of an individual to
function at a more effective level. By remaining silent, the opportunity to
listen and to focus on the problem becomes enhanced, as does the skill in
solving it. It increases the opportunity to better understand the problem and
equally, to identify hidden nuances more efficiently. For with the mind
unencumbered by its own thoughts and anxieties, it is more able to decipher the
circumstances around with more clarity, and find answers more readily. Further,
silence is a powerful ally of self-control. By remaining silent and not
responding impulsively, as most people tend to do, one not only guards against
making unintended remarks or action, but gains insight on how others are
thinking and acting. Clearly, in situations where new challenges have to be faced,
remaining silent initially, will result in a better chance of choosing the
right response and avoiding serious mistakes.
In
Buddhism, Solitude and Silence and the
art of Yoga is practiced essentially to find and free oneself from the uncontrolled
contaminating noises of the world around. Here the intention is to turn one’s
thoughts inwards and get in touch with the true self and listen to oneself. The
greatest handicaps preventing us from seeing the world as it really is and
appreciating its true beauty, is our spontaneous, uncontrolled thought processes.
In their determined attempt to protect, they invariably lay down so many layers
of defense which get in the way and interfere with clarity. By bypassing one’s
ego and the endless thoughts emanating from the conscious mind, one begins to
see the true world as it really is. When this happens, a
connection to the flow of energy within is developed with the power necessary to refuel
the mind resulting in a deeper enhancement of thought. Anyone who successfully meditates in silence will willingly attest
to this.
Like many others, I have over the course of my
life, met and spoken with countless numbers of people who for various reasons
have chosen to spend part of their time in silent solitude. Some have done this
for religious reasons and others for personal enrichment. The successful ones
have all happily described their experience in terms such as: ‘it is the language of God,’ ‘the language of
the heart,’ ‘the source of true joy or happiness,’ ‘finding the inner spiritual
force,’ among many other superlatives. In all of these practitioners, the
benefits derived were palpable and visible for all to see. They were all more
confidant, more secure and more deliberate in their choices and their actions.
In this world, overloaded with the noises of anger, hatred,
distrust and selfishness, and weighed down by the boulders of greed,
suspicion and lies, there is great and urgent need from us all to take
time to find ourselves and our true reason for living. The answer will never be
found searching in the materialistic and cacophonic world around us, but rather
in the solitude and silence of ourself. St.
Teresa of Kolkota, the Serbian-born missionary who devoted her life serving
the poor and destitute street inhabitants of Kolkota, India,
and across the world, found her answers very early in her career when she
wrote:
“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in
noise and restlessness. God is the friend of Silence. See how nature, the
trees, the flowers, the grass grows in Silence. And see the stars, the moon and
the sun, how they move in Silence. We need Silence to touch souls.”
Indeed, our lives can only
reach its fullest capacity, if we take the time to seek its true purpose in the
solitude and silence of ourselves.
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