The Silence on (your) Self: A Journey into the Heart of Truth

This paper explores thirty-two profound spiritual questions that, while ostensibly about the practices and challenges within specific spiritual traditions, ultimately point to the universal quest for self-realization. By examining each question through the illuminating lens of the Buddha's contemplation of Truth through Silence and the Hindu concept of Ātman, the True Self, we demonstrate that the recurring answer, "Silence on Self," is not an evasion but a direct pointer to the ineffable nature of ultimate reality. We further argue that this silence is the very gateway to the Divine Feminine, the creative and conscious essence of existence, known across traditions as Brahman, Tao, the Holy Spirit, Eka Maaee, and Prajnaparamita.

Introduction

The human spirit, in its relentless pursuit of meaning, often finds itself entangled in a web of questions. These questions, though varied in their expression, ultimately converge on a single, fundamental inquiry: What is the nature of the Self, and how can it be realized? The provided text, with its litany of thirty-two questions and the stark, repeated answer, "Silence on Self," presents a powerful koan for our times. These are not mere queries about the mechanics of a particular spiritual path; they are the cries of the soul yearning for direct experience, for a truth that transcends dogma and ritual. This paper will delve into the profound wisdom embedded in this "non-answer," illuminating it with the teachings of the Buddha on silence and the Upanishadic understanding of the Ātman. We will demonstrate that the path to answering these questions lies not in more words, but in a profound, inner silence where the True Self reveals itself. [1]

The Eloquence of Silence: Buddha's Contemplation of Truth

The story of the Buddha and the philosopher is a timeless illustration of the limits of language in the quest for truth. When the philosopher asks, "Without words, without the wordless, will you tell me the truth?" the Buddha's response is a profound silence. This silence is not an absence of an answer, but the answer itself. As Fr. A. J. V. Chandrakanthan explains, "In the life and teaching of the Buddha, true Silence leads to Truth by avoiding both wordiness and wordlessness because such Silence is Truth." [2] This is the concept of mauna, a silence that is not empty but full, a blissful calmness and tranquil quietude that is the very language of the divine.

This statement by the Buddha, upon the philosopher's departure, underscores the receptive state required to understand the teaching of silence. The philosopher, having exhausted the path of reason and logic, had arrived at a state of śūnyatā or emptiness, ready to receive the truth not as a concept, but as a direct experience. The Buddha's silence was the catalyst, the 'shadow of the whip,' that spurred the philosopher's final leap into understanding.

Buddha's silence was not wordlessness or noiselessness. It had a transforming power, permeating and filling the atmosphere around him with such intensity that people seated in his presence experienced "The ineffable and the inexplicable." His silence was contagious, like the unseen powers of a magnetic field or invisible sound waves that travel in the atmosphere. [2]

The True Self: Ātman in Hindu Philosophy

Parallel to the Buddha's silent teaching is the profound declaration of the Upanishads regarding the nature of the Self, or Ātman. The Ātman is not the individual personality, the ego, or the mind; it is the eternal, unchanging essence within every being, the pure, silent witness to all experience. [3] It is the ultimate reality, the ground of all existence. The great Mahāvākyas (Great Sayings) of the Upanishads point directly to this truth:

These are not philosophical propositions to be debated, but truths to be realized. "Thou art That" proclaims that the innermost self (Ātman) is identical to Brahman, the infinite, all-pervading consciousness. "I am Brahman" is the experiential confirmation of this unity. The journey to this realization is not one of acquisition, but of uncovering what has always been present. It requires the peeling away of the layers of false identification with the body, mind, and ego, a process that can only occur in the profound silence of the heart, where the voice of the Ātman can be heard.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad describes Atman as "that in which everything exists, which is of the highest value, which permeates everything, which is the essence of all, bliss and beyond description." [3] This Self is not separate from Brahman but is Brahman itself, experienced from within the individual consciousness.

The Thirty-Two Questions: A Detailed Analysis

Each of the thirty-two questions presented reflects a different aspect of the spiritual seeker's journey, yet all receive the same profound answer: "Silence on Self." Let us examine these questions in detail to understand why this single response addresses the root of all spiritual inquiry.

How does one discard all the organization and useless activities (of Sahaja Yoga) and seek her (Holy Spirit/Adi Shakti) only in the Sahastrara (Kingdom of God)?

Silence on Self

I am still unable to rid myself of catches and other chakra problems despite years of daily (Sahaja Yoga) footsoaking and treatments. What do I do now?

