Unlocking the Mysterious Benefits of Silence: A Buddhist Tale on the Power of Silence
Summary
TLDRIn a tale of self-discovery and introspection, a talkative disciple at the Hermitage of Gotham Buddha is challenged by his guru to observe silence for a month. Initially finding it easy, the disciple soon experiences an internal struggle as his mind chatter grows louder. Retreating to the forest, he eventually achieves true silence, both externally and internally, leading to profound self-realization and transformation. The story emphasizes the power of silence in fostering inner peace and self-awareness, and the guru's teachings highlight the importance of mindful speech to prevent unnecessary suffering.
Takeaways
- 😀 The story revolves around a talkative disciple in a Buddhist ashram who is known for his backbiting and self-praise.
- 🙏 The guru assigns a one-month resolution to all disciples, emphasizing the importance of determination and self-discipline.
- 🤔 The talkative disciple chooses a challenging resolution of complete silence, believing it to be an easy task reflective of his superior abilities.
- 🗣️ The disciple initially finds silence easy but soon struggles with the burden of not speaking, leading to physical and mental discomfort.
- 😖 As days pass, the disciple's inability to speak leads to illness, highlighting the struggle between external silence and internal turmoil.
- 📝 The disciple communicates his distress to the guru in writing, revealing the difficulty of maintaining silence when the mind is noisy.
- 🌲 The guru advises the disciple to seek solitude in the forest, away from the voices that fuel his internal dialogue.
- 🌳 In the forest, the disciple experiences a profound realization about the true meaning of silence, both external and internal.
- 🕊️ The disciple returns to the ashram transformed, embodying a newfound calmness and peace, with a deeper understanding of silence.
- 💬 The guru imparts wisdom on the importance of mindful speech, noting that unnecessary talking can lead to conflict and unhappiness.
- 🔍 The story concludes with the guru emphasizing the value of introspection and the need to conserve energy that is often wasted in idle chatter.
Q & A
What was the main issue with the talkative disciple in the ashram?
-The talkative disciple had a habit of speaking excessively, often backbiting and praising himself, which led to discord among the other disciples and a sense of superiority over them.
What resolution did the guru ask the talkative disciple to take for a month?
-The guru asked the talkative disciple to remain silent for a month, not uttering a single word as his resolution.
How did the disciple initially react to the resolution of silence?
-Initially, the disciple thought the resolution was easy and agreed to it, but soon found it increasingly burdensome and causing him physical and mental discomfort.
What happened when the disciple tried to maintain silence in the ashram?
-The disciple became ill, feeling a heaviness and uneasiness due to the inability to speak and express himself, which led to an internal struggle.
Why did the disciple go to the forest after the guru's advice?
-The disciple went to the forest in search of peace and to escape the voices of the ashram, hoping that the solitude would help him find inner silence.
What was the transformation the disciple experienced after spending time in the forest?
-The disciple eventually found true silence within himself, realizing the importance of being silent both externally and internally, leading to a profound sense of peace and self-awareness.
How did the disciple's return to the ashram differ from his previous behavior?
-Upon returning, the disciple was noticeably calmer and more composed, with his speech becoming smoother and sweeter, reflecting his newfound inner silence and peace.
What lesson did the guru impart about the impact of excessive speaking?
-The guru taught that excessive speaking leads to unrest within and wastes energy that could be better used for introspection and spiritual growth.
What is the significance of the guru's statement that 'resolutions are meant to be broken'?
-The statement implies that while resolutions can be challenging and may be broken, the effort to uphold them builds inner strength and self-awareness, which are crucial for personal growth.
How did the disciple's experience in the forest change his perspective on silence?
-The disciple's time in the forest allowed him to experience true silence, both externally and internally, leading to a deeper understanding of its value and the peace it brings.
What is the final realization of the disciple regarding his previous talkative nature?
-The disciple realized the negative impact of his excessive talking, including backbiting and self-praise, and understood the importance of speaking less and being more mindful of his words.
