THE
POWER OF SILENCE
According to dictionaries silence is soundlessness,
noiselessness, stillness, quietness, muteness, wordlessness, voicelessness,
uncommunicativeness, and also
peacefulness and tranquillity.
A silent person may be
mum, dumb, tongue-tied or tight-lipped.
Despite all its connotations, silence is not the opposite of speech. It has its own sound and way of communication.
A silent man is wordless but not uncommunicative. He does
speak but without the use of language.
His is a language of silence which has to serve a purpose different from
that of speech.
A Persian poet says that in certain situations the meaning conveyed by silence is almost
impossible to be conveyed through speech.
English poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616) tells us “the
silence, often of pure innocence, persuades when speaking fails.“
British author Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) regards silence as
greater than speech.
American author Mrs. S.J.Hale (1790-1879) believes that the
temple of our purest thoughts is silence.
French mystic Madam Gyyon (1648-1717) divides silence into three kinds. Silence from
words because inordinate speaking tends to evil. Silence or rest from desires
and passions because it promotes quietness of spirit. The best of all is
silence from unnecessary and wandering
thoughts, because that is essential to internal recollection, and
because it lays a foundation for a proper reputation.
Hungarian patriot Kossuth
Louls (1802-94) recommends silence because the unspoken word never does harm.
BY quoting the Vedanta, Indian professor of Sufism, Hazrat
Inayat Khan ( 1882-1927) describes speech as a breach in the breath which is
dangerous because breath is the chain which links body, heart, and soul
together. When breath goes, life goes
and cannot be retrieved by any medicine. Thus by speaking we take away much of
our life; a day’s silence means a week longer of life and more, and a day’s
speech means a week less of life. This explains why Indian Munis and mystics who
seldom speak live a long life. Silence besides being a relaxation of mind and body
is restful and healing. Thus, the power of silence is very get, not only for the
gaining and preservation of energy and vitality, but also morally because most
of the follies we commit ae follies of speech.
Finally, an extract from Gandhiji’s “Virtues
of Silence “ mentioned in The Health
Guide : “I find that silence avoids irritation….There is a perceptible drop
in blood pressure. After every silence I feel recuperated and have greater
energy for work. The output of work during silence is much greater than when I
am silent. The mind enjoys a peace during silence which it does not without it.
The decision to be silent itself
produces a soothing effect on me. “
12th
October 2021 G.R.KANWAL
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