Latest revision as of 11:18, 24 March 2022

Read more about Speech from the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

What Is Speech?

The organ of speech is an instrument of the physical mental or expressive externalising mind. ^[1]

Spiritual Speech

There is an eternal Truth which is eternally true, but which finds expression in definite forms, and these definite forms are changing, fluctuating; they may become distorted; and to have the truth one must always go back to the source, which is… it may be called the eternal word, that is, the creative Word. It is a truth which is eternal, which manifests itself through all possible words and ideas. I use “word” in a literary sense—it is what is called elsewhere the creative Word. It is the origin of all speech and all thought. ^[2]

Human speech at its highest merely attempts to recover by revelation and inspiration an absolute expression of Truth which already exists in the Infinite above our mental comprehension. ^[3]

Speech itself is an expression out of the silence. ^[4]

Importance of Control of Speech

Control of Speech

Mostly human speech and thought go on mechanically in certain grooves that always repeat themselves and it is not really the mind that controls or dictates them. ^[5]

A constant babble of words seems to be the indispensable accompaniment to daily work. And yet as soon as one makes an effort to reduce the noise to a minimum, one realises that many things are done better and faster in silence and that this helps to maintain one’s inner peace and concentration. One should always control the words one speaks and never allow one’s tongue to be prompted by a movement of anger, violence or temper. It is not only the quarrel that is bad in its results, but the fact of allowing one’s tongue to be used to project bad vibrations into the atmosphere; for nothing is more contagious than the vibrations of sound, and by giving these movements a chance to express themselves, one perpetuates them in oneself and in others.^[6]

Cultivating Control of Speech

Many hours of silent concentration are needed to be able to speak usefully for a few minutes. Moreover, where inner life and spiritual effort are concerned, the use of speech should be subjected to a still more stringent rule and nothing should be said unless it is absolutely indispensable. ^[7]

One can talk, but with silence within and quietude in the speech. ^[8]

In fact, one should always do this, when he feels that he is caught by an impulse of some kind or other, particularly impulses of anger. If one takes as an absolute discipline, instead of acting or speaking (because speech is an action), instead of acting under the impulse, if one withdraws and then does as I said, one sits down quietly, concentrates and then looks at his anger quietly, one writes it down, when one has finished writing, it is gone—in any case, most often. ^[9]

In talking one has the tendency to come down into a lower and more external consciousness because talking comes from the external mind. But it is impossible to avoid it altogether. What you must do is to learn to get back at once to the inner consciousness—this so long as you are not able to speak always from the inner being or at least with the inner being supporting the action. ^[10]

Content curated by Arti Garg

Read more about Speech from the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

References

[1] ttp://incarnateword.in/cwsa/28/the-parts-of-the-body-and-the-centres#p7

[2] ttp://incarnateword.in/cwm/05/11-november-1953#p13

[3] ttp://incarnateword.in/cwsa/18/the-supreme-word#p2

[4] ttp://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p76

[5] ttp://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p16

[6] ttps://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/the-four-austerities-and-the-four-liberations

[7] ttp://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/the-four-austerities-and-the-four-liberations#p58

