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Maun, silence is the dialect of true worship. It is the language of infinity, of Ashabda Brahmn, the soundless word that is audible to those who can transcend ordinary consciousness. Krishn says in the Bhagwad Gita: “maunam chaiva’smi guhyanam” – Of secrets, I am also silence.
Maun sadhana or spiritual practice of silence is to celebrate the Divine in the solitude of the self. Silence deepens self-understanding by shutting the sensory gates steering it from outside. The silent Buddha or Mahavir contributed more to ushering peace in the world than the speaking Socrates or Sophocles.
The first step in mauna sadhana is vak mauna, silence of speech. Human energy is often wasted in useless talk. The tongue sometimes does more harm than the bullet. Conscious self-restraint saves one from speaking unpleasant truths. Sensible people speak when absolutely necessary, measuring every word in the process. However, the silence of ‘sewn-up lips’, whether forced or voluntary, cannot be called silence.
The next step is chitta mauna or silence of the mind. It has threefold ramifications – buddhi mauna, silence of intellect, ahamkara mauna, silence of the ego, and iccha mauna, silence of desire. This is followed by indriya mauna, silence of the senses, made possible by withdrawing each sense from its distracting object.
Silence is stabilised by observing the flow of thoughts, as they arise, swell, dilute or subside, and then taking a quantum jump into the pure void of higher consciousness. Whispers from the divine are heard when the mind is genuinely quiet and composed.
To achieve inner peace, mauna sadhana should be made a daily habit. It can be practised any time, for at least half an hour or more. During vacations or at weekends, the time of mauna can be increased so that the ‘energy of speech’ is transmuted into spiritual energy. The purpose of observing Mauni Amavasya, occurring every month on the last day of the dark fortnight, is to do self-introspection by remaining silent.
Those who undertake mauna vrat or vow of silence, for months or years – as do mauni babas – adhere strictly to their spiritual tradition. Although it is not possible for an ordinary human being to observe kashtha mauna, to remain silent like a log of wood, one can at least train one’s mind in samyaka vak – right speech, as advocated by the Buddha. It implies ‘avoidance of lying words, idle words, abusive words and double tongues’.
During maun sadhana, one should not eat or drink, brood over the past or the future, communicate by gestures or writing, watch television, use electronic gadgets, or do some such thing which distracts attention. Those who have no time for practising maun should restrain speech while taking a morning or evening walk with friends, waiting for bus or train, during travel, or when at home or in office. Instead of always looking for company, one should occasionally stay alone, and feel the ecstasy of inner silence.
Silence, an aspect of mental austerity, sustains one in difficult situations by connecting one with one’s core self. By putting the mind in silent mode, one can augment relationship with God, the source of ultimate silence. Laghu Yog Vashisht, a 10th century work of Kashmiri origin, equates it with living liberation.
