Silent Sunday #2 - Mauna
Silent Sunday #2
Mauna
Mauna is a Sanskrit word for silence; it is the ability to control speech and silence the mind. The nature of our true self is silence, and so through mauna we eliminate that which is false - the noise and clutter - and return to that state of stillness.
There is in truth no need for words; we may think that we need to use them as we may be limited, ability-wise, to having to use words as a form of communication, but that which can be expressed in words is but a fraction of the true experience which can only be shared in silence.
As we allow our minds to go on and on, telling us different stories, gossiping, constantly being active, we are wasting good energy, converting it into useless chit-chat. By training the mind to be silent - detaching the 'thinker' from the 'thoughts' would be a better way to put it since the very nature of the mind is active thinking and the mind can never truly be silent - we can see things for what they truly are and have a direct experience - unfiltered by the mind - with existence.
Mauna brings us closer to life, allowing us to have a more intimate relationship with its sacredness. As we learn to observe the silence induced by the practice of mauna, the restless nature of our mind reveals itself to us; there is always something going on inside our mind. This direct experience with silence - its observing - is vital for spiritual growth.
For mauna to truly transform you and bring you face-to-face with your true self, you must silence both your speech and your mind. I find it most effective to experience silence of the mind first by observing thoughts without attachment, and then, after having a direct experience with silence, working on speech, slowly watching words drop naturally.
In next week's post, I will look into Maharshi's Self-Inquiry meditation.
Something to think on:
"When one remains without thinking
one understands another by means
of the universal language of silence."
