Why is Silence Important in Life?

          Mother Teresa-God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.

Silence is a source of great strength. Silence increases the power of the mind. There is no fear, anger, worry, or anxiety of any kind in a powerful mind. Practicing silence ends all kinds of mental disorders and can enhance all aspects of sleep. In silence, the mind becomes calm, comfortable, and fertile. That is also the time when the mind imbibes creative thoughts.

Many experts and research studies have revealed that amidst the increasing noise in the world, some moments of silence can give us many health benefits. The absence of voice can mean emptiness, but by reducing the voice we can see amazingly good results for the body, mind, and mood. Silence here does not mean to remain silent or quiet but to get rid of the fuss of unnecessary thoughts. But at the same time, refraining from speaking in certain situations is also a great way of imposing self-restraint.

In today's fast-paced world, we all undergo stressful daily routines. There is a continuous flow of thoughts that keeps our mind and soul occupied even in our leisure time. By staying calm, we can control our thoughts and prevent our consciousness from wasting unnecessary energy.

Silence is power

Silence also produces the power to catch the subtle truth. Silence is not a state of being quiet. It prevents the depletion of mental energy and saves us from mental fatigue. This makes the mind stable and peaceful. A peaceful mind is a door to all mental powers.

Silence: The Voice of God

The scriptures tell us that silence can save us from committing sin and the habit of practicing silence helps us to gain respect. One who practices it is considered wise. Being in silence teaches us God's voice. Silence even enables us to let God reach out to us. Silence and peace are considered religious words. It helps us pay attention to God speaking all the time. Silence is exalted as dignified, as well as noble and majestic.

Silence forces you to face your inner conflicts, and in doing so increases your self-awareness in a way that helps you communicate more deeply with others. In many religions, silence is said to be a solution.

Silence: Many Benefits for Health

Silence and peace also have many benefits for health. Due to the busyness of life, we do not know when we get the moments of peace. As a result, it has a profound effect on health. Silence reduces the hormone cortisol responsible for stress. Now scientists have also accepted its authenticity that a disturbed mind can have a deep and bad effect on health.

Due to the stressful lifestyle, the cases of depression are increasing day by day. Globally, the total number of people with depression was estimated to exceed 350 million. If we take the example of India, about 56 million Indians suffer from depression, and 38 million suffer from some kind of anxiety disorder.

With a little care and awareness and intention, we can increase silence in our lives. It can also improve our creativity, and problem-solving ability, and get rid of disorders like sleeplessness. We have to make efforts to move away from the sound and noise. If you start your day a little early and take out time, especially for moments of peace, you will realize its goodness for yourself.

Even if we start with a small amount of time to have a few moments of peace, the result will be permanent. When you start creating moments of silence, everyday and it becomes a part of your life, it brings in far-reaching benefits.

Silence: A Unique Weapon

The biggest benefit of silence is the awareness of consciousness. This helps us a lot in meditation. Meditation gives us peace. Due to peace, ideological conflict and malice easily leaves the mind. This awakens tolerance in a person, which calms anger. This makes the inner journey of the mind easy and the possibility of self-realization increases. This gives birth to good conduct in the mind. Thus, silence is a unique weapon.

Our mind is fickle like mercury. Concentration stabilizes restlessness. Not only this, silence is unique in the expression of love. Silent expression is no less than a big lecture despite not saying anything through speech. In this, the auspicious rituals of language are generated. In silence lies the power that turns the biggest of egos into dust.

Thoughts of Great Personalities about Silence

Confucius says, "If what one has to say is not better than silence, then one should keep silent."

Rabindranath Tagore narrating his experience says that only in silence do I find myself. City life is so busy that you lose the right perspective. It is important to know that our greatest resources are in our hearts.

Swami Vivekananda says, "Out of purity and silence comes the word of power." He also said, "The seeker's silence is the loudest form of prayer."

According to the Bible, even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. (17:28 Psalm)

The Bhagavad Gita (17.16) says that "mauna, or silence, is a form of austerity — that is, Mauna not only in speech but in mind as well. Mauna is not merely the inability to speak or the reluctance to speak; it is the calmness of mind that enables you to hear the guiding voice of God within."

Mother Teresa has said, "God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls."

As Buddha says, "When a man knows the solitude of silence and feels the joy of quietness, he is then free from fear and he feels the joy of the Dharma."

Almost every religion including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Muslim recommends the 'vow to silence' or 'Maun Vrata' as an effective technique for self-realization or attaining the state of salvation.

There were many saints and Mahatma in India who did not speak, only remained silent. Their aim was about not about quieting the voice but about quieting the mind. They all "pointed to inner silence. It cannot be heard with the ears, only with the heart. Even in silence, they constantly communicated wisdom and guidance to all who wished to know."

Being silent does not mean that you keep your mouth shut and remain silent. It is a state of mind when one can listen to the sounds of silence and seek the peace that rejoices with silence. Do practice your moments of silence and enjoy the bliss.