The Power of Silence

 

Silence is one of, if not the most, important aspects of becoming aware of your true nature. It is also one of the most difficult and most controversial topics for all those who choose to explore a spiritual path.

I am not talking about silence in the physical sense - where there is no sound being recorded by your ears and transmitted to your brain. I am talking about "inner silence".

Inner silence is what don Juan calls "stopping the inner dialogue" and what the 20th century mystic Osho used to call "No Mind" and what is known in Core Shamanism as "Hollowing Out". Some spiritual teachers claim that it is impossible to stop thoughts and experience total inner silence - they are wrong, it is just that they have not succeeded in achieving this blissful state. It is not a "state of mind" , it is a state of "no mind". Because a lot of teachers and gurus have no knowledge of this state they try to convince people that they can achieve enlightenment by changing the way you think, by replacing negative or wasteful thoughts with positive, creative thoughts. While this can be helpful and healthful (it is basically Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), it does not take you to the next level of spiritual or shamanic growth.

So, how does one experience inner silence?

The answer is simple but not easy - it involves total AWARENESS.

If you stop what you are doing and just become aware, you soon realise that you are having an inner dialogue with yourself - you are basically talking to yourself all the time and because of this continuous chit chat you are not AWARE of everything that is happening in the world around you. There used to be a saying - "Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness". This is probably not politically correct these days but it is an absolute truth. The reason why we are living in an insane world is because 7 billion people spend all day every day talking to themselves and they are constantly bombarded with other peoples nonsensical chit chat on social media. The world we live in has become a lunatic asylum and the most psychotic inmates are the ones who are running it.

As I said, stopping the inner dialogue is not easy. This is because we are addicted to language. We don't see things as they are because we are too busy describing them to ourselves. We don't stop and gaze silently at a beautiful sunset - we say to ourselves (and to anybody we are with) "Oh, isn't it beautiful!" We have forgotten how to be silent. And, as with any addiction, this talking to oneself is a very hard habit to break.

When one has achieved inner silence it is no longer a mystery and you can stop the inner dialogue any time you choose but for most people reaching this point is extremely difficult if not impossible. Like giving up smoking, junk food or heroin - it is a battle. An inner fight, where your will has to overcome your addiction. And the majority of people are not prepared to take on that fight. In fact most people would not even want to and wouldn't see any point in trying because as far as they are concerned things are just the way they are and that is normal and you can't do anything about it. Hence, "It is what it is" has become the standard answer to every question these days. Well, I tend to disagree - what it "is" is only what it appears to be.

For those who feel the fight may be worth it, there are many starting points. These are usually referred to as "meditation techniques" in the Western World these days.

The most simple is the technique that was taught by the historical Buddha - Siddhartha Gautama. He recommended sitting and focusing on the breath as it entered and left the body through the nostrils. You can do this with eyes open (best) or eyes closed and when sitting (best), standing or lying down. You might think this is too simplistic if you have never tried it before but being aware of the breath and not the random monkey mind chatter is a constant struggle. Every time you become aware of the inner chatter you have to gently let it go and return your attention to the act of breathing. It is important not to get angry with yourself because you feel you are failing. The trick is to just be aware of any passing thoughts and to gently let them pass on by. Eventually, if you persevere, there will be longer gaps in the internal chatter and you will experience the power of silence.

Some yogis add little tools like mantras to their practise. Beginners may find this one useful - as you breathe in, say to yourself So (as in also) and as you breathe out, say hum (as in thumb). Try not to make these sounds into words - they mimic the actual sound of your breathing and just give you a little hook with which you can attach yourself to the act of breathing. Eventually the sounds will fall away and pure silence will prevail.

Stopping the internal dialogue does not stop your ability to think - in fact it enhances your critical thinking ability by removing all the background noise. Also, you will develop your intuition and gain powerful insight into the nature of reality - you will stop being one who thinks and start being one who knows.

Good luck with your journey.       

For those interested in the work of Carlos Castaneda - this is the order in which to read his books:-

1)   The Teachings of Don Juan (1968) - I recommend the 1998 edition
2)   A Separate Reality   (1971)
3)   Journey to Ixtlan      (1972)
4)   Tales of Power         (1974)
5)   The Second Ring of Power  (1977)
6)   The Eagles Gift        (1981)
7)   The Fire From Within (1984)
8)   The Power of Silence  (1987)
9)   The Art of Dreaming   (1993)
10) Magical Passes           (1998)
11) The Wheel of Time     (1998)
12) The Active Side of Infinity  (1999)