The Sound of Silence ...

‘Silence is golden’; ’Stillness speaks’ were mere concepts to me. Silence to me just had very negative connotations like ‘Fear, death, stagnation, confrontation, pain, anger etc”

My 1st encounter with ‘Silence’ was when I faced death so very closely for the 1st time…Papa’s Death! Silence was all that was left there after for many nights, days and years. Silence meant pain, loss, fears and whimpers …it scared the hell out of me and I hated it. The only way I thought I could escape it was to continue the chatter …in my mind, my expression in every way possible.
Anything to keep me far away from it. Many years latter I realized it’s sheer escapism and not a solution. So, decided to face ‘Silence’ – HEAD ON.

I took up the 10 day Vipassna meditation course at Pune. All I knew about the course was that one has to remain silent for 10 days and meditate. Little did I know what that impulsive decision would do to me.

The center was located on the outskirts of Pune (30 km away from the city) in a beautiful village. It was a peaceful and scenic location. All you could see was lush green pastures, chattering of village women as they worked in the farms, a village temple where the early morning prayers sounded enigmatic, a beautiful lake that looked very still, over looking the lake were green hills. Every morning I would actually wait at my center boundary to enjoy the most beautiful sunrises that arose from the hills .I also enjoyed the sound of crickets at night.

In those 10 days of intense training I experienced ‘Silence’ on very close quarters. It spoke to me in many ways …I was very quiet, with myself, ‘so still’ yet aware. It sensitized me to every sensation around and within. It brought me awareness of the moment yet it’s impermanence. It made me confront anger, taught me forgiveness, release and to be in harmony. It gifted me true acceptance in it’s true form … which was to understand and let go. It was almost like I had found my new secret friend. Some one strangely I had feared all along…

It has been 3 years since…I share my joys, sorrows, heartbreaks, anger, compassion, admiration, tears, silly thoughts, pain and love with my new found friend. I don’t know if I had changed or it had changed its ways. But as Eckhrat Tolle beautifully quotes in his book ‘Stillness Speaks’ – When you receive who ever comes into the space of NOW as a noble guest, when you allow each person to be as they are, they begin to change