The vow of silence, as one of the many sacred acts, is common in many religions and religious movements. Its duration and ritual significance can be different, therefore it is not always fulfilled in the literal sense of the word.
Vow of silence - what is this?
To renounce everyday bustle, to get closer to God and to confirm your faith with real action, give yourself a promise or vow not to talk at all or touch a particular topic. The vow of silence is an oath, the main purpose of which is "confirmation", expressed in constant communication with God and spiritual forces, appealing to them to confirm their faith in them. This practice was common among the Pythagoreans, and in the history of the Orthodox Church Vera Molchalnitsa gained fame, who kept her vow for 23 years.
Vow of silence - Christianity
The first to fulfill this vow was Zechariah, to whom the angel announced the birth of John the Baptist of Christ. Zechariah did not believe the angel, and for this God imposed upon him this commitment, which lasted until the baby was born. The vow of silence in Orthodoxy is of great importance. Rev. Issachak Sirin says that words are the essence of the instrument of this world, and silence is the secret of the future century. And although language and speech are a means of communicating with God and the world, they also concentrate the noise of sinful passions, worldly vanity, which alienate man from God.
That is why many Orthodox devotees went to the forests and deserts to gain silence, for only in this way can one listen to God's response. As a person approaches the knowledge of the truth, his susceptibility to the action of the senses decreases, and the movement toward judicious silence grows. The life of man with God becomes complete. Modern monks, trappisty strictly respect the charter of St. Benedict of Nursia, give a vow of silence, which is interrupted only in general Divine Services.
Vow of silence in Buddhism
The founder of Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama for 7 years, lived in a hermitical contemplative silence, after which he became the enlightened Buddha of Shakya-Muni. I must say that the "muni" in India called people who have reached a state of inner silence and are able to perfectly control themselves. Practice - a vow of silence, is an unchanging component of yoga and meditation . Disconnecting from the whole world, a person easily and quickly establishes a connection with the spiritual principle and receives answers to his questions.
Mauna is the practice of silence in Judaism, with the aim of eliminating empty talk and rash words, of knowing your true self. Mahatma Gandhi practiced a one-day Maun every week, meditating, contemplating and writing down his thoughts. In India and Thailand, the residents of local monasteries - retreats - were given a vow to keep a vow of silence. Today, many contemporaries go on pilgrimage to these places and have an opportunity to experience the practice of this practice and find answers to the questions that tormented them.
Vow of silence is good
No wonder they say: "The word is silver, and silence is gold." In the world of information husks, negativity and anxiety it is difficult to achieve harmony with oneself, understand why you come to this world and what your task is. To become more calm, to gain wisdom and get into the heart of things, one must take a vow of silence. It is not for nothing that the Angel of the Great Council is depicted on the icon of the "Savior of the Good Silence" depicted in a dalmatic angel. This is a sign that God is ready to meet us and is waiting for reciprocal steps as a willingness to step into his Kingdom, where there is a bright silence and fullness of being.
Vow of silence - rules
There are a variety of practices with their own laws and principles.
- Before you choose something specifically, you need to understand why this is done. If the goal is to approach truth and self-knowledge, then one can choose something from Buddhist practices, for example, vipassana, which lasts 10 days and consists of continuous meditation.
- If you want to just relax from the world and the bustle, you can take a vow of silence by disconnecting the mobile phone and leaving somewhere for the city to the bosom of nature. It is important to assess our capabilities in advance and decide whether it is conceived or not.
How to take a vow of silence?
Considering such an oath from the standpoint of spiritual self-improvement , it is better to consult your spiritual father or teacher in advance, together to choose a method that will suit you and help you get closer to God, feel his grace. It is easy to make a vow of silence, it is much more difficult to fulfill it, so it is better to weigh all the pros and cons beforehand so that you do not reproach yourself for failing and not feeling guilty before the Almighty.