The language of silence

As we sit down to watch news in the evening, all we see is high-volume verbal duels between popular speakers across the screens. The battle between the better news deliverers results in sensationalizing a trivial happening into a national threat. Sometimes one wonders whether life was better off without knowing about it at all. “Silence is essential. We need silence as much as we need air, just as much as the plants need light. If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us,” says Nhat Hanh.

Decades back when two nations in the middle east were at war, with death and destruction apparent everywhere, a local newspaper’s front page bore a huge picture of a man celebrating his 101st birthday with five generations surrounding him. It’s always comforting to see some little good that is quietly happening amidst chaos. 

Filled with some magic, mischief, love and hatred,  tales in Mahabharatha have a narrative one can learn from. Each character owned a dedicated role. Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandava brothers, was a gifted astrologer and a learned man. His swordsmanship was well acclaimed all around Southeast Asia. Known for his accurate predictions of past and future, he could foresee the events of the great Kurukshetra War and its destruction well before it actually took place. He could have easily stopped this colossal death and carnage had he spoken up about what he knew. But he was warned by Lord Krishna that his head could split into pieces if he revealed the events beforehand and thus was forced to remain silent. But he put this silence to his advantage by asking Krishna to protect his brothers and ensuring no harm comes to the Pandava clan. In the words of Rumi, “In silence there’s eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves. The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.”

An Arabic proverb reads: Open your mouth only if what you are going to say is more beautiful than silence. There must be a reason why the words listen and silent have the same alphabets. We hear to respond and not understand. In the words of Sharon Bower, “There is power in well-chosen words and often there is equal power in silence. Learning when to talk and when to listen are among the most powerful skills you
can develop.”