[8] ttp://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p18

[9] ttps://incarnateword.in/cwm/07/30-march-1955#p39

[10] ttps://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p3

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@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 The organ of speech is an instrument of the physical mental or expressive externalising mind.
 <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/28/the-parts-of-the-body-and-the-centres#p7</ref>
-Human speech at its highest merely attempts to recover by revelation and inspiration an absolute expression of Truth which already exists in the Infinite above our mental comprehension.
-We know that vibration of sound has the power to create—and to destroy—forms.
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/18/the-supreme-word#p6</ref>
 ==Spiritual Speech==
-Spiritual Speech: all-powerful in its simplicity.
+There is an eternal Truth which is eternally true, but which finds expression in definite forms, and these definite forms are changing, fluctuating; they may become distorted; and to have the truth one must always go back to the source, which is… it may be called the eternal word, that is, the creative Word. It is a truth which is eternal, which manifests itself through all possible words and ideas. I use “word” in a literary sense—it is what is called elsewhere the creative Word. It is the origin of all speech and all thought.
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/14/control-of-speech#p25</ref>
+<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/05/11-november-1953#p13</ref>
-==Speech in Relation to Silence==
+Human speech at its highest merely attempts to recover by revelation and inspiration an absolute expression of Truth which already exists in the Infinite above our mental comprehension.
+<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/18/the-supreme-word#p2</ref>
-When speech itself is an expression out of the silence.
+Speech itself is an expression out of the silence.
 <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p76</ref>
-All speech and action comes prepared out of the eternal Silence. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/10/aphorism-277-278#p1</ref>
+=Importance of Control of Speech=
-=Importance of Speech=
-The question of mental austerity immediately brings to mind long meditations leading to control of thought and culminating in inner silence. This aspect of yogic discipline is too well known to need dwelling upon. But there is another aspect of the subject which is usually given less attention, and that is control of speech. Apart from a very few exceptions, only absolute silence is set in opposition to loose talk. And yet it is a far greater and far more fruitful austerity to control one's speech than to abolish it altogether. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/the-four-austerities-and-the-four-liberations#p33</ref>
 ==Control of Speech==
-Yes, control of the speech is very necessary for the physical change.
+Mostly human speech and thought go on mechanically in certain grooves that always repeat themselves and it is not really the mind that controls or dictates them. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p16</ref>
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p30</ref>Even those who have a strong inner life, take a long time before they can connect it with the outer speech and action. Outer speech belongs to the externalising mind—that is why it is so difficult to connect it with the inner life.
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p1</ref>
-Not to allow the impulse of speech to assert itself too much or say anything without reflection, but to speak always with a conscious control and only what is necessary and helpful.<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p38</ref>
-If you can succeed in controlling the speech often,—it needs a constant vigilance,—you will finally find that the control extends itself and can in the long run always intervene.
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p36</ref>
-Speech breaks out as the expression of the vital and its habits without caring to wait for the control of the mind; It is therefore this tendency that must cease in the vital itself. Not to be under the control of the impulse to speech. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p47</ref>
-===Role of Speech in Transformation===
-It would be better to get full control of the speech—it is an important step towards going inward and developing a true inner and Yogic consciousness.
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p28</ref>
-The complete truth of speech is very important for the sadhak and a great help for bringing Truth into the consciousness. It is at the same time difficult to bring the speech under control; for people are accustomed to speak what comes to them and not to supervise and control what they say. There is something mechanical about speech and to bring it to the level of the highest part of the consciousness is never easy.  <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p33</ref>
+A constant babble of words seems to be the indispensable accompaniment to daily work. And yet as soon as one makes an effort to reduce the noise to a minimum, one realises that many things are done better and faster in silence and that this helps to maintain one’s inner peace and concentration.
+One should always control the words one speaks and never allow one’s tongue to be prompted by a movement of anger, violence or temper. It is not only the quarrel that is bad in its results, but the fact of allowing one’s tongue to be used to project bad vibrations into the atmosphere; for nothing is more contagious than the vibrations of sound, and by giving these movements a chance to express themselves, one perpetuates them in oneself and in others.<ref>https://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/the-four-austerities-and-the-four-liberations</ref>
 =Cultivating Control of Speech=
-Correct speech that hurts none. Never speak uselessly and scrupulously avoid all malevolent speech. One has to admit only what the inner being consents to think or speak.
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p16</ref>
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/03/the-awakened-one-the-buddha#p30</ref>
 Many hours of silent concentration are needed to be able to speak usefully for a few minutes. Moreover, where inner life and spiritual effort are concerned, the use of speech should be subjected to a still more stringent rule and nothing should be said unless it is absolutely indispensable.
@@ Line 61: / Line 35: @@
 One can talk, but with silence within and quietude in the speech.
 <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p18</ref>
-Minimizing speech is sure to be helpful both for right action and for inner sadhana.
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p23</ref>
 In fact, one should always do this, when he feels that he is caught by an impulse of some kind or other, particularly impulses of anger. If one takes as an absolute discipline, instead of acting or speaking (because speech is an action), instead of acting under the impulse, if one withdraws and then does as I said, one sits down quietly, concentrates and then looks at his anger quietly, one writes it down, when one has finished writing, it is gone—in any case, most often.
-Be on your guard against wrath in speech. Control your words, and leaving behind wrong ways of speaking, practise good conduct in speech.
+<ref>https://incarnateword.in/cwm/07/30-march-1955#p39</ref>
-<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/03/anger#p11</ref>
+In talking one has the tendency to come down into a lower and more external consciousness because talking comes from the external mind. But it is impossible to avoid it altogether. What you must do is to learn to get back at once to the inner consciousness—this so long as you are not able to speak always from the inner being or at least with the inner being supporting the action. <ref>https://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p3</ref>

Difference between revisions of "Speech Summary"