Outlines
🙊 The Talkative Disciple's Resolution
In a Buddhist hermitage, a disciple known for his incessant talking and backbiting is challenged by the guru to take a resolution for a month. The disciple, seeking to prove his superiority, vows to remain silent, a task he initially believes to be easy. However, as days pass, the disciple struggles with the burden of silence, leading to illness and an intense desire to speak. Despite his suffering, the guru advises him to either fulfill the resolution or return to his old ways, emphasizing the importance of inner strength in personal growth and societal awakening.
🌿 The Journey to Inner Silence
The disciple, unable to bear the internal chatter despite his external silence, retreats to the forest in search of peace. The guru explains that the habit of speaking and the influence of external voices prevent true silence. Over time, the disciple's absence from the ashram raises concerns among his peers, but the guru believes he may have found what he sought. The guru teaches that excessive speaking is a source of misery and that true silence involves being fully present and aware in all actions, leading to profound life changes.
🕊 The Transformation Through Solitude
After three months, the disciple returns to the ashram, transformed. His calm demeanor and peaceful eyes reflect the inner silence he has achieved. Initially, his external silence masked an active internal dialogue, but in solitude, he learned to quiet his mind. The disciple shares his realization of the true meaning of silence and the peace it brings. The guru confirms his continued silence, both external and internal, and the disciple expresses his newfound understanding of being alone even amidst company, able to speak and act while maintaining inner solitude. The guru concludes by stressing the importance of meaningful speech and the energy conservation that comes with silence, which allows for deeper self-exploration and enlightenment.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Hermitage
💡Disciple
💡Backbiting
💡Resolution
💡Silence
💡Inner Strength
💡Awareness
💡Solitude
💡Transformation
💡Enlightenment
💡Energy
Highlights
A disciple's excessive talking leads to a challenge from the guru to remain silent for a month.
The disciple's initial ease with silence contrasts with the growing burden of not speaking.
The disciple's struggle with internal dialogue despite external silence.
The guru emphasizes the importance of inner strength over the completion of resolutions.
The disciple's retreat into the forest to seek peace and overcome internal noise.
The disciple's realization of the impact of his past negative speech on others.
The transformative experience of true silence, both internal and external.
The guru's teaching on the importance of being silent to avoid unnecessary suffering.
The disciple's return to the ashram as a changed person, embodying calmness and peace.
The guru's insight on how external speech can cause internal unrest.
The disciple's newfound ability to speak with mindfulness and tranquility.
The guru's explanation of how excessive speech leads to a lack of self-reflection.
The story's message on the value of silence and its role in personal growth.
The disciple's experience of solitude and its impact on his understanding of inner peace.
The guru's final teaching on the necessity of silence for introspection and spiritual journey.
The disciple's realization of the power of silence in all aspects of life.
Transcripts
there was a huge Hermitage of Gotham Buddha in a village a famous Buddhist teacher lived there
there one of his disciples used to speak a lot he used to talk here and there all the time when
he went to collect donations he would bring a new story from every house and tell it to
the other disciples of the ashram used to talk bad about one disciple to another backbiting
and tried to be good in front of others he used to praise himself from his own mouth and
always tried to prove himself to be the most intelligent and best in front of the guru he
considered himself different and Superior to all the disciples he said that I am a child
of a rich family if I wanted I could have lived a comfortable and full of facilities life but I
left all that and came here because I have to discover the truth to know myself to know life
that's why my sacrifice is bigger than all of you one day the guru called all the Disciples
of the ashram and said all of you have to take some resolution for the next one month this will
strengthen your determination power and will Infuse self-power in you all of you can take
any resolution according to your ability and if any one of you breaks your resolution before
one month then he will return to his old routine all the disciples took big or small resolutions
according to their power and went away after telling the guru about their resolutions but the
disciple who wanted to show himself as different and bigger went directly to the guru's cottage and
said I do not want to take any small resolution but I want to take a big and great resolution
like myself please tell me what resolution should be taken hearing this the guru smiled and said
will you be able to fulfill the resolution given by me will it be possible for you to complete it
probably not that is not possible for you you will not be able to complete it that's why you yourself
