Unlocking the Mysterious Benefits of Silence: A Buddhist Tale on the Power of Silence

Summary

In 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

00:00

🙊 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.

05:03

🌿 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.

10:05

🕊 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.

Keywords

💡Hermitage

A hermitage is a secluded dwelling place, often associated with a religious retreat or a place of spiritual solitude. In the script, the Hermitage of Gotham Buddha is a significant location where the story unfolds, symbolizing a space for spiritual growth and learning.

💡Disciple

A disciple is a student or follower, particularly one committed to learning from a spiritual teacher. The script revolves around the journey of a disciple who learns the value of silence and self-control under the guidance of his guru.

💡Backbiting

Backbiting refers to the act of speaking unfavorably about someone behind their back. In the script, the talkative disciple is initially portrayed as engaging in backbiting, which is a negative trait that he later seeks to overcome.

💡Resolution

A resolution in this context is a firm decision or commitment to do or not do something. The guru asks his disciples to take a resolution for a month, which serves as a test of their willpower and self-discipline, with the talkative disciple choosing silence as his challenge.

💡Silence

Silence, as a keyword, represents the absence of sound and, metaphorically, the stillness of the mind. The disciple's journey in the script is about finding inner silence, which is a central theme of the narrative and a path to self-realization.

💡Inner Strength

Inner strength refers to the mental and emotional resilience one possesses. The guru explains that fulfilling a resolution increases one's inner strength, which is crucial for personal growth and enlightenment, as illustrated by the disciple's transformation.

💡Awareness

Awareness, in the script, pertains to being conscious and attentive to one's thoughts and actions. The guru emphasizes the importance of awareness in achieving a state of peace and understanding, which is a key lesson for the disciple.

💡Solitude

Solitude is the state of being alone, which is often sought for contemplation or spiritual retreat. The disciple seeks solitude in the forest to find peace and silence, which ultimately leads to his inner transformation.

💡Transformation

Transformation in the script signifies a profound change in the disciple's character and understanding. His journey from being talkative to finding inner silence represents a transformation that is both personal and spiritual.

💡Enlightenment

Enlightenment, in the context of the video, refers to a deep understanding or spiritual awakening. The disciple's quest for silence and awareness is part of his path towards enlightenment, as indicated by his changed demeanor upon returning to the ashram.

💡Energy

Energy, as discussed by the guru, is a vital resource that should not be wasted on unnecessary speech. The script suggests that conserving energy through meaningful communication and silence can lead to a more fulfilling and peaceful life.

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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