Silence and Speech

Nowadays there is a tendency to produce more in limited amount of time – to the point that if one chooses to take a ‘pause’, one is thrown off the race. For me, pause is a zone of silence. And this zone can have the potential to create beautiful things. 

Silence is a state of mind. Silence should be encouraged whenever and wherever possible. What does silence mean? 

Silence....

Void

Timeless

Non judgemental

No movement

No purpose

No confirmation or opposition

Observation

Detachment

Minimum

Notional

Clear

We come to speech. Speech has its own characteristics. What are they like?

Speech....

Manifestation

Emotions, desires

Perception

Purpose

Survival

Time

Proof

Linear

Cause-effect

Confirmation or Rebellion

Displacement

Dissection

Differentiation

Complex

More

Our daily speech expresses all above characteristics. We need to realize the ‘silence’ that brings speech into manifestation.

Thoughts and Everything Else....

The importance of ‘appropriate’ thinking can’t be underestimated. By appropriate, I don’t necessarily mean  accurate or perfect thinking. Over the period of time, one may come to realize, among many important things, a crucial aspect of thoughts – 

Thoughts give rise to a lot of impressions – emotions, desires, dissection (analysis), contemplation, the idea of ‘Time’ and its pressures, efficiency, idea of perfection, and so on. Summarily, they all indicate connections which our mind creates with our notion of finite life bounded by birth and death. Some may choose to equate these thoughts to the necessity of survival, and satisfying hunger and reacting to fear and catering to meaning. No one can escape any of these dimensions and wherever one see’s a human being - all above tendencies are encountered in a person. Thus the question to be asked to oneself is – how do some people exhibit an aura of eternal bliss, whereas others seem to exhibit tremendous agony and pain? Is the encountered condition a result of circumstances or is it our own doing? 

Thinking further, one may realize that what we can only control is what kinds of thoughts one wishes to entertain and express in terms of action. Thoughts lead to action which affects the environment around us. By how we act, others read our actions or interpret our thoughts and respond accordingly – this again fuels our own thoughts and actions. Thus, there is always ‘give and take’ with the environment. How much of this exchange can be regarded as purely ‘logical’ and how much can be interpreted and decoded? We don’t know for certain. 

However, what we can do, is to say those things and ask only those questions that lead to certain actions from others that compliment our choice of thoughts. Therefore, it is very important what question you ask to others. Depending on your question, you will get an answer. By fuelling fear, you ask questions related to anxiety, stress and act in those ways. Others react to your fear and compound it further! This creates a cycle. By choosing thoughts of empathy, gratitude, compassion – will lead to creation of that cycle. As much as there seem to be a lot of chaotic events happening ‘outside’ our body, our ‘internal’ world is equally (and perhaps even more) important thing to deal with. External events therefore, may not mean anything by themselves – we add meaning to them. 

Finally, we come to understanding of Void or Space – from where such thoughts emerge. The Void or Space is also within us and the realization of the same is a step closer to the feeling of bliss.

Dedication....

Dedication….

Doesn’t involve “proving”….

Doesn’t make noise….

Doesn’t assert itself….

Doesn’t necessarily confirm to anything….

Doesn’t intend to be loud….

Doesn’t expect reciprocation….

Doesn’t expect recognition….

Doesn’t make a statement of its purpose….

Is not interested to say anything….

Is not concerned with articulation….

Is not concerned with theory….

Doesn’t display hatred or excitement….

Doesn’t necessarily confirm to Time….

Doesn’t confirm to any ‘image’….

Doesn't require any evidence to begin.... 

Doesn't exhibit criteria of evaluation....

Doesn't doubt anything....

Blunted....

Blunted…

Are the words that people use to say anything…

Is the information that gets published about anything….

Are the desires and emotions and the passion that is spoken about by people….

Is the noise that debates and discussions generate….

Are the problem statements and the proposed solutions that are invented….

Are the aims and objectives that get defined time and again….

Is the talk on “changing the world”….

Is the idea of “excitement”….

Are the notions of romantic past and an exciting future….

Are the notions that arise because of social constructs….

Is the articulation of experience….

Is the instrument of fear to get things done….

Is the race aimed for perfection….

Is the empathy that people seem concerned about….

Is the talk on environment and global warming….

Is the talk of power positions….

Is the talk on complexity….

Is the belief of “interconnectedness”….

 

Is the attack on terrorism and corruption….

Is the justification of resilience of common man….

Is the notion of “making a difference”….

Are the thoughts that people entertain and voice out….

Is the need for communication….

Questions and Answers

Questions confront us regardless of where one is born, where one works and what kind of life one exists. Some fundamental questions that one may encounter would be:

Why do we run?

