We explore the power of Inner Silence in your daily life. "Actually when you say to someone to please be quiet, they take it as -please shut up- that's the whole problem. But what we mean by silence is actually the silence from that inner voice which is always on, always interpreting, always analyzing, always judging, forever evaluating each and every data that our senses come across."
In today's podcast episode we delve into the art of Inner Stillness and Silence to discover how the silence of the mind, can be the Gateway to aligning not only with our deepest selves, but with the power of all creativity.
PODCAST ON POWER OF INNER SILENCE
Welcome to the show Sashwink.
"I really love the calmness that's there in your voice, Dr. Vie, you have already set the tone of the podcast."
That's wonderful because we do live in a very busy noisy world don't we?
Yeah the world is definitely noisy but I feel that the inner world that we live in is more noisier than the external world.
All the more reason for this important series that you and I embarked on. We sort of aligned with
it when we first met.
Absolutely that was absolutely a God-sent opportunity that we banged into each other at Mumbai!
That was quite a profound meeting. I still remember that scene and the entire environment and us talking around so many topics and here we are.
Absolutely.
SILENCE COULD MEAN NOT TALKING!
Now for most of our listeners silence means not talking.
You know when we say hey just be quiet. So silence to many people means not talking and for some people it's actually an insult if we say hey why don't you just be quiet right? So let's firstly explore what does it really mean to be silent. What is this silence that we're talking around?
OUTER SILENCE AND INNER SILENCE
But what we mean by silence is actually the inner voice which is always on interpreting analyzing judging evaluating each and every data that our senses come across. So till the time that analysis mode is on we call it a meaning-making machine unless and until that meaning-making machine is not completely halted we cannot experience silence and when even if we shut up in the external world it is good enough initially. First we have to withdraw from talking unnecessarily. You know there are certain things that even if we don't talk about that's absolutely fine.
But you know we keep on interpreting and keep on giving our judgments and views and opinions on everything. So once we realize that that external noise has to be minimized, then only we can take a plunge in the inside world of thoughts where we are talking and giving replies to our own thoughts. So that is that's where the real silence comes in when the internal meaning-making machine is completely shut and we become pure Consciousness.
THREE STEPS TO INNER SILENCE
For our audience (listeners of the podcast or readers of this article) they're probably thinking, okay so these two are talking about two aspects of silence and quietness.
- The first is for us just to be quiet, i.e. not talk out verbally, not talk aloud and then the second aspect is, okay so you've stopped talking out aloud and you're not responding to someone else verbally, and you're not talking back in whatever way.
- And then there's the next aspect once you've quietened that external verbalization. Then you are left with this inner chatter, this inner world which at times is even noisier than anything we encounter out in the external world.
- So what we are saying is once you have have this inner chatter then you need to focus on quieting that. And then once you do that, there's a third aspect.
You feel as if you're dropping lower and lower and lower to the most fundamental aspect of all of Beingness and that's what you encounter in this inner silence.
BEFORE YOU RETREAT INTO SILENCE?
Absolutely but when we start shutting down the external noise it's very important we train our environment. If I suddenly stop replying to my people you know they would not understand. And as a matter of fact when I do something forcefully that itself will create more inner noise. I may become quiet outside but then inside something would tell me that, no I am supposed to reply to these people. So one has to understand that you have to give reasons to your people first if you are entering into the world of Silence. It's very important that I tell my wife my children, husband, father and my mother you know whomsoever I'm connected with like my friends my neighbors. If I'm unable to enroll them then I should leave that place and go somewhere for a retreat or a 7-Day Center or a 10 day vacation where I can be with my own self. So it's very important that disconnecting with the external voice should not be in an abrupt fashion otherwise it will create more noise inside.
WITNESSING YOUR THOUGHTS AND VOICES IN YOUR HEAD
So that's the first step and the second step is of course when one starts becoming a witness to our own thoughts and the voices which are going on inside the mind. When we do that by default the speed of the thought and the words which are there all the time going incessant inside the mind keep on calming down and then a time comes when there is absolutely complete silence.
And it's important also as you had mentioned to realize yes we live in this social world where we're almost all the time surrounded by people who are in some way demanding that we communicate with them
or respond to them. And what we're saying is even in those situations before you retreat into this
silence or this form of not always engaging in this tit for tat replying and responding, to alert
them that perhaps you are going into this self-retreat even if it is for a few hours or even if
it's just one hour so that they themselves would be more aware of it, which would then take the
pressure of you. And even better than that as we were talking right now is to perhaps experience
this during a retreat or some sort of silent exploration even if it is for a few hours during a quiet walk down the street or just sitting in a quiet spot and meditating. Whatever it is to experience that silence inside you, and then as you do that the speed of your thoughts also decrease.
Absolutely that's the way it goes.
HOW TO START THE JOURNEY OF INNER SILENCE
Now for our everyday listeners who are so caught up in the world of work if they are working with a constant communication, or if they are at home with the constant communication with family siblings partners etc. how would they start this journey then to explore what we're talking about this this ultimate feeling of Silence. How would they start this? Let's let's talk more about this.
