What does silence really mean?

Words are the projection of thoughts. When we talk, we have the tendency to expose only a small part of what we really think about a certain subject. The rest of it remains in an uncertainty which we call “silence”. In other words, we will refer to silence not as the simple act of not talking but as the act of keeping thoughts to you and not exposing them to the others.

It is hard to get from the simple word to the origins of thoughts. Even the word, sometimes, has a certain dimension which we cannot understand and it’s meant to be a mystery. We are talking about the unknown and its implications upon the human behavior. There is a long way from perceiving silence as the simple act of not talking, to perceiving it as the root of all thoughts, the mystery that hides behind each word or phrase someone can tell. Thus, we can talk about a mystery-silence, which has two dimensions: the first one refers to the mystery part which can be intuitive but not verbalized, while the other one refers to the total mystery, which can be neither intuitive nor verbalized. Both of these parts are in strict connection and interfere all along the road. It is like an indispensable act of non-communication which each of us keeps behind the apparent power of words.

In fact, words have no power at all. What it really matters is what someone hides beyond them, what that thing that determines someone to speak about something or to share his/her opinions with the others is. Of course, many of us will say the need of communication. Well, the need of communication nowadays cannot be called a need anymore. It’s more of a fact determined by the evolution on a global scale. Silence is the fruit of all words, is the deep insight meditation which allows taking control and making everything possible.

Let’s take an example. When we have to make a project, to make a survey, to create a piece of art, what is the first thing we do? Do we take the pencil and start work immediately or do we think about what we have to do, in order to have the perfect approach? And when we think, how many of our total thoughts will find a result in our piece of art? The answer is: almost none. When people think, they think at things not necessarily related to what they are supposed to do. Many think about sex. Do they say it? Others think how to explore the world. Do they say it out loud? Of course not, because they don’t find it relevant and don’t think that someone would care.

Consequently, we can say that thoughts come and go but silence remains. It is the production of everything that comes out in speaking or in writing. It is the hidden place where everything is conceived. It is the initial state of meditation which leads to further insight development.