This question deals with the idea of ‘Time’ and its pressure on you and me. What is this ‘pressure’? Why do we keep running and acting as if this is the default mode of operation? In order to fully understand the gravity of this question, try to pursue it further deep down, see where it leads, see how many issues get tied with this question and realize that it deals with ‘fear’.

What is fear? And why do we fear? Can we master it?

For us, fear is the basic feeling that gives rise to all other thoughts. Fear ensures survival at all levels from physical to psychological. We may very easily identify with our urge of ensuring physical protection to ourselves – food, shelter and clothing. However, psychological fear is much more complicated and it involves our tendency to remain attached to things – places, people, objects or any idea that feeds our idea of ‘self’. It may be felt that any shock to our constructed ideas (thoughts) is as traumatic, painful, lethal as severely injured body. So what seems to be happening here? The issue is connected with our nature of ‘thoughts’. And these seem to play a fundamental role in creating impressions on our mind.

So what are ‘thoughts’?

Thought is energy. We create it or continue to harbor it till we die. Why do thoughts occur? Because we choose to identify with our limited existence – determined by our body and time. In order that our bodies survive as long as possible, we continue to think and live in fear. We then create meaning, purpose, passion, desires, optimization and all sorts of criteria to keep us engaged in the pursuit of achieving that promised state of ‘stability’. We choose to cling to those moments, memories, people, places that offer us hope, peace, security or we choose to respond to some imaginary notion of happiness that is conditional (i.e. based on accomplishing a good job, salary, spouse, family, property and so on). Whatever we do, we are not getting the point – and the point is that we need to know what we are thinking and how it is affecting us. As long as we consider all environmental circumstances as ‘real’ (or something to be fixed or reacted to), we are trapped in the race of perfection or achieving some self proclaimed standards of milestones. We continue to believe that we can recreate that peaceful moment IF we do this or we do that or we are with somebody or if we possess that or if we are heard  and many other ‘ifs’…..Our life seems conditional! Over several such reruns and several such faltering moments, we may realize that we can’t create a perfect moment by referring to some stable notion of ‘past’ or some hypothetical perfect scenario of the future. The ‘past’ is gone (and with it our state of mind which can’t be recreated) and the ‘future’, although eminent, does not confirm exactly to what we desire since many factors are beyond our control or imagination. So, in a nutshell, we are aiming for absolute control of everything around us. By absolute control, I mean all factors that constitute place and time – the entire existence! Why do propose such an impossible benchmark for our happiness? Why are we so paranoid about control? Further thinking will take you back to the notion of fear. And again, to the question of what is fear and how it constructs our thoughts? The only way to break this cycle of thoughts is to decode fear, which is the toughest thing to undertake. As long as we believe that we are ‘bound’ to something – body (place) and mind (time), we will generate fear in us. It will dawn on us the subtle, but powerful effect of thoughts on our perception of life. Resisting any thoughts is of no use and nor is encouragement of thoughts. Any thoughts create impressions, desires, connections, attachments and so on. However, the effort is to not identify yourself with your thoughts. You are beyond the thoughts. Thoughts will continue to come and will compel you to act – that can’t be avoided. Once born, one is compelled to act and be immersed in experiencing life. However, having realized the nature of thoughts, we may begin to act with an increased awareness that we need not cling to our thoughts and actions. That makes us free. That reduces fear. That makes us realize the idea of transcendence and tranquility. This realization can come to anyone at any point of time.

Ask yourself what you are?

Clothes or food or house or property or family or spouse of parents or friends or what?

Ask yourself are you these feelings – hatred, jealousy, pride, fear, ego, etc.?

Ask yourself are you the body which ages? Are you the Time that makes you young or old?

Are you supposed to keep working because that’s what defines you?

Are you supposed to keep earning because that’s what gives you value?

Are you supposed to procreate because that’s what everybody looks forward to?

Are you supposed to seek approval or confirm to some notion given by society so you feel cared for or accepted or loved? Will that really give you comfort?

Are you really seeking comfort? Should you really seek comfort?

Should you really justify the world’s point of view?

Should you really rebel just for being different?

Should you really voice your opinions because that’s what makes you feel that you are heard? What if you aren’t heard at all - does that annoy you? Why should it? Why assume things? Why assume that you are always right or you need to be right?

Why think that you should always perform 100%?

Why be assertive in your actions and keep imposing yourself on others?

Why be intolerant of others viewpoints, if they contradict yours?

Why be jealous of anybody for anything for any reason?

Why lay expectations from life regarding anything?

Why expect that life should happen the way you think it should?

Why do you act?

Why do you think?

What should you think?

What is the purpose of your being here?