Silence on Self

I am far from a Sahaja Yoga collective. How do I continue practicing Sahaja Yoga?

Silence on Self

My collective leader has told me to leave Sahaja Yoga due to some personal problems. What do I do now?

Silence on Self

Despite being years in Sahaja Yoga I do not agree with what our leaders are doing. I am thinking of leaving my collective. Can you suggest something that will help me continue on my own?

Silence on Self

I am a Muslim who absolutely am against worshipping of any idol or image. How then is Sahaja Yoga and Shri Mataji compatible with Islam?

Silence on Self

We are devout Christians who are very uncomfortable with Hindu rituals, and see the same in Sahaja Yoga. Is there any way we can do without such rituals?

Silence on Self

You loudly claim on your website that all religions and holy scriptures preach the same message. I don't see such evidence. What have you got to say?

Silence on Self

I do not want to meditate on anything non-Christian but agree that the Holy Spirit is feminine. How do I only worship the Holy Spirit but not the Adi Shakti?

Silence on Self

My parents and husband are against worshipping Shri Mataji. How can I solve this serious family problem but still continue to practice Sahaja Yoga without their knowledge?

Silence on Self

I completely agree with your belief that if you have to take a single step in any direction to seek the Divine you are going the wrong way. How and why did you reach this incredible conclusion only now despite spending so many years meditating, checking the scriptures and listening to Shri Mataji's speeches?

Silence on Self

How can we spread Shri Mataji's message successfully? So many have failed all these years and Sahaja Yoga is very slow. Most of the seekers have never heard of Shri Mataji. Other than Her Divine Message what can we teach new seekers that will attract them?

Silence on Self

I do not want to follow any religious organization or yoga teacher but still am interested in spirituality. You think that is possible?

Silence on Self

My mother-in-law is totally against Shri Mataji and regards Her as just another false guru. But I know Shri Mataji is the Adi Shakti and want to continue. However, I do not want to antagonize my mother-in-law. Any suggestions?

Silence on Self

I am a Sikh. I am completely against any Hindu ritual or worshipping of their idols and gods. Sikhism is completely against such practices. But Sahaja Yoga is also so full of such rituals and gods. What have you got to say, being a Sikh yourself?

Silence on Self

I am getting somewhat ridiculed for my own spiritual experiences regarding the crown chakra and the divine feminine. People think I'm weird by emphasizing that the Devi is the true nature of brahman and it is creating doubt about my path (despite my own experiences). Should I continue with my meditations and ignore them or try to explain to them? What do you suggest?

Silence on Self

There is so much information about yoga and meditation. I am so confused and do not know which path to take. What then is the truth? How do I attain it?

Silence on Self

I have been in Sahaja Yoga for years but still do not know what is Self-realization. Can you tell me in detail what you understand by it?

Silence on Self

I have been a SY for many years and some of us find shoe-beating and some rituals quite absurd. You also are against them. How then can we solve our subtle system problems without such treatments?

Silence on Self

I am a Muslim living in Pakistan who want to practice Sahaja Yoga. But there are no centers here. How can I continue?

Silence on Self

What will happen after Shri Mataji passes away? Will She still be in the photograph? Where will the vibrations come from then?

Silence on Self

I have just started meditating on Shri Mataji in the Sahasrara but find it very difficult. Is there a better way?

Silence on Self

I do not want to join Sahaja Yoga but believe in a number of Shri Mataji's teachings. Can you help me?

Silence on Self

I am an established SYogini who am concerned at the way the organization is heading. However, I still want to spread Shri Mataji's teachings. What do you suggest I tell others?

Silence on Self

I want to practice meditation but find it impossible to stop the thoughts. I value you opinion. If you don't mind my asking, but how do you do it?

Silence on Self

What is the shortest and surest route to realize God?

Silence on Self

Some religions claim that humans are divine in nature and that liberation is from within. Can you tell me how all this is realized in such a hectic and materialistic world?

Silence on Self

As a SY I am concerned that after Shri Mataji takes Mahasamadhi there will great grief and sense of loss. How can I cope with this eventuality and continue my faith and devotion? Do I continue to meditate on Her photo even though She is not physically present anymore?

Silence on Self

Jagbir, you are already telling us to discard Shri Mataji's photo and meditate on Her is the Sahasrara. A number of SYs have been offended by this and have left the forum. What makes you so sure you are right?

