Wisdom grows in silence

Loud is the language of power, and quiet is the language of wisdom. I remember joining a 10 day course on silent meditation organized by Swami Rama's international organization. Swami Rama was a great yogi who traveled to the US in early 1950s where he set up a training center that still flourishes in Pennsylvania. When he visited, nobody knew much about the power of yoga on the human body and mind. He proved clinically that you could control your autonomic system such as heart rate, blood pressure and so on and at the request of doctors, demonstrated this under a lab setting. They were convinced, became his followers, and started a now renowned organization in Swami Rama's name, which has training centers all over the world. I trained at the center in Rishikesh, India where we stayed in separate cottages on a beautiful campus. It was set in the mountains and surrounded with greenery and deep silence - broken only by the chirping of birds. The beautiful sights of sunrise and sunset opened the horizon of our mind to eternity. From early morning to 9pm at night we had a packed schedule of yoga and meditation classes (3 times a day). We had our breakfast and meals together in a common dinning hall that was silent. We greeted each other with a warm smile, and with folded hands - the Indian gesture of namaste but without uttering a word. On the eleventh day in the morning, we all came to the main meditation hall and were asked by our teachers to express our individual experiences. These experience, when verbalized, were deep and life changing. We all know that the verbal language is the vehicle through which we express our inner experiences and thoughts. When one learns to be calm, peaceful and compassionate, then their verbal expressions becomes pleasant, meaningful, and effective. Keeping silent, one gets ample time to think deeply, can utter right words without hurting others' sentiments. Words are like arrows - once released from the bow, they cannot be taken back and stay in lodged in the memory all through life. Through silence, we learnt to communicate wisely. We also learn to find our hidden talents and be happy within our inner self. It is said, where the heart is full, silence is the best expression. Words are like rain - much sound and many ripples. Silence is like a body of water. It can have the depth of an ocean and hold many worlds within. A beautiful blessing comes to mind - "May the stars carry your sadness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty. May hope wipe away your tears. And above all, may silence make you strong." The power of silence is unshakeable because there is nothing left to shake.