Is there a purpose? Should there be a purpose? ….

Have you asked these questions to yourself anytime? Have you shrugged them in the carpet – hoping that they won’t come again? But they will. And you need to learn to ‘honour’ them – for they will finally reveal the understanding of what life is!

Revelation

Introspection can be regarded as a tool to clean the mind. Does introspection lead to any valid answer? Of what importance is this tool for? These questions can’t be answered outright, but such an inculcated “habit” would lead to understanding fundamental issues that confront all of us. Therefore, its role can’t be underestimated. At the core is the question of ‘why’. At the core, is the question of coming to basics of thoughts and identifying how connections between thoughts get made, altered and how does that lead to a certain perception, attitude, idea or a feeling. It also involves what do we understand by outside environment and how do we seem related to it? It involves knowing the nature of ‘memory’, our tendency to cling to certain events/ objects/ people and also to create some kind of ‘special’ moment for us (pursuit of happiness) and keep running. It involves condensing all the billion thoughts that occur everyday and see how they affect us. It involves understanding how thoughts generate and whether they can be controlled? It involves understanding the phenomenon of place and time. It involves realizing the pressure of Time on us and what needs to be accepted as humans. 

Such analysis can confront anybody at any point in his/her life. The mind turns ‘inward’ and digs deeper till nothing is left! The conclusion one comes to is – was our meaning of life ridiculous?!! I have encountered this question at least once and it is the most vulnerable state to be in. From ‘zero’ state of mind to where one is right now, requires effort and as I (again) began to climb up the ladder of mental connections, a lot of things were realized along the way – 

1.       We all perceive the world around us differently. By perception – I mean that we create our own “meaning” of life. This meaning depends on all our past actions, future tense, present conditions and the connections between billions of thoughts that we create and which we reinforce on us everyday. They consist of our desires, tendencies, intellect, emotions, and many other dimensions of the mind. Summarily, they are our constructed identity and maybe referred to as the ego. Thus, the objective external world is made “subjective” by our perception. Therefore, people respond differently for the same environmental stimulus and that need not be challenged. The people’s tendencies need to be accepted, not judged. Just as we realize that thoughts require effort to change, it is difficult to change one’s tendency. This should make us more accepting and empathic to other people’s point of view of life. Why do we create such connections of thoughts – you may ponder. Probably that is the nature of consciousness….that the ‘void’, once born, creates thoughts. The only thing is to be aware of what thoughts one is creating, because all other things depend on that. Therefore, external environment is just a backdrop of events – they can affect us according to how you let them! This means that there is nobody to blame for your own position in life, but you yourself are entirely responsible.

2.       Other people’s thoughts can’t be analyzed in an objective way beyond a certain point. People’s thoughts represent a ‘pattern’ – which is uniquely theirs. We analyze a person’s thoughts by using our ‘own’ patterns so we do not get the clear picture at all. What I am referring to is that the method of analysis is also biased based on our own patterns of thoughts. This means that we can understand a person only to a certain extent – at a more fundamental level, each individual has to walk his own path.

3.       The above point also means that there is no point in justifying your actions to anybody. There is no point in justifying your tendencies or emotions or desires – anything that represents thought patterns. One need not take the burden of justification, and need not feel guilty that one is not understood properly. In fact, the art of effective conversation involves implicitness and abundant doses of silence. Thus, one need not justify one’s past or present or future – it will not be understood properly by others. The requirement is to remain honest to oneself. That’s all one can do. 

4.       Where does this need of justifying come from? What is to be proved by your thoughts or actions or life anyway? To whom and for what reason? I encourage you to think deeper about these questions. In trying to decode incidences and thoughts, one finally reaches the “void” – from where all thoughts emerge. Thus, no object or action has any absolute validity or absolute worth. At best, it represents a process and an intention/ concern/ idea. Beyond idea, there is only void or the unmanifested phenomenon. Hence intrinsically, we are beyond judgments. And we tend to change, are unique and display characters. Seeing yourself composed of such tendencies and how they arise and how limited control you have over your own thoughts, you are then able to identify with the fears/ tendencies/ desires expressed by others. Is this required? Depends. For a much more humane and effective communication, understanding the other person requires all above things. 

5.       In understanding the nature of our mind, we realize how we create the notion of ‘Time’ (existence and of limited period) and what are we faced with! Is it required to fight this perception? We won’t win. But what can be attempted is to loosen the grip of Time on us – to loosen the effects of thoughts on us – to loosen our identification with the thoughts – to loosen our self created egos and thereby create a blissful state of mind that does not crib or race ahead or argue or get exited or display any emotional upheaval. What we thereby ‘see’ in front of us, is the manifestation of the void!