find a resolution the disciple said no gurudev whatever resolution you give me I will definitely
fulfill it the master said okay then you will keep quiet for the next one month won't even take a
word out of your mouth this is your resolution the disciple said gurudev is this also a resolution
this is very easy remain silent for a month you give me some big resolution which is worthy of my
ability which I have a problem in fulfilling Guru said first you fulfill this resolution and show it
the disciple obeyed the guru and he became silent at the same time and turned and went out of the
Hut he found it much easier to remain silent he spent one day silently but from the second day the
burden of not speaking started increasing in his mind on the third day he started feeling heaviness
and on the fourth day he started feeling a strange uneasiness because all the disciples in the ashram
were talking to each other he also wanted to present his side in front of them he wanted
to stop speaking but his resolve was coming in the way that's why he used to make only mouth and eyes
the whole day in this way a few more days passed and that disciple fell ill his head was exploding
he didn't even feel like eating or drinking he just wanted to speak he went to the guru and sat
in front of him in writing and told him gurudev I want to speak I can't breathe without speaking I
am getting out of breath I am going insane inside what should I do should I break my resolution
Guru smiled after reading this and said resolutions are only meant to be broken
but the one who fulfills his resolution he increases his inner strength and the one who
increases his inner strength he is on the path of society and Awakening grows further taking the
resolution was also in your hands and breaking it is also in your hands many of your brothers
have broken their resolve and returned to their old routine if you are not able to do it then
you can also break your resolve and go back to your old routine but remember if you are not able
to handle this small resolution today then how will you be able to handle the rest of your life
the rest of the decision is entirely in your hands this talk of the guru hurt the heart of
that disciple he went back without saying anything and locked himself in his Hut he used to come
out of the HUD only for his essential works and would sit inside the hut all the rest of the time
15 days had passed and the resolve of almost all the Disciples of the ashram had been broken by
now but his resolve was still on after taking the resolution till now he had not uttered a
single word the whole ashram was surprised that how did a person who spoke so much become silent
after 15 days he again went to his Guru and told in writing gurudev I am silent from outside but
there are many voices inside me there is a lot of whining and complaining I I keep talking inside my
mind keeps asking all kinds of questions the more silent I am from outside the more noisy I am from
within is my resolve still in this way the guru said yes your resolution is still going on but
as long as these voices of people keep falling in your ears your mind will keep on speaking because
he has a habit of speaking you may be silent on the outside but you will be speaking on the
inside you have to go away from these things and these voices the disciple goes from there
after saluting the guru and leaves his Hut in the morning and goes towards the forest many days pass
the time of resolution is also completed but the disciple did not return everyone in the ashram was
afraid that some wild animal might have eaten him meanwhile many efforts were made to find him but
he was nowhere to be found all the guru Brothers had assumed that the wild animals had made him
their prey but the guru did not think so one day another disciple of the ashram came to the guru
and said gurudev what must have happened to that talkative brother of ours would the animal have
killed him the guru said the animals may have made him their prey but there could be another reason
for his non-return maybe he got what he went for then the disciple asked gurudev is it so harmful
to speak too much the guru said one of the many miseries of a man's life is that he can never
remain silent he always keeps on saying something or the other more than half of our miseries arise
just because of our speaking the reason for most of the quarrels in the family is our meaningless
speaking none of us wants to be silent we just want to listen to the other person whatever is
in our mind we want to take it out and put it in his mind want to make him understand that look you
are wrong and I am right and in this way everyone is taking rotten streets of each other in this
way this work of listening and narrating continues throughout life but in this ignorance we lose our
time our life our understanding and most important and Precious Moments which can be lived which can
be experienced which can be enjoyed but what do we get in return nothing everything becomes
futile and wasted only a few people realize what we have lost in this madness just as other people
do not know about their arrival similarly they do do not know about their departure
the disciple said then what is the solution this is the only way to watch your thoughts with full
awareness said the guru contemplating all mental problems by staying in the present doing your work
