The Power Of Silence

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Dakshinamurthi, Lord Siva, as a youthful Guru, has been the symbol of the potency of a silent mind from time immemorial. His exposition of the truth, the 'Brahma Tatva', to elderly disciples was through silence. These disciples had mastered the scriptures but not their essence. Their doubts were set at naught in the vast and all pervading silence of Dakshinamurthi. Again we have reiteration of this power of a silent mind in 'Kaivalya Navaneetam' that narrates the story of Tatvaraya. An ardent disciple of his composed a 'Bharani' on him. When this was read out in an assembly of scholars, all of them objected protesting that a 'Bharani' could only be on a hero capable of killing a thousand elephants. Thereupon, in order to bring home their folly to the learned disputants the disciple took them to Tatvaraya. In his presence the silence was simply overwhelming. The whole day passed, the night came and some more days and nights and yet all were lost in that silence. Not a single thought occurred to any one of them till Tatvaraya himself broke the silence. With one voice, all assembled declared 'there is nothing equal to the silent power of a Sad-Guru. The Sadguru's silence is such that the 'rutting elephants; the minds of each of us, have become quiet'. The glory of Dakshinamurthi, the story of Tatvaraya, seemed utopian ideals to be hungered for.

Ramana has metamorphosised everything by his incessant teaching of a straight path to a silent mind. His life itself is a constant testimony to the validity of the power of the silent mind embodied in Dakshinamurthi and Tatvaraya.

Paul Brunton carefully jots down a series of questions, which he wants to put to Maharshi Ramana. Full of doubts and queries he enters the hall where the Maharshi is seated on a couch, gazing fixedly with open eyes through space. 'The Maharshi's body is supernaturally quiet and pin drop silence prevails throughout the long hall'. The minutes mount to half-an-hour and then it becomes a whole hour. There is not a ripple and absolute peace prevails. Another hour goes by. One by one, the questions drop away. Brunton does not care whether they are asked or not. 'He is only aware of the steady river of peace flowing near and penetrating the inner reaches of his being'.

In Maharshi's presence, this language of silence was a common occurrence, though it was most potent in the twilight hours of the evening. We have the case of a 'Sivarathri' at Sri Ramanasramam. A sadhu came there about eight at night and requested the Maharshi to expound the meaning of the 'Hymn to Dakshinamurthi'. The sadhu and the others sat and waited. Ramana was poised in stillness, with no consciousness of the body. 'Eight hours passed in peace, in silence of Being' and the persons present could understand the meaning of silent communication.

Ramana would seldom answer questions straightaway. A penetrating silence would precede a cryptic reply going to the very root of the matter. This was so from the time he broke his virtual verbal silence to clear the doubts of Ganapati Muni on the true meaning of tapas in 1907. Often there would not be any need to reply, as the doubt would be dissolved by the mere silent presence. When needed, just a few words would suffice. All in Ramana's presence felt the benediction of the silence.