II SILENCE AND SOLITUDE

D: Is a vow of silence useful? M: The inner silence is self-surrender. And that is living without the sense of ego. D: Is solitude necessary for a sannyasin [?]? M: Solitude is in the mind of a man. One might be in the thic of the world and yet maintain !erfect serenity of mind" such a !erson is always in solitude. Another may stay in the forest# but still be unable to control his mind. $e cannot be said to be in solitude. Solitude is an attitude of the mind" a man attached to the things of life cannot get solitude# wherever he may be. A detached man is always in solitude. D: %hat is mauna [?]? M: That state which transcends s!eech and thought is mauna" it is meditation without mental activity. Sub&ugation of the mind is meditation" dee! meditation is eternal s!eech. Silence is ever-s!ea ing" it is the !erennial flow of 'language(. It is interru!ted by s!ea ing" for words obstruct this mute 'language(. )ectures may entertain individuals for hours without im!roving them. Silence# on the other hand# is !ermanent and benefits the whole of humanity * . * +y silence# elo,uence is meant. Oral lectures are not so elo,uent as silence. Silence is unceasing elo,uence * It is the best language. There is a state when words cease and silence !revails. D: $ow then can we communicate our thoughts to one another? M: That becomes necessary if the sense of duality e-ists* D: %hy does not +hagavan go about and !reach the Truth to the !eo!le at large? M: $ow do you now I am not doing it? .oes !reaching consist in mounting a !latform and haranguing the !eo!le around? /reaching is sim!le communication of nowledge" it can really be done in silence only. %hat do you thin of a man who listens to a sermon for an hour and goes away without having been im!ressed by it so as to change his life? 0om!are him with another# who sits in a holy !resence and goes

away after sometime with his outloo on life totally changed. %hich is the better# to !reach loudly without effect or to sit silently sending out inner force? Again# how does s!eech arise? There is abstract nowledge# whence arises the ego# which in turn gives rise to thought# and thought to the s!o en word. So the word is the greatgrandson of the original source. If the word can !roduce effect# &udge for yourself# how much more !owerful must be the !reaching through silence1 +ut !eo!le do not understand this sim!le# bare truth# the truth of their everyday# ever-!resent# eternal e-!erience. This truth is that of the Self. Is there anyone unaware of the Self? +ut they do not li e even to hear of this truth# whereas they are eager to now what lies beyond# about heaven# hell and reincarnation. +ecause they love mystery and not the truth# religions cater to them so as eventually to bring them round to the Self. %hatever be the means ado!ted# you must at last return to the Self2 so why not abide in the Self here and now? To be a s!ectator of# or to s!eculate about the other world# the Self is necessary" therefore# they are not different from the Self. 3ven the ignorant man when he sees the ob&ects# sees only the Self.