Mental Silence Compilation
Contents
What is Mental Silence?
The Mind
Mental Silence
The stillness of the mind means, first, the falling to rest of the habitual thought movements, thought formations, thought currents which agitate this mind-substance. That repose, vacancy of movement, is for many a sufficient mental silence. [1]
The Experience of Mental Silence
But it is possible also to pass to that through a certain experience of Nirvana, an absolute silence of mind and cessation of its activities, constructions, representations which can be so complete that not only to the silent mind but also to the passive senses the whole world is emptied of its solidity and reality and things appear only as unsubstantial forms without any real habitations or else floating in something that is a nameless Infinite: this Infinite or else something still beyond is That which alone is real; an absolute calm, peace, liberation would be the resulting state. Action would continue, but no initiation or participation in it by the silent liberated consciousness; a nameless Power would do all until there began the descent from above which would transform the consciousness, making its silence and freedom a basis for a luminous knowledge, action, Ananda. [2]
Observing Thoughts, Not Throwing Them Back
To silence the mind it is not enough to throw back each thought as it comes, that can only be a subordinate movement. One must get back from all thought and be separate from it, a silent consciousness observing the thoughts if they come, but not oneself thinking or identified with the thoughts. Thoughts must be felt as outside things altogether. It is then easier to reject thoughts or let them pass without their disturbing the quietude of the mind. [3]
2. Benefits of practising Mental Silence
Finding Solutions to Problems
When one has learned to silence the mind at will and to concentrate it in receptive silence, then there will be no problem that cannot be solved, no mental difficulty whose solution cannot be found. When it is agitated, thought becomes confused and impotent; in an attentive tranquillity, the light can manifest itself and open up new horizons to man's capacity. [4]
Divine Guidance for your Work
Revelations
Appreciating Art
Getting Better Quality of Sleep (conscious sleep)
3. Prerequisites for Attaining Mental Silence
Divine Presence
Remember first that an inner quietude, caused by the purification of the restless mind and vital, is the first condition of a secure sadhana. Remember, next, that to feel the Mother's presence while in external action is already a great step and one that cannot be attained without a considerable inner progress. Probably, what you feel you need so much but cannot define is a constant and vivid sense of the Mother's force working in you, descending from above and taking possession of the different planes of your being. That is often a prior condition for the twofold movement of ascent and descent; it will surely come in time. These things can take a long time to begin visibly, especially when the mind is accustomed to be very active and has not the habit of mental silence. When that veiling activity is there, much work has to be carried on behind the mobile screen of the mind and the sadhak thinks nothing is happening when really much preparation is being done. If you want a more swift and visible progress, it can only be by bringing your psychic to the front through a constant self-offering. Aspire intensely, but without impatience.
4. Challenges
Misconception that one will Lose their Ability to Think
I emphasise this fact because there are quite a few people who, when mental silence has been transmitted to them by occult means, are immediately alarmed and afraid of losing their intelligence. Because they can no longer think, they fear they may become stupid! But to cease thinking is a much higher achievement than to be able to spin out thoughts endlessly and it demands a much greater development. [11]
Abolishing the Ego - Getting Rid of Moral Egoism
Downward Pull of Imperfections
… the spiritual emergence has to wait at each step for the instruments to be ready; next, as the spiritual formation emerges, it is mixed inextricably with the powers, motives, impulses of an imperfect mind, life and body,—there is a pull on it to accept and serve these powers, motives and impulses, a downward gravitation and perilous mixture, a constant temptation to fall or deviation, at least a fettering, a weight, a retardation; there is a necessity to return upon a step gained in order to bring up something of the nature which hangs back and prevents a farther step; finally, there is, by the very character of mind in which it has to work, a limitation of the emerging spiritual light and power and a compulsion on it to move by segments, to follow one line or another and leave altogether or leave till later on the achievement of its own totality. This hampering, this obstacle of the mind, life and body,—the heavy inertia and persistence of the body, the turbid passions of the life-part, the obscurity and doubting incertitudes, denials, other-formulations of the mind,—is an impediment so great and intolerable that the spiritual urge becomes impatient and tries rigorously to quell these opponents, to reject the life, to mortify the body, to silence the mind and achieve its own separate salvation, spirit departing into pure spirit and rejecting from it altogether an undivine and obscure Nature. [13]
Inferior Mentality
5. How to Achieve/Practice Mental Silence?
Willpower
Entering a Higher Domain
If you try to silence your mind directly, it is a hard job, almost impossible; for the most material part of the mind never stops its activity—it goes on and on like a non-stop recording machine. It repeats all that it records and unless there is a switch to stop it, it continues and continues indefinitely. If, on the other hand, you manage to shift your consciousness into a higher domain, above the ordinary mind, this opening to the Light calms the mind, it does not stir any longer, and the mental silence so obtained can become constant. Once you enter into this domain, you may very well never come out of it—the external mind always remains calm.
Being spontaneous
And if one carries this a little further, one should never think and plan beforehand what one ought to say or write. One should simply be able to silence one's mind, to turn it like a receptacle towards the higher Consciousness and express as it receives it, in mental silence, what comes from above. That would be true spontaneity.
Reading
Take one of Sri Aurobindo's books. Read a sentence or two. Then remain silent and concentrated to understand the deeper meaning. Try to concentrate deeply enough to obtain mental silence and begin again daily until you obtain a result.
Witness Without Involvement
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/28/philosophical-thought-and-yoga#p21
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/28/the-supermind-or-supramental#p22
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/interactions-with-others-and-the-practice-of-yoga#p99
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/mental-education#p22
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/08/29-august-1956#p4
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/03/23-june-1929#p21
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/10/aphorism-77-78#p20
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/arts#p81
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/17/30-may-1966#p3
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/quiet-and-calm#p22
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/03/conjugate-verses#p90
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/04/19-april-1951#p8
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/22/the-evolution-of-the-spiritual-man#p10
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/24/the-intuitive-mind#p5
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/silence#p15
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/04/8-march-1951#p4
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/quiet-and-calm#p22
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/08/29-august-1956#p7
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/study-of-works-of-sri-aurobindo-and-the-mother#p29
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/03/26-may-1929#p21
- ↑ http://incarnateword.in/cwm/06/15-december-1954#p1