== Silence in Education ==
I met an Indian who was a great Gita enthusiast and It would be interesting to formulate or to elaborate a new method of teaching for children, to take them very young. It is easy when they are very great lover young. We need people—oh! we would need remarkable teachers—who have, first, an ample enough documentation of silence. He used what is known so as to be able to sayanswer every question, and at the same time, "When I go to my disciplesat least the knowledge, if they are in not the experience—the experience would be better—of the true intuitive intellectual attitude, and—naturally the capacity would be still more preferable—at least the knowledge that the right state I don't need to speak. So we observe true way of knowing is mental silence, an attentive silence togetherturned towards the truer Consciousness, and in the silence something capacity to receive what comes from there. The best would be to have this capacity; at least, it should be explained that it is realised. But when they are the true thing—a sort of demonstration—and that it works not in only from the point of view of what must be learned, of the whole domain of knowledge, but also of the whole domain of what should be done: the capacity to receive the exact indication of how to do it; and as you go on, it changes into a good enough state for thisvery clear perception of what must be done, I speak and a precise indication of when it must be done. At least the children, as soon as they have the capacity to think—it starts at the age of seven, but at about fourteen or fifteen it is very clear—the children should be given littleindications at the age of seven, just a littlecomplete explanation at fourteen, of how to try do it, and that it is the only way to put them be in relation with the right statedeeper truth of things, and that all the rest is a more or less clumsy mental approximation to something that can be known directly. And when they are in a worse state still, they ask questions!" (The Mother, 4 5 April 19561967) <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/0812/45-april-19561967#p13p24</ref>
It would be interesting to formulate or to elaborate a new method of teaching for children''Mother, to take them very young. It now there is easy when they are very young. We need people—oh! we would need remarkable teachers—who haveone question, first, an ample enough documentation of what is known so as to be able to answer every another important question, and at the same time, at least the knowledge, if not the experience—the experience would be better—of the true intuitive intellectual attitude, and—naturally the capacity would be still more preferable—at least the knowledge that the true way of knowing is mental silence, an attentive silence turned towards the truer Consciousness, and the capacity to receive what comes from there. The best would be to You have this capacity; at least, it should be explained often told us that it is only in the true thing—a sort of demonstration—and inner silence that it works not only from we can find the point of view of what must be learned, of the whole domain of knowledge, but also of the whole domain of what should be done: the capacity true answer to receive the exact indication of how to do it; and as you go on, it changes into a very clear perception of what must be done, and a precise indication of when it must be donequestion. At least What is the children, as soon as they have the capacity best way to think—it starts at make the age of seven, but at about fourteen or fifteen it is very clear—the children should be given little indications at the age of seven, a complete explanation at fourteen, of discover how to do it, and that it this silence is the only way to be in relation with the deeper truth of things, and that all the rest established? Is this how consciousness is a more or less clumsy mental approximation to something that can be known directly. (The Mother, 5 April 1967) <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/5-april-1967#p24</ref>substituted for knowledge?''
''Mother, now there is one question, another important question. You have often told us that it is only in the inner silence that we can find the true answer to a question. What is the best way to make the children discover how this silence is established? Is this how consciousness is substituted for knowledge?''You see, in this system of classes where everyone is sitting down, the teacher is there and they have a limited time in which to do the work, it is not possible. It is only if you have absolute freedom that you can establish the silence when you need to be silent. But when all the students are in class and the teacher is in class... when the teacher is establishing the silence in himself, all the students... then it is not possible. He can establish the silence at home, at night, the day before, to prepare himself for the next day, but you cannot... It cannot be an immediate rule. Naturally, when you are at the very top of the scale and you are used to keeping your mind absolutely silent, you cannot help it; but you have not reached that point, none of you. So it is better not to speak about it. So I think that during the... Especially with this system, classes with a fixed time, with a fixed number of students, with a fixed teacher, and a fixed subject... you must be active while you are there. (The Mother, 11 November 1967) <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/11-november-1967#p149</ref>
Yes, there, the morning work, like the work they do there, "Vers la Perfection"... They can very well do that: remain silent, concentrated for a moment, silence all that, everything that is noisy inside, like that, and wait. In the morning, they can do that. No, I mean, when you have an hour's class, or three-quarters of an hour's class with... all together with the teacher... you have to keep yourselves busy. It would be amusing if for three-quarters of an hour everyone could stay... (laughter). (The Mother, 11 November 1967) <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/11-november-1967#p154</ref>
One thing could be done once, at least once: you set a subject, like that, from the course of subjects, you set it and tell them, "For a quarter of an hour we shall remain silent, silent; no noise, no one should make any noise. We shall remain silent for a quarter of an hour. For a quarter of an hour try to remain completely silent, still and attentive, and then we shall see in a quarter of an hour what comes out of it." You can reduce it to five minutes to begin with, three minutes, two minutes, it doesn't matter. A quarter of an hour is a lot, but you should do... try that... see. Some of them will start to fidget. Very few children, perhaps, know how to keep still; or else they fall asleep—but it doesn't matter if they fall asleep. You could try that at least once, see what happens: "Let's see! Who will answer my question after ten minutes' silence? And not ten minutes which you will spend trying to get hold of everything you may know mentally about the subject, no, no—ten minutes during which you will be just like this, blank, still, silent, attentive... attentive and silent." (The Mother, 11 November 1967) <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/11-november-1967#p156</ref>
A moment of silence and concentration is always good for all the children. But the prayer should not be compulsory. Those who want to do it will be encouraged. I suggest that you put up a notice-board in the classroom with these words written on it in large letters:
“Mother is always here amongst us to help us and guide us.”
Most of the children will understand, and some are capable of feeling. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/mothers-action-in-a-class-of-children-aged-seven-to-nine#p8</ref>
If you want my help, it is not by accepting one principle of action and rejecting another that you can have it, but by concentrating before the class, by establishing silence and peace in your heart (and in your head too, if possible) and by calling my presence with a sincere aspiration that I should be behind all your actions, not in the way you think that I would act (for that can only be an arbitrary opinion and therefore necessarily wrong), but in silence and calm and inner spontaneity. This is the only true way of getting out of your difficulty. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/mothers-action-in-a-class-of-children-aged-seven-to-nine#p24</ref>
A minimum of silence is necessary. I know that the most undisciplined children are usually the most intelligent. But to be tamed they must feel the pressure of an intelligence that is more powerful than their own. And for that, one must be able not to come down to their level, and above all know how to remain unaffected by what they do. In fact, it is a yogic problem.
<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/mothers-action-in-a-class-of-children-aged-ten-to-eleven#p4</ref>
It is true that the guru himself is subject to the same rule of silence with regard to what concerns him personally. In Nature everything is in movement; thus, whatever does not move forward is bound to fall back. The guru must progress even as his disciples do, although his progress may not be on the same plane. And for him too, to speak about his experiences is not favourable: the greater part of the dynamic force for progress contained in the experience evaporates if it is put into words. But on the other hand, by explaining his experiences to his disciples, he greatly helps their understanding and consequently their progress. It is for him in his wisdom to know to what extent he can and ought to sacrifice the one to the other. It goes without saying that no boasting or vainglory should enter into his account, for the slightest vanity would make him no longer a guru but an imposter. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/the-four-austerities-and-the-four-liberations#p60</ref>
And if you do not want your body to fail you, avoid wasting your energies in useless agitation. Whatever you do, do it in a quiet and composed poise. In peace and silence is the greatest strength. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/students#p16</ref>
== Resting in Silence ==