The discipline of silence.
I will start by saying that: "Silence is the first stone of the temple of wisdom".
This is according to Pythagoras, who was a Greek philosopher and mathematician considered the first pure mathematician. Most historians agree that his public life arose around 532 BC. The sage of the school of Crotona, had as an objective something more than calming the mind through the control of the word, he thought it was a way for the authentic essence of the individual to emerge, without artifice. The discipline of silence according to Pythagoras aimed to shape a more reflective mind through self-control of speech.
The basic principle of the discipline of silence starts from a fundamental fact, that which is most difficult for us people to control, "our tongue". This part of our body was, according to the philosopher, the main cause of problems and tragedies of human beings, since through it, we bring suffering to our existence. The discipline of silence according to Pythagoras required every student to spend 5 years of rigorous silence and 2 if he was a person of serene character. In this way, according to the sage, the human soul could return to its own home to detach itself from any artifice or external object.
Biblical quotation (reference)
So also the tongue is a small member, but it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest kindles a little fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is set among our members, and defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of creation, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every nature of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by human nature; but no man can tame the tongue, which is an evil that cannot be restrained, full of deadly poison. With it we bless God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, this must not be so.
That the tongue is the punishment of the body expresses that, at times, words are said or thoughts are pronounced that people later regret having done so. Many times we are capable of destroying with words. By speaking ill of others, criticizing, insulting, and saying anything hurtful to others, we become slaves to our words and then cannot take them back. We must learn to use the word in a favorable way and not fall into misuse of the word. We can all use the tongue in a very constructive way, and it is time we started using it that way.
It is important to find spaces of serenity:
- The first and most important of the day can be at breakfast time, it is the opportune moment in which we can enjoy ourselves without still immersing ourselves in the noise of the world. Instead of connecting to electronic devices, we should take advantage of this time to plan the day calmly.
- Holding back words and quieting the mind is especially valuable when someone is talking. being 100% attentive to what the other person is saying, without mentioning any kind of idea, appreciation or reaction, is a good exercise for practicing silence.
- To do this, it is necessary to focus only on the air that enters and exits through the nostrils while breathing slowly. You do not need a teacher or a specific place for this ancient practice, just sit in a chair, on the bed, on the grass or wherever you feel most comfortable, with your back straight, squinting your eyes and not paying attention to anything else.
- Find suitable places for an urban retreat, such as a quiet square with a bench to rest your body and mind, or a park where you can take a break. Even if you are not a believer Entering a church, sitting for a while to enjoy the silence of the temple is a good practice to get away from the acceleration of modern life.
- Set yourself a nightly schedule a couple of hours before bedtime in which all network-connected devices, even the TV, should be muted until the next day. That will allow you to have dinner in peace and quiet as well as chat with your family, read a good book or reflect on what happened in your day, without being aware of your cell phone.
To enjoy this inner balm that allows us to lower revolutions, in our daily lives we have many opportunities to summon the "noble silence" of which Buddha spoke.
Conclusion:
Beyond the meaning that the aforementioned phrase of the wise philosopher wanted to leave, silence is nothing more than the absence of sound. Even, if we investigate a little, it can have several meanings such as: disinterest, fear, security, aggressive or assertive.
I particularly think that silence is a tool which must be put to good use. It serves us as a reflection many times. It is a special means of communication as long as it is used in a constructive way. A clear example of this is when you are interested in listening to another person's speech. I also believe that giving a certain value to silence when you should not speak and to speak when you should be silent; this in a certain way teaches us that we should not always say what we know and at the same time know what we say.
In addition, silence in a certain way is a form of manipulation, of course in a subtle way. Many people consider it a passive-aggressive behavior, meaning that a person is being attacked in a covert way.
What do you think about silence and how do you use it?
Dear readers, your opinions are very valuable to me, I will be very attentive to your comments. Thank you for investing your valuable time reading my post, regards.
Disclaimer: I would like to let you know that English is not my mother tongue, I may even make some mistakes in the elaboration of sentences in my posts. Feel free to correct me attentively. It will help me in my learning process.
My blogs in Spanish: Noise.Cash
Controlling of utterance of words give meaning to decoder that being silence is enough to understand what people indicate