Solitude and Silence...

Silent retreat.

A period of solitude and silence to allow one to love oneself unconditionally.

Spend time with oneself, turning inward, quieting the mind, moving away from worldly passionate desires, clinging and cravings, to know oneself, to love oneself.

Though immerse in solitude and silence, one is not lonely or bored. In fact, one is full of peace and joy being independent on any external impermanent names and forms to be happy, confident and meaningful.

When one loves oneself, one will appreciate all the love, appreciation and companionship from other beings, but one doesn't dependent on the love, appreciation and companionship from others to be happy, or confident, or meaningful, or not. One also will love others without any attachment or expectation, as one doesn't need to depend on love, or appreciation, or companionship from others to be happy, confident and meaningful.

This is different from ego-centred love. Ego-centred love is when one only loves what one’s ego desires, likes and wants, but don’t know how to love oneself, or others. In this case, one loves oneself and others unconditionally.

If one doesn't love oneself, one is always looking, clinging and craving for love, appreciation and companionship from others to escape loneliness or boredom, or to be happy, confident and meaningful. One also will not know how to love others, as one will have attachment, clinging, craving and expectation towards others, as one is dependent on the love, appreciation and companionship from others to be happy, confident and meaningful. One will be dissatisfied and unhappy when the love, appreciation or companionship that one craves for is not available.

May all be free.

Eating by oneself? Enjoy the silent moment and be aware of the eating process...

We think and believe that eating by oneself is somehow 'not right' or 'not healthy'. We think there should be some kind of social conversation or interaction with some other people while having meals. We don't feel 'happy' to be having our meals by ourselves. We think it is strange and anti-social to be having meals by oneself.

But nobody would think and believe that when we do big and small 'business' in the toilet by oneself is anything 'not right' and 'not healthy'.

In the Ashram, we eat in silence. Even though there might be many people eating together at the same time in the huge dining hall, we should maintain silence and concentrate on our eating process. We don't talk nor socialize while eating. Same as during chanting session, yoga asana practice, or meditation practice, we don't talk or socialize. We don't think there's any anti-social elements in it. We don't think it is 'not right' or 'not healthy'. There must be reason why it is conducive for our yoga and meditation practice to be in silence most of the time.

When we realize what is oneness and non-separateness, beyond names and forms, there's no separation between ourselves and everyone and everything, even when we appear to be alone by ourselves in this moment now.

Minds...

Minds...

Minds.

Always busy. Constantly reacting towards what it perceives. Can’t stop thinking, constructing ideas and words, expressing and talking.

It either doesn’t know how to be quiet, or it doesn’t like to be silent even just for a few moments.

It’s interested in engaging interactive conversations with some other minds that it comes in contact with.

It expects some sorts of response or interaction in return.

It expects and thinks, as a ‘normal behavior’ in a society, there is obligation to engage and interact in a conversation whenever somebody started a conversation.

When there’s no response or interaction in return the way that it expected it to be,
It puzzles.
It feels abnormal.
It feels offended.
It generates different assumptions and judgements.

‘Why won’t you talk back to me when I am talking to you?’
‘Hello?! I am talking to you. Why don’t you say something or answer my questions?’
‘Are you angry with me?’
‘Are you unhappy?’
‘Is there something bothering you?’
‘Don’t you know how to be polite and response when somebody is talking to you?’
‘Don’t you know how to have a social conversation?’
‘Such an arrogant and rude person!’
‘Such a strange person.’
‘Ah! So frustrated and uninteresting to have a conversation with you!’
‘No fun talking to you!’
‘I’m not going to talk to you!’
………….

The practice of Silence - Mauna

The observation of silence - Mauna, is not just limited to the restriction of speech but it’s also about reducing and restricting the senses inputs and stimulations of the mind. It is calming down the thought current and free the mind from restlessness. It is not merely practicing silence of speech, but also silence of the mind.

This will help to purify the mind to a deeper level.

It is like emptying and cleaning the rubbish bin. Stop putting in more rubbish and bringing out the existing rubbish from the bin and give it a good clean up. It is stop stimulating the mind and allow it to have a moment of stillness.

It is about changing the habit of the mind that likes to react towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses every moment. It is restricting the mind to react whenever it wants to react towards whatever it perceives.

This will lead our mind to stop reacting towards what it likes and dislikes, what it agrees and disagrees with, and allow the mind to develop inner qualities, such like patience, forbearance, non-attachment, letting go, tolerance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, acceptance, forgiveness, self-introspection and self-control over the thoughts, actions and speech. All these inner divine qualities will lead the mind to realize "God" consciousness or the universal selfless consciousness - Selflessness and compassion.

It is not just about not talking.

By controlling the speech organ not to talk or speak whenever the mind wants to express itself through speech or verbal expression, it is actually controlling the mind from its egoistic habitual reaction towards all the objects of the senses or whatever it perceives through the body and mind.

It is about being the master of the mind and be "the one" in control of the mind, instead of being the slave of the impure egoistic mind activities and being over-powered by the impurities of the mind. It's about stop generating craving towards what the mind likes and agrees with, and stop generating aversion towards what the mind dislikes and disagrees with. Allowing the mind to be open towards all the perceptions of names and forms through the senses, being free from attachment or identification towards the perceiver and the perceived. Through this practice, the ego will be annihilated.

Beside stopping the mind from reacting towards the sense objects by refraining the mind to express itself through speech by observing non-talking, non-justification, non-arguing, non-interaction and non-communication with the world, and just stand as a witness or the observer witnessing or observing all the names and forms that are being perceived in the mind, we also refrain the mind from reacting or expressing through physical actions, body language and facial expression, during the practice of silence - Mauna.

