The Eloquent Silence

By Staff

Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 17:32

Bhishaje Bhava-roginaam' - To Him who cures us of the disease of worldly sorrows: Salutations. The teaching of Vedanta puts an end indeed to a man's suffering by destroying the root-cause of it all viz., ignorance of the Self. A man of Self- knowledge enjoys freedom, an external relief. But a man who takes himself to be the body, alas, suffers very much like a sick man. Is it not true that a man who has been ill for a long time forgets how the state of perfect health feels like?

But now, administering this medicine of Self-knowledge is no easy affair; it is altogether different in its nature from all other transactions of the world. The problem is one of leading the student to see the Truth which he himself is. Again, this Truth is the Teacher too! The teaching should eliminate the very difference between the teacher and the taught - in the absolute sense. 'Not in such sense as 'they are similar' or 'they are equal', but in the sense that they are one! Can this be achieved with mere words, however well-chosen they may be? Words (Shabda-Pramana) should lead to an 'understanding' whereupon words have no more business there! Thus all great statements (Mahavakyas) lead to the discovery of the blissful 'Silence' which ever is the truth of all relative 'Sound and Silence'. This truth is Dakshinamurthi.

'I am' sums up the truth; 'Be still' sums up the technique - said Ramana. This 'Be still' is not any morbid inactivity; but it is a firm abidance in one's true nature which is ever free of activity. It is the egoless state. .

Sri Dakshinamurti is the finest symbolism of the culmination of Vedanta's teaching.

He is ever youthful-The Truth is beyond time.

The disciples are old-The fit students are most ripe.

He is of a cheerful face-No sorrow can touch the Self.

He holds his hand in Chinmudra-In Self-knowledge, the jeeva (index finger) is one with Brahma (the thumb) and is free from the shackles of the body, mind and intellect (the other three fingers).

He holds a demon under his feet-No evil can play its game in the Self.

He faces south- The Self blesses all who seek immortality, but are now in the realm of death (South- the domain of Yama).

He teaches in silence-The most eloquent expression of the Self which I 'am' already, which permits no duality and which transcends mind and speech.

Salutations again to Dakshinamurthi. the ancient form of Shiva! (the auspicious Se1f)

About the author

B.R.Loknatha Chaitanya

The article is written by B.R.Loknath Chaitanya for Vedanta Vani, Chinmaya Mission.