with full awareness brings miraculous changes in life after that after getting answers to his
questions from the disciple he bowed down to him and went away from there three months had passed
since that disciple had left the ashram but there was no news of him till now all the guru Brothers
had also given up the hope of his return but one day he returns to the ashram everyone's surprise
and happiness knew no bounds on seeing him but now he was not the one who left here he came
back as something else a wonderful change could be felt in him there was an amazing calmness on
his face and great peace in his eyes as soon as he came to the ashram all the guru Brothers
surrounded him from all sides and started talking he also started talking to his Guru
Brothers everyone who talked to him felt that he was no longer as impatient and talkative as before
each and every word came out of his mouth very smoothly and sweetly after talking to the guru
Brothers for a while he went straight towards the guru he touched the guru's feet and said gurudev
am I still silent is my resolution still on the guru looked very carefully into the disciples
eyes for some time and said yes you are still Silent not a single word is coming out of your
mouth and your resolution is still on the disciple said gurudev when I left the ashram I was silent
with my mouth but there were many voices inside me there were many questions in my mind and they
were not stopping so I went to the forest hoping that there I would find peace and the chatter of
my mind would subside but the more I went into Solitude the louder the voice inside Me grew
I started hearing the old and old voice inside me only then did I realize how wrong I was doing
when I used to say bad things to my family friends and Guru Brothers at that time I used
to feel that I am saying the right thing even when I used to backbite and make fun of the
guru Brothers I used to feel that I was better than them yes and I'm doing right but that day I
realized for the first time how wrong I used to speak for a long time these voices these
complaints kept going on inside me but gradually one day all these voices finished from inside me
now I have become silent from inside also in that dense forest there was no one to speak
from outside and there was no sound left inside and I understood the true meaning of silence for
the first time that day there was peace all around me although there were still some voices
coming which used to come before but I could not hear them but now I could hear all those voices
clearly the sound of the wind blowing the sound of birds chirping and the sound of flowing water
I heard all these voices for the first time with full Consciousness I had never felt so much peace
around me before so to disturb this piece for the first time I took any word out of my mouth
I shouted oh God what kind of piece is this why is everything so quiet what happened but even after
my shouting the peace was not Disturbed everything was as calm as before outside as well as inside
hey gurudev I talked to my Guru Brothers I talked to you I am speaking I am walking I'm watching
everything but I am completely alone inside I am in silence I am in a crowd still I am alone
in solitude even when I want to make Noise Within Myself I am still in solitude now everything is
visible everything has started to be heard Guru said as long as we keep speaking on the outside
there will be unrest inside but the day we turn inward then whatever comes out of our mouth we
will remain calm most of the evil in the world stems from our speaking because we don't want to
be silent we talk more than we need to we do not want to listen to the person in front of us rather
we want to stop him from speaking want to make him understand who I am what I can do and this Remains
the purpose of our life all our energy goes on getting wasted in talking in vain in such a
society the life of people is filled with Sorrows who are always engaged in telling each other
never want to listen to each other never want to understand and they have never learned to be
silent because being silent makes them feel small the reason for all the battles in the world is our
speaking that's why we should speak only as much as necessary because talking unnecessarily is a
waste of energy and this speaking never lets us go back inward because it keeps pulling us outwards
and what is out there in this world except but if you want to turn towards your inner world
then this mouth must be kept closed that's why all the Buddhas who became enlightened all of them ran
towards Solitude so that they would not have to speak much they would not have to listen much he
remained in solitude and remained calm that's why you can easily travel inside but if someone wants
he can live in solitude even while living in this world he can remain calm
but for this he has to save his energy which he was till now wasting in his meaningless words
the lesson of this story is that speaking in vain is a waste of energy talking too much
and unnecessarily does not allow us to return inward because it keeps us bent outwards and
those who have to travel inward must keep their mouth shut I hope you enjoyed this story and
learned a lot you can tell us your thoughts about the story by commenting in the below
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