Even in laying the groundwork for the practice of Silence, there are those practical things
to pay attention to. First,
for example, on a visit to the store yesterday I picked up a very small spiral-bound memo book and a pen.
The purpose is to write very short notes to a person instead
of talking. to them. I even hunted around and found a small 5 x 7 chalkboard to
use for the same purpose, perhaps to carry in my shoulder-bag.
Now, in this, I don't feel like going as far as Meher
Baba, a teacher whose own Silence-mode lasted for over half a century. At
first, he used a small board with letters printed on it and pointed to
those letters as if typing when he wanted to "speak" with a person. Alas, I admit my
spelling would never allow for that! It is a bit like the old Woody
Allen movie where he sauntered up to rob a bank and handed
the bank security guard a note that the guard read aloud: "Put the money in a sack. I have a gub." The guard then said, puzzled, "What is a gub?"
That led to a discussion as a frustrated Allen explained, "That's gun. G-U-N!"
The guard shook his head and replied, "No, that's definitely Gub!"
Another practical lesson I am trying to adjust to. When I was in the midst of exploring a limited
Silent-Mode, my 2 cats (I usually talk to them often) were totally
confused. Still, they had me sitting on the floor, stroking them. I'd
occasionally whisper. (Ok, yes, but perhaps Compassion trumps cheating in this
case.) The point is, things went well. The world didn't end. They got their food. They
still hop on the bed and go to sleep in me, so it can't be as deeply
traumatizing as I feared it would be.
In the instance of family ties or spouses or loved ones (as opposed to cats) be sure to explain what you are going to do before you actually start doing it. Talk about Silence (admittedly a very zen concept) and what help and support you need. Admit mistakes and inconsistency in practice will happen.
My case is different, since I rarely
see anyone beyond a casual or friendly recognition. As far as figuring out ground rules for yourself, that will depend. Many people immediately have gone straight into total silence, observing but otherwise ignoring people they come across and so on. For myself, not talking is already a very big change for me. But I decided that for me, Silence means Silence without phone conversations. On the other hand, that does not mean I won't be writing out words on a piece of paper for a stranger. In the same way, this does not
mean I won't be typing a chat the very rare texting a message. If anything, I
might just myself communicating from a deeper and more authentic place.
In any event, for the most part that's a comfortable understanding for
me to reach.
But, and this is essential, all this Silent thing
is not a Houdini stunt of seeing how long I can hold my breath chained
underwater while making a dramatic escape. As it'll weave its way
through the entries that follow in this blog, this is part of a
spiritual quest. It is not some self-help bandage, although I can see
how a bit of Silent Mode could help just about everybody at some level
with unwanted thoughts and fears and gnawing anxieties and screaming
meemies.
To say it another way. Although I enjoy
reading books about or by people like Ramana Maharishi, Robert Adams,
Ram Dass and several others, there's a basic Truth involved. One can do
all those particular things -- reading, listening to tapes, watching
video of spiritual masters teaching -- all of which really is often an
effort to keep the monkey mind entertained and placated, that fraudulent
constellation known as the ego. The ego gets proud of the fact that it
is so knowledgeable, that it is a member of the Spiritual Book Club and
so forth.
Be aware of this -- As many have said, real insight and understanding never never
comes out of words. Ego boosting, the intellect, yes, it's healthy
food. Still, real understanding only comes out of Silence. This does not
mean it only happens to someone who takes Silence as a way of life. It
is what can be called an "Ah-ha!" moment. It seems to come out of
nowhere as a gift, an insight or a realization. Such a moment bypasses
the intellectual circuits that the ego has elaborately wired into and
commandeered make itself feel more grandiose and important. Silence, and
here I mean direct experience and insight, is the only way something is
ever realized if it is to enter the heart.
