The word silence could well replace the above title but was intentionally not used. Silence is not trending, it’s out of fashion, seems a weakness, a state of incompetency, feels absence of authority and much more. Silence is grossly misunderstood and what was once well respected and honorable behavior, it is struggling to keep its presence.
Silence in olden days was indeed the fence around wisdom. One remained silent because it meant every action did not need a reaction. Sayings of the saintly and wise prevailed; when angry be silent, silence is the language of God and the heart. A silent look by elders would scare enough when someone in the family did wrong.
Philosophers always propagated silence deeper than conversation, their thinking those who did not understand one’s silence it is quite unlikely they will understand your words. Those who learned and exercised silence everything seemed come much closer to them.
Human desires chasing noise is overpowering silence. In times of ancient civilizations chasing noise was in forms of waging war against their neighbor's to gain access to their resources, territory power and glory. Eras post 1800 people were chasing noise for their kind of democracy, liberalism and capitalism.
Mass moments gave rise to freedom fighters chasing noise expressing boycotts & protests. Union leaders and their unionism were chasing noise to bring down the capitalist powers. Religion has been made to look a cause of conflict always which just can’t be, it is always an excuse to chase noise to wage war or take political advantage.
Teachers, trainers, job heads gave gyan “do not be silent, as there is no limit to the power that may be released through you, bring success anyhow”. As result even the intelligent are chasing noise conducting themselves with inflated ego, selfish needs and desires. Male chauvinists have long been chasing noise to dominate women. The mother-in-law dominance has its visibility chasing noise too. Some film producers have been loud in chasing noise corrupting minds with film contents of the angry young man and the bold and beautiful. The outcome is large segment of movie viewers chasing noise far from reality unable to differentiate between reel life and real life.
Social media with all its freedom and rights can be fun, abusive and evil. At stake is the pleasantness of our nation’s diversity in peaceful togetherness. Do not chase and become part of the noise, in your silent mode you are smarter than the smart phone. Hold back and delete contents rather than sharing what you do not know is true and has nothing good for you or the person it is going to.
Being silent is simply tough for the younger generation. Four friends promised one another to observe seven days of silence. On the first day all were silent, but when night came and the oil lamps were growing dim one of the friend could not help exclaiming to a servant: “Fix those lamps.” The second friend was surprised to hear the first one talk. “We are not supposed to say a word,” he remarked. “You two are stupid. Why did you talk?” asked the third. “I am the only one who has not talked,” spoke the fourth friend.
Silence does not deny you talking, but makes you accountable, to never say that does not improve on silence. Silence is surely not empty but full of answers. To turn down the volumes silence has to come more into our lives, so let’s gather courage to chase silence.
Gurbani states “When you meet a saint, talk to him and listen. Meeting with an unsaintly person, just remain silent. Ang870
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