CHALLENGES CAN BE OVERCOME
Hey Dr. Vie unfortunately this is not possible!
It's not possible. You have to take a plunge. You have to literally you know leave everything to observe your own thought processes and the voice inside. Until the time we are in the society, we are in the world of people, we are in the world of making money, being ambitious, it's not possible at all. I have personally tried that and failed miserably many times till I decided to quit everything. So only those people who are willing to literally "die in the world of the Maya" or die in the world of attachments, or to literally go off approval seeking appreciation. Who have tasted everything and came to the realization that no this is not for me I have been to parties this is not for me. I have earned lot of money and still I am a beggar inside. I have drunk to my heart's content. I have bought big cars. I've been to the best places of the world
and still I am a bloody beggar inside. So until the time I don't realize myself and I try to
do or be silent that will boomerang very badly. That's the problem.
POWER OF INTENTION AND LIVING SOLO
That's interesting, you know you've mentioned so many things right now and from what I've experienced as well, you know a little bit about this. I've lived on my own in many countries for close to 40 years now. This means being away from that familiar family situation, being away from everyone that I've known since growing up as a child, and that somehow has ignited something within me. Yes so much of that chatter and that constant noise was somewhat subdued.
And then as I continued my journey in many different vocations and working pursuits I began exploring work journeys and vocations that allowed me to enjoy that inner silence as well. So that's important too.
Yes it's so difficult at times for people to imagine that they can in their noisy environment begin this self-retreat even if it is for a few hours to experience what we're talking about.
EXPERIENCING INNER SILENCE EVERY 24 HOURS
Now there's one other aspect I found very powerful for me especially over these last 40 years. it's something that everyone each of us experiences every 24 hour cycle. We do experience that beauty of Silence even though many of us can't consciously remember it.
Yet that is the beautiful buffer that we've been blessed with in this life that we have, and that is the power of sleep.
It's when we go to sleep at night, initially yes we have the dreams you know with a lot of chatter, a lot of activity, a lot of this and that, and we are still immersed in all of this noise. But then there comes a time In sleep which all of us have privy to, which is complete silence. In the Western World they call that deep sleep but they themselves haven't explored it enough.
THE POWER OF DEEP SLEEP MADE CONSCIOUS
Not enough as the Indians, the great Indians of India, and the ancient Rishis who have already explored and come across this power, and talked about this at length. This great Stillness that we enjoy in that time of sleep. Now it's when we're getting up in the morning and we're still immersed in that beautiful Stillness, if in some way during that first few minutes that we awake, while still lying in bed, still fully embraced in that quietness and Stillness, if we can just prolong that for a few minutes longer, I found that the day then actually becomes more harmonious. So this is what I would suggest also to our listeners once they're extracting themselves out of this deep sleep in the early hours of the morning, to still in some way enjoy that stillness, even if it is for a few minutes as they open their eyes. And then notice how much more different your day becomes. So
that's just something that I thought I'd throw in to help our audience.
Sure perfect the whole idea is that you know anything that works for us. Actually everyone experiences silence in different ways. But silence is one. silence may be accessed through maybe by eating, maybe by meeting people. There there are few people when you meet them you feel silent because you don't have to speak with them. They are understanding there's a deeper level of chemistry. There are vibes which are matching. You resonate with each other. So silence can be entered in sleep of course. That's the most beautiful thing if a person can have uninterrupted which is called the REM sleep and so yeah definitely very well said.
INTERACT AND BENEFIT EVEN MORE
And as we round up this introduction to silence and exploring more of our inner selves what questions would you have for our listeners to ponder on until our next episode because this series of episodes our dear dear listeners will be quite interactive. So we would encourage our listeners after they've listened to this first introductory podcast in the series to then think more on this and send us your questions and when we share the podcast as well wherever it is on social media go ahead and interact with your questions with your input with whatever your thoughts are and if you want also to record
a voice note and send it to us and we could play it on the next podcast. As we also answer your
questions. So from my end that would be my input to the listeners.
What would you then recommend for the listeners Sashwink?
Yeah so we you know one can look at the relationships because that's the biggest area in one's life where primarily majority of us get stuck so they can look at their relationships and why there is insecurity? What is the reason why there is fear? And then they can look at their life around their ambition of making money. cos we want to prove ourselves to the world. So they can really ask themselves that what is it that I want to prove to the world? Or they can they can even look at their health their bodies which primarily is the biggest sign that gives away when one is internally not healthy.
Yes indeed because we are vibrational beings and how we think and how we feel affects the physical body that we live in. Very well said, yes indeed and on that note this has been a delightful introduction Sashwink.
Thanks Dr. Vie it was a pleasure talking with you.
JOIN DR. VIE ONLINE SILENT RETREAT AND BENEFIT RIGHT AWAY
Yes and likewise and we look forward to the listeners interacting and posing some interesting questions or sending us your comments or voice notes. And on that note we shall now journey into silence and encourage our readers and audience to join us on our ONLINE SILENT RETREAT wherever you are in the world. Click the link below and send us a message or register right away.
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