In today’s cacophonous world, which is full of words and innuendos, there is a need to just be and sit quiet. The antidote to the onslaught of information overload is to unplug from this uber connected world. Wouldn’t it be great if we let silence envelope one’s own self? The trick is to have the mindfulness to catch yourself before you once again get enslaved by the din of the outside world. To the untrained mind, as is the case with me, to be in silence at times is unnerving and suffocating. As Swamiji has mentioned, today’s world is full of weapons of mass distraction. I feel like I’m armed to the teeth with these deadly arsenals. I realize that disarming is a process for which one needs to have loads of determination and patience. It is akin to a bomb disposal expert working against the clock to prevent the ticking time bomb from going off (just kidding!). There is no quick fix to this malaise.

I have not done vipassana nor am I planning to go on a long sojourn to experience real deep silence. It is also not practical to maintain mauna (silence) when you are engaged in the hurly burly of life being a house holder. This inability to be in silence might not be all of one’s own doing. The proclivities and psychic imprints that our soul has carried over lifetimes is very strong and cannot be removed in one fell swoop. It probably requires the finesse of an ace sculptor using the chisel and chipping away one stroke at a time with utmost mindfulness.  I’m sure many of us have witnessed this silence where we are at the abode of Sri Hari Bhagavan in Sri Badrika Ashram or Sri Hari Temple in Towrang, Sydney. This could either at the altar or listening to the murmuring Giri Ganga.

While meditation might not be the panacea it certainly can assist in developing quietude. It might just help in bringing a certain stillness in one’s life. After all it was French philosopher Blaise Pascal who had once famously said “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone”. Imagine the magic of silence between a Guru and the disciple. I’m sure a lot wisdom is imparted without a word being spoken.

Picture Credit-  — Original from pixabay