Quotations from Scientists and Philosophers
Pythagoras (580 - 500 BC)
"Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb."
Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician and philosopher. He is best known for Pythagoras theorem about right-angle triangle. Although the theorem was known in ancient civilizations long before his time he is supposed to have given its formal proof. His philosophical ideas had considerable influence on Plato and even Aristotle.
The words quoted above, however, do not pertain to either philosophy or mathematics. They refer to an individual human characteristic that can define a person's character. In normal parlance the word silent refers to the absence of a physical action such as not speaking or not making any kind of noise. But in a general sense the word covers also the activity of the mind and includes the sense of being calm. And that is the sense in which it has been used here.
Silence can also be seen as a gap or emptiness between sounds. The emptiness (or gap) is the background for the perception of anything. In order to hear any sound we need a background of silence. In order to have music we need gaps between the notes. In order to read and comprehend we need gaps between words. This is also true when we are not using the physical perception. For example, we see things even with the eyes closed. In this case it is the picture in the mind. For the mind to see something clearly it also has to be empty of all thoughts other than what it is trying to see.
Equally important are the other two words - listen and absorb. Listening requires complete and undivided attention. The mind can concentrate on only one thing at a time; therefore while listening to someone or something the mind must be empty of all other thoughts. It is obvious that in order to listen one must be silent in the most general sense of the word and the mind must be quiet. Absorb literally means to take in something completely. When one listens and absorbs the content becomes an integral part of one's personality.
In the normal day to day activities a person is neither silent nor the mind is quiet. Thoughts go through the mind constantly often in rapid succession and even when one is listening to someone or something it is more of hearing than listening. Hearing is a passive action whereas listening is active and involves the whole being. There is also a normal tendency of the mind to analyze what is coming in, which interrupts the listening process. This is especially true in the case of personal relationships where prejudices and preconceived ideas come in the way of clearly seeing the other person's point of view.
Being silent and listening does not necessarily involve anyone or anything external. Meditation is a process in which one can do all these things by turning inward. The human body is itself a micro-universe and during meditation a person is exploring this universe. The first requirement in meditation is to make the mind quiet. All the thoughts crossing the mind are akin to noise that cannot be stopped abruptly. One has to start with creating gaps between thoughts, concentrate on them, and try to make them increasingly bigger. With practice the thoughts disappear and only thing that remains is the gap. The mind becomes empty for the duration of the meditation. In this state one listens to the inner self - the abstract object of meditation. The sense of perception is not needed for this listening. The object of contemplation colors the mind completely and is absorbed by it. In other words the subject-object duality vanishes.
There are situations where it is possible to get into that state of oneness with the object even without meditation. For example, watching a glorious sunrise or a sunset on a lonely beach one can temporarily lose track of space and time. For that short time all senses of perception are focused on just seeing, listening, smelling, and testing nature. The person becomes one with nature. The quotation above describes the prerequisites for getting into that state.
Site updated October 25, 2008
