Inner silence forms the core of all kinds of meditations, whether the practice is one of transcendental meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Vipassana or any other. Various faiths endorse silence as a means to spiritual advancement. In Hindu thought, silence is considered an important element for inner growth. Buddhism regards it as a key factor for spiritual enlightenment . Sufism insists on the importance of finding the silence within. Christian denominations also employ silence in a variety of ways.

In essence, received wisdom indicates that deep in the ocean of inner silence, one can experience the Divine and the ultimate reality of the present moment.

The Upanishads say: There is something beyond our mind which abides in silence . It is the supreme mystery beyond thought. Let ones mind and ones subtle body rest upon that and not upon anything else.

The physical sounds of the outside world, a depressing environment , ego, anger, jealousy and greed are some factors that obstruct our journey into the realm of silence and prevent us from reaping its wonderful benefits . These stumbling blocks, therefore, need to be removed before we can actually embark on the journey.
Make up your mind like the sadhu who intended to climb the mountain to meditate there. In the middle of a storm, a sadhu reached an inn and the owner asked where he was going. Im going to the mountains, he answered. Forget it, said the innkeeper, its a risky climb, and the weather is awful. But im going up, answered the sadhu, if my heart gets there first, it will be easy for my body to follow.

We all have the potential to be an observer on the top of a hill, utterly silent and alone just watching and listening to the stillness of our heart. It is the heart that can quieten the mind.This road is traversed alone. To enter into silent mode, you dont need to perform rituals or use gadgets. You may visit a quiet place a temple, a garden, a hilltop or a tranquil corner of your home. Begin by simply withdrawing yourself from the outside world and shut out the cacophony; start moving slowly towards silence. Automatically you are led to the inner world of quiet and stillness.

Be aware of the thoughts that cross your mind but make no effort to cling to them. Behold and listen mindfully; experience the ultimate reality of the present moment . Your true self begins to surface; your contact with the Divine established in the eternal oasis of tranquillity ; and you can as Sathya Sai Baba says, hear the footsteps of God when silence reigns in the mind . It is here that you become the witness of silence a silence that outshines your ego and enables you to reach a state of pure awareness.

It is this quietude that Osho calls Just a simple, innocent silence an inner silence that leads you to meditation and wisdom , a process of purification and Self-realisation . As you go deeper into it, there comes a moment when you reach the very pinnacle of your potentiality. Once you overcome obstacles and delve into blissful silence, transformative doors begin to open up for you. Free of clutter, the tranquil mind leads you to peace. The light you encounter during the process fills your heart with love and sure, you begin to listen to the silent symphony of the whispers of your soul.

Her smile beckons me; it is captivating, friendly and full of warmth. She cuts the paddy stalks rhythmically with the other womenfolk labouring under the harsh afternoon sun. They giggle as i wave out to them and ask if i can join them in their work. The woman with the warm smile shyly points out that such hard work is not for the likes of me. The rest start laughing. I too join in the laughter, in response to the simple truth of my inability to swiftly cut paddy stalks with the sun burning my back. Theres so much hard work, harsh circumstances , and little leisure in this remote tribal hamlet. Later she speaks to me about her life cheerfully with no trace of the grim circumstances that engulf her. She connects with a smile of contentment.

Happy responses to lifes travails are confounding. Is this a mindset that has decided to quietly accept what life has to offer as ones destiny or a smiling dare you to challenging circumstances Surely it is the latter. In each one of us is the innate desire to connect to our circumstances, share moments from our life with another and brave it out. That is the inner core from where each one of us draws energy to live life through hard times.

A smile reflects whats inside us and communicates our desire to experience connectedness with another.
Smiling at another is a fleeting moment, but sublime nevertheless. Contentment is a natural outcome of engaging in such moments. Leading a meager existence is not very appealing. Despite that, with few resources to indulge in materialistic extravagances, there is a simple understanding among these people on the endless bounty of connecting to others and finding contentment.

At the other extreme, the modern world is all set on a great march to fulfill an ever-demanding cycle of needs. Rushing past our fellow travelers, there is forgetfulness in our behavior, little attempt to connect, fear of looking in the eye and displaying feelings. But the deep reservoir of emotions within us is waiting to connect. It is in anguish at not being able to express. And in anguish, there is little scope for contentment. Contentment becomes most elusive, and ironically becomes a never-ending search for all of us. In this elusive search, several paths are explored in the hope to somersault into a life of deep contentment . Whether or not one makes it to that point of bliss becomes inconsequential if it means sidestepping connectedness with fellow beings. For even if the need to connect for the exalted soul becomes less important , there are many who crave for a connection with another being as a means to walking the path of contentment.

It is said that all beings are one, but that they manifest in different forms, and scientific studies have proven that life forms of all kinds respond to warmth and make an effort to connect. It must be this fundamental connectedness that beckons me to the warm smile of a total stranger in a remote tribal hamlet. The lighting up of a face with an exuberant smile, the brushing aside of the daily tirades of life and taking the circumstances as a given is nothing but the opening up of our souls to the many opportunities of exulting in this moment of existence. Then why the search Connecting with a smile is perhaps a way to finding ourselves in a state of contentment.