LISTEN ... to the sound of silence!
Ancient mystics predicted that
if a person can remain totally silent for 48 minutes he attains enlightenment, becoming
absolutely blissful. However, in this fast moving technological age of today it has become
very rare to see anyone silent for even 48 seconds, lest alone 48 minutes!
We are
all extremely fortunate to have been blessed with the company of the Saints, of the
Satguru, since it is in such company that we find true happiness - silent contentment.
Man had been created to share love with his fellow man, and to be there in others’
times of happiness and grief. However, today we see that man is happy to see his fellow
brother unhappy and suffering, but becomes extremely jealous and frustrated when others
are happy. Instead of living peacefully and letting others live also, man is determined to
destroy the lives of others by indulging in backbiting (nindia/ chugli) and belittling
others.
Our
duty in life is to life the fallen, to bring laughter to the faces of the sad and to bring
belief to the faithless, through our beautiful words and actions. At the
same time as bringing a smile to the faces of others, we too will feel a deep sensation of
warmth and calmness within ourselves, just as Sant Kabir Ji has so rightly said,
"Aise Bani
Boliye Jo, Man Ka Aapa Khoye,
Aaurano Ko Sheetal Kare, Aap Vi Sheetal Hoye"
(Words should be sweet such that calmness is brought to the
minds of both yourself and those around you)
Endless
amounts of thoughts enter our mind all the time. As humans we enjoy being in charge - but
do we take charge of our minds? We must only extract the necessary and parupkari
(beneficial to others) thoughts and bring them to our lips if we want to bring man close
to man, otherwise we must remain silent. Again, just as someone so rightly pointed out,
"It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear to be a fool, rather than to open it and remove all doubt!"
It is
only fools who are constantly talking and trying to impress others with their stories,
flattery and gossip. It is not very difficult to open your mouth and say whatever comes to
your mind. It is, however, much more difficult to control your thoughts and inevitably the
words that leave your lips. By remaining quiet, some may regard you as being a fool
because you are ‘unsociable’, never engaging in conversation. On the other hand,
if you are constantly talking there is always the danger of upsetting someone. In such
circumstances it is better to be unsociable than to hurt someone’s feelings.
"Think all you speak, but speak not all you think."
William
Morris noted the decline in man’s character when he commented,
"The more I see of my fellow man, the more I love my dog!"
It
appears that animals are living better lives than their human counterparts! We were
created to live peacefully. We can only live peacefully if we are peaceful from within.
Peace can only be created if our minds are trained to remain clam, composed and silent
– like the depths of the sea. In shallow waters, the water is constantly flowing at
rapid speeds and so makes a noise as it rushes past rocks and other obstacles in its way.
However, in deeper waters, there is calmness, stillness and silence in the movement of the
water. This too is the case with humans. Those who are ‘shallow’ minded or
narrow-minded in their thoughts, and constantly making a ‘noise’ can never be
calm or content. Those who are broad-minded and ‘deep’ in their thoughts are
always content and ever glowing. They listen more to what others’ express and speak
only when necessary.
"God created man with one mouth and two ears, so that he could listen twice as much as he speaks!"
However,
some people would probably prefer to have been created with two mouths and one ear, so
that they wouldn’t have to listen as much to others!
In order to enjoy life to the full we need to start accepting everything in life as the Divine Will of God. By remaining calm and silent (just like Nirankar) we will be able to observe the Formless Lord at woek just by sitting back and letting the world carry on moving at its rapid pace, we will begin to see miraculous happenings in the smallest of things in life - things that we would usually have taken for granted. So much pleasure and Bliss can be attained by being content and a silent onlooker to life... ...
"The
essence of Faith is fewness of worlds and abundance of deeds ..."
(Baha ‘U ‘llah)
"Have you ever sat very silently, not with your attention fixed on anything, not making an effort to concentrate, but with the mind very quiet, really still? Then you hear everything, don’t you? You hear the far-off noises as well as those that are nearer and those that are very close by the immediate sounds - which means, really, that you are listening to everything. Your mind is not confined to one narrow little channel. If you can listen in this way, listen with ease, without strain, you will find an extraordinary change taking place within you, a change which comes without your violation, without your asking; and in that change there is great beauty and depth of insight... ..."
(Think on These Things, by Krishnamurti)