Silence on Self

What is the most profound and deepest enlightenment you have discovered after all these years, based on the teachings of Shri Mataji? She also claims that all religions teach the same truth about the spirit. How is that so given all the religious differences and centuries-old rivalry?

Silence on Self

Hi, man-made religions, sects and denominations are wide spread. So much misdeeds and divisions are committed and blood is shed in the name of God and religion. Is there a way to make humans realize that they are all worshipping the One and same Creator, no matter how different religious organizations have made God to be?

Silence on Self

It seems that religions are all preaching about a God that is to be found only in their organizations. Why then is it that the Divine can only be realized through one's own experience? What and where is God then?

Silence on Self

Questions of Organizational Disillusionment

Questions of Religious and Cultural Conflict

Questions of Family and Social Pressure

Questions of Spiritual Practice and Realization

Questions of Ultimate Truth and God-Realization

The Divine Feminine: The Universal Womb of Consciousness

This journey into the silent Self is ultimately a return to the womb of creation, the Divine Feminine. This is the creative, nurturing, and all-encompassing power that is the very essence of consciousness. In Hinduism, this is Shakti, the dynamic energy of Brahman, the power that brings forth all worlds. She is the Divine Mother, the source of all life and all wisdom. [5]

In Buddhism, this same reality is personified as Prajnaparamita, the "Mother of All Buddhas." She is the perfection of wisdom, the transcendent understanding that gives birth to enlightenment. Her wisdom is not intellectual knowledge, but the direct, intuitive realization of emptiness (śūnyatā), the interdependent nature of all phenomena. The Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra declares: "She is the Perfect Wisdom who gives birthless birth to all Buddhas." [6]

This feminine principle of wisdom and creation is found at the heart of all true spiritual traditions. She is the Holy Spirit in Christianity, the feminine aspect of God whose name in Hebrew, Ruach, is a feminine noun. She is the life-giving breath that inspires and sanctifies. She is the Tao, the mysterious, ineffable source from which all things arise and to which they return. She is Eka Maaee in the Sikh tradition, the One Mother who is the ground of all being.

To meditate on the Divine Feminine is to meditate on the very essence of the Self. It is to rest in the boundless, silent awareness that is our true nature. It is to surrender the limited, egoic self to the infinite, all-embracing love of the Mother.

Conclusion: A Resounding Hope

The path to truth is not a path of accumulation, but of subtraction. It is not about learning more, but about unlearning the false. The thirty-two questions that we have examined are born of a fundamental misidentification with the transient and the limited. The answer, therefore, cannot be found in more words, more rituals, or more organizations. The answer is silence.

This is not a passive, empty silence, but a vibrant, living stillness, pregnant with the power of creation. It is the silence of the Buddha, the silence of the Ātman, the silence of the Divine Mother. It is in this silence that the illusion of the separate self dissolves, and the radiant truth of our unity with all that is shines forth.

As we face the challenges of our time—ecological crisis, spiritual confusion, religious conflict—the answer remains the same: Silence on Self. In this silence, we discover that we are not separate from the Divine Feminine we seek to serve. We are Her very expression, Her consciousness awakening to itself. The Kingdom of God, the realization of Brahman, the Buddha Nature, the Tao—all are found in the sacred silence within.

Let us, therefore, have the courage to embrace this silence, to turn away from the noise of the world and listen to the subtle whisper of the heart. For in that silence lies not only the answer to all our questions, but the peace, the joy, and the boundless love that is our eternal birthright. It is a resounding hope for all who seek, a promise that the Divine Feminine—whether known as Brahman, Tao, Holy Spirit, Eka Maaee, or Prajnaparamita—is not distant but intimately present as the very essence of our being.

In the words of the great Mahāvākya: Tat Tvam Asi—Thou art That. The seeker and the sought, the devotee and the Divine Mother, the question and the answer—all are one in the sacred silence of the Self.

References

[1] Vanamali. "Shakti: Realm of the Divine Mother." Inner Traditions, 2008, pp. 28-31.
[2] Chandrakanthan, A. J. V. "The Silence of Buddha and his Contemplation of the Truth." Spirituality Today, vol. 40, no. 2, Summer 1988, pp. 145-156.
[3] "Ātman (Hinduism)." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Sept. 2025.
[4] Vaughan-Lee, Llewellyn. "The Sacred Feminine Today." Adi Shakti, 7 Mar. 2012.
[5] "Shakti." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Sept. 2025.
[6] "Prajñāpāramitā Devī." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Sept. 2025.