“Each of us has specialities. Each of us has our own individual part. Do not compare or compete; there is no point – you cannot become like anyone else. You are who you are – unique. Take whatever is good inside you and leave the rest. Now perform such a miracle that God is visible through your eyes and your heart.”
Dadi Janki
The universe runs on principles that maintain and sustain well-being. If we respect these principles, then everything – individuals, the community and the Earth – will flourish. Practising silence helps us to tune into these guiding principles. Here are ten guiding principles that help us to live in the spirit of silence.
PRINCIPLE 1: LIVE FULLY IN THE MOMENT
There is little point in entertaining memories that stimulate guilt, regret or nostalgia. The past is past; it is over and we must move on.
PRINCIPLE 2: BE AWARE OF YOUR INNER RESOURCES
We can always find reasons to complain about and blame external systems – religious, political or social – and thereby conveniently excuse our own inertia, frustration and negativity. However, often the problem itself is not the problem. The problem is the way we think about and approach difficult behaviour or harmful acts. When we practise silence, we never focus on a problem but instead consciously make room for alternatives and solutions.
Those who use the inner, eternal principles as reference points, work with enthusiasm and silence, and they radiate optimism into the darkest corners of the deepest negativity. They persevere because they believe ‘there is always a way’.
PRINCIPLE 3: REJOICE IN GENEROSITY
Generosity is our natural state. It comes with no obligations because it flows from a state of fullness, completion and freedom – of abundance. This flow of abundance comes when we free ourselves from the limited narrow viewpoint of ‘I’ and ‘my’. Practising silence encourages us to see beyond the limited ‘I’, inspiring us to share the abundance we endlessly receive.
PRINCIPLE 4: LEARN FROM POSITIVE OPPOSITES
To complete any task effectively, we need a team of values. We need to recognise not to focus solely on one value by ignoring the ‘opposite’ value. For example, determination encourages focus, concentration and the will to face obstacles. However, if we rely only on this quality, it may degenerate into rigidity, stubbornness, harshness or even obsession. When we practise silence, we are more likely to notice signals telling us to use the partner values to a quality. In the case of determination, that would be, patience and flexibility to maintain balance and flow in situations and relationships.
PRINCIPLE 5: VALUE YOURSELF
When you value your uniqueness, you become strong and free, not bound by success or failure, by your talents and opinions, or by your relationships and past experiences. You are not overly lifted by words of praise, nor do you feel crushed by misunderstandings or dislike. When we practise silence, we step back from others’ images of us and are able to appreciate the value of our unique self. We learn that we have an original value that cannot be destroyed, damaged or copied, and when we get in touch with this inner blueprint, we feel the value of the real self so deeply that self-respect begins to flower. This, combined with humility allows us to give value to others and respect their uniqueness alongside our own.
PRINCIPLE 6: KEEP CONNECTED
Our inner world needs to connect with the outer world, or society – otherwise, it is like having a seed that is not planted and so can never flower. Creating and maintaining a bridge between the inner and outer worlds facilitates genuine communication with others and helps us to maintain balance and a happy life. The external world, with its variety of relationships and situations, stimulates us to renew and re-evaluate our internal world of thoughts, feelings and attitudes. Practising silence equips us to retreat from the outside world and use the lessons we meet there as opportunities for reflection and change.
PRINCIPLE 7: TUNE IN TO EACH NEW MOMENT
We create happiness when we move according to moment-by-moment awareness, not according to a convenient formula, of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. By taking a moment to be still and silent during the day, we touch the moment and can see what has to be understood and done.
PRINCIPLE 8: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
Whatever we throw out to the universe will rebound, sooner or later. Silence helps us to take a moment and tune in before we act.
PRINCIPLE 9: A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE
When we recognise a thought, or a mistake, and without hesitation or fear, act on it, life gets better. Practising silence tunes us into our intuition and our better selves so that we recognise the thoughts we must act on and also clearly see mistakes.
PRINCIPLE 10: ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE
Someone caught up in trivia, pettiness and drama lives in a state of constant complaint and they seek similar companions. While a group may glitter, criticism and the pleasure of putting others down, cancel our right to happiness. It is vital to keep company with truth and values to stay in freedom and happiness.
The late Anthony Strano was an author and Rajyoga teacher with the Brahma Kumaris.