It is a total restrain over the thoughts, actions and speech. The mind becomes silent.

The practice of reducing or purifying senses inputs – sights, sounds, smells, taste, sensations (touch) and thoughts, and stop generate craving and aversion towards all these names and forms, is observing Mauna. When we stop generate new reactions of craving and aversion towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, the old accumulated tensions or karma (actions and the consequences of actions) that derived from past cravings and aversions, will appear to the surface of the mind to be purified, or to be letting go.

The practice of Mauna is a very efficient and important way for us to realize the Truth of ourselves and about suffering.

The practice includes but not limited to:-

- No verbal or written communication and interaction with other people.

- No eyes contact or body contact with other people. Not looking at other people nor take interest in other people’s affairs.

- No body language or facial expression to make any communication or interaction with other people.

- Reduce and limit the inputs (sight, sound, smell, taste, sensation and thoughts) and outputs (ideas, communications and interactions) of the mind. Such like not reading novels, magazines and newspaper, not watching movies and TV programs, not listening to music, not playing sports games, not writing, not doing intense physical activities, not sleeping on soft bed, not using perfumes or fragrances, and divert the mind to contemplate on Dharma only whenever the mind thinks of any worldly objects, and etc.

- Control and minimize the habit of self-talking in the mind (talking to ourself in the mind). The speech organ maybe not performing any talking verbally, but the mind continues to talk to itself in the mind. This is very common for many people. It shows that how restless the mind is, and it doesn't like to be in silence for a single moment, even though from the appearance the body is silent and stilled, not performing any speech and actions.

- Controlling sexual desire. Transform or channel the sexual energy for spiritual practice and spiritual realization.

- Conserve energy by limiting worldly mental, physical and speech activities, and use the energy for spiritual practice and to perform selfless service for ourselves and for other beings.

- Reduce wants and worldly desires and sensual enjoyments.

- Restricting the usual daily habits of the body and mind. Such like dependent on "taking" certain "substances" or "doing" certain "things" to feel good...

- Restricting the usual reactions of the body and mind towards all the names and forms. Such like when we hear something that we don't agree with, we would like to argue about it...

- By limiting and reducing verbal, physical and mental activities. This will stop any stimulations of the mind. Allowing the whirlpool of the restless mind to have the opportunity to "settle down". When the mind is pure and calm, we will be able to "see" the Truth of everything as it is, not being contaminated by the impurities and restlessness in our mind...

- Restrict the mind from trying to express itself at anytime through verbal speech, facial expression and body language/sign. Such like learn to observe anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, arrogance, anxiety, agitation, depression, fear and worry, and let them go without react towards any of these impurities...

- Observe the thoughts (thinking) and not identify nor associate with the thoughts.

- Make the outgoing mind turns inwards concentrating and resting in the chamber of the heart.


May all spiritual aspirants be determined to observe Mauna – Silence of thoughts, actions and speech for some period of time in the path of yoga and meditation for spiritual realization to know the Truth.

Note that this practice of silence is "possible" for those who really want to know how to transcend suffering. For people who never suffer, or haven't experience any suffering, or don't know what is suffering, and are not interested in transcending suffering, this practice is not possible for them. It's because this practice will generate some "discomforts" or "pain" or "suffering" in the body and the mind, due to we stop feeding the body and the mind with what it usually likes to think, do, say, see, hear, smell, taste, and touch... It is "not fun" but "miserable" for the mind that likes to chase after worldly sensual enjoyments...

We will see our mind's true behavior when we start to restrict the mind from getting what it usually gets in everyday life... We will notice that we are not actually "the person" whom we think what we are... All the anger and frustration kick in as the body and mind is being cut off from its usual addictions, activities, lifestyle and enjoyment, and when its craving is not being gratified...

We will find out that our own mind is not actually as "obedient" as what we thought it was. And we will become humble and stop judging and criticizing other people whom we think that they have a "bad" mind that is not as "good" as ours... It's because we will realize that our own mind is not any better than anyone else mind...

We thought that we are super nice and calm people, but not really...

We thought that we are patient and compassionate people, but not really...

We thought that we are loving and unselfish people, but not really...

When we stop giving the mind what it likes and wants...

And so, this confrontation with the "ugly dark side" of our own mind, is not a "good" thing for someone who is very proud and arrogant... But it is a very good thing for someone who is willing to give up pride and arrogance...

This is simply because we start to see the truth of our own mind when we practice Mauna for a period of time, and turn the outgoing mind inward for self-introspection...

When come to the point if we are able to perform all our actions and speech out of selfless compassion, without any attachment, selfish desire and expectation, when all our thoughts, actions and speech are pure, then even though we are performing some thinking, actions and speech, but it is not contradicting with the practice of silence at all... That is what the teachings talk about inaction in action...

Om shanti.

The Wise Act Quietly And Perform Their Duties Silently

The animals move quietly and disguise themselves to avoid attracting attention from the predators...

Keeping quiet and acting silently doesn't mean being weak or being afraid of the enemy like a coward... But indeed it is being wise and brave, unaffected by any disturbance whether spiritual, emotional, mental or physical...

There is no use of alarming the enemies and provoking the enemies to aim their weapons towards us on exposed empty ground...

The wise warrior acts and moves quietly in the midst of the enemies without being recognised and remain firm and concentrated on his duty undisturbed by any distractions...

And thus, the wise warrior keeps meaningless troubles away, passes through the city of the enemy, performs his duty accordingly, and arrives soundlessly and victoriously at the destination without alarming anybody, without wasting any energy in dreadful and meaningless collisions...

Be wise...

Be happy...