Essay: Silence

See how nature- trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls--Mother Teresa of Calcutta

The asses bray, beetles drone, birds twitter, coyotes yelp and bulls bellow. We wake up to screech of brakes, gunshots and sleep with the noise of car horns and rushing humanity. The world has become noisy, its decibel levels ever growing high and our ears can't keep up with them.

Yet even when such absolute tranquility is almost impossible, our minds are also filled with their 'noises': dialogues which can't flow or come to an end, constant monologues with forces of life and our artistic voices, noises of unfinished arguments, noises upon noises of varied thoughts, philosophies, views and perceptions.

Ralph Waldo Emerson writes:

Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods

Mahatma Gandhi opines:

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth

I agree with them. In silence, we can decipher much from the realities of life. In silence, we can hear the tiniest voices which in ordinary circumstances are shoved away in a din. In silence, our souls get enriched and are able to find Truth as Mahatma Gandhi suggests. Silence sometimes keep us sane.


But the world has turned riotous. We hear four wheelers blowing air horns, fingernails scratching on blackboards, mastication of potato chips and styrofoams rubbing against themselves. We hear of dentist's drill and leaf blowers. We hear of flying aeroplanes.

In such cases, do we retreat to the Gobi and Kalahari Deserts? Do we seek refuge in Central and Uhuru Parks of Nairobi? Do we travel back to our ancestral homes where there is not much noise like in the city? Where do we find tranquility?

Silence is precious. As Henry David Thoreau postulates:

Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after society as after satiety as after disappointment

Granted, silence is a good thing. It replenishes us. I have heard others say that silence frightens them. I agree with them. It frightens me too. But many a times have I compared my solace in the city and 'the land behind the hills'. While the former ostensibly looks appealing what with the technology it offers, the latter brings me in touch with reality and in 'reflection mode'. All of a sudden, I feel re-energised and receptive. My mind opens up and I think about serious things like why the sun rises and why it dies. Though I might not have answers to them, at the very least I am able to think about fundamental themes in life.