Speech : A
Helper and a Bar
There are two great
forces in the Universe, silence and speech,
silence prepares,
speech creates,
silence acts, speech
gives the impulse to action,
silence compels,
speech persuades
Sri Aurobindo
As per the Collins English dictionary the word Speech means: ‘The act or faculty of speaking’. If one were to truly understand the term speech in all its hues one needs to go into the meaning of the word speaking which as per the Collins English dictionary means: ‘to communicate or express (something) in or as if in words’. After going through the above two definitions it is patently clear that the term Speech envisages ‘communication’ as the prime ingredient rather than ‘words’. Man is the first and only species on earth which can use the articulate sound of speech and uses it as one of the most effective mediums to communicate thought.
The usage of speech can be conveniently categorised as follows:
1. Words uttered for material reasons.
2. When one is living and working with others the words concerning the daily life and material preoccupation are to be added along with those that express sensations, feelings and emotions.
3. The third type of words uttered are when one speaks about others.
4. The fourth type are words that are spoken in the intellectual domain which are uttered to express ideas, opinions, results of reflection or study; and
5. Lastly are the words that are spoken for the purposes of teaching.
In order to make speech an effective medium of communication certain prerequisites are suggested by the Mother in the following words. According to the Mother, when speaking of physical things one should have a lively, pleasant, witty style. An example that comes to my mind is Mr. Sidhu, an ex-cricketer and a commentator – his cricket commentary witty and lively.
When speaking of vital things, the style should be eloquent – for example, poetry.
When speaking of mental things, they style should be clear, precise, exact. For example, a mathematics teacher must be precise and clear while giving solutions to mathematics problems, and not give long winding lectures.
When speaking of psychic things, one must be inspired.[1]
Speech has the inherent and latent power to draw the attention of the other consciousness, or the other centre of consciousness; but, for that it is of utmost importance that one emanates one’s thought in a very precise way, if it is something living and conscious emanating from one’s consciousness and going to meet the other consciousness, then it reaches the other with the same precision, consequently it awakens the corresponding vibration and with the corresponding vibration comes the corresponding thought or idea or state of consciousness thereby helping in bridging the differences between people and foisting a deeper understanding between each other.
In the public domain speech is used as a means to project the vibration of one’s vision. There is no doubt that speeches of visionaries can change the course of human existence. Can one doubt the fact that during the independence movement of India, the spoken and written words by Sri Aurobindo awakened the Indian people from their slumber into a movement which resulted in the uprooting of the Brits from our soil, or that every word by the likes of Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, Vivekananda, had and has a profound effect on every person who comes in contact with them? In the words of the Mother,
“Certain ideas are able to transform the world. It is these that ought to be expressed, they are the guiding stars in the firmament of the spirit, it is they that will lead the earth towards her supreme realisation.”[2]
In fact, the unprecedented power of speech is encapsulated in the words of the Mother:
“When thought is expressed in speech, the vibration of the sound has a considerable power to put the most material substance into contact with the thought and thus give it a concrete and effective reality.”[3]
Thus, words by their sheer power can convert ideas into reality.
The power of the spoken word cannot be undermined. Sri Aurobindo says:
“There are two great forces in the Universe, silence and speech, silence prepares, speech creates, silence acts, speech gives the impulse to action, silence compels, speech persuades.”[4]
Whatever may be the benefits of speech, there can be no denying that uncontrolled speech is like an unbridled race horse or shall I say like uncontrolled water that can cause Tsunami and floods that abolish life but if controlled the very same water is a source of energy and a giver of life. In the same way, speech, if uncontrolled, causes unprecedented harm. Some results of uncontrolled speech are as follows:
1. Outburst of anger and temper leading in extreme cases to violence;
2. Quarrels;
3. Speaking ill of others or things;
4. Boasting;
5. Not speaking the truth;
6. Tone of voice;
7. In the public domain it takes the face of sectarian violence, passion for preference which leads to opposition of opinions and ends in hot discussions and even disputes – the most recent example are the Gujarat riots, the incessant terrorist attacks, etc.;
8. The last category that I am dealing with are words on spiritual subjects. Most of us believe that the value of the spoken word depends upon the nature of the subject of conversation. In the words of the Mother,
“One can talk away on spiritual subjects as much on others: but this kind of talkativeness may be among the most dangerous.”[5]
An example of this would be talking about one’s spiritual experiences.
Here I pause and reflect on what ails me………
I think without much ado I can put my finger on what ails me. I am a victim of:
1. Outburst leading to anger and temper;
2. Loud tone of voice; and
3. Not always speaking the truth.
I have, since I can remember, always justified my self by saying this was a professional hazard. In respect of not always speaking the truth I would convince myself that I was doing no wrong for the untruth was merely a slight twist of word and mostly in situations where no harm was being done to another. However, the Mother has in no uncertain words stated that,
“If we allow a falsehood, however small, to express itself though our mouth or our pen, how can we hope to become perfect messengers of Truth? A perfect servant of Truth should abstain even from the slightest inexactitude, exaggeration or deformation.”[6]
In respect of Anger, the Mother has stated,
“It is always a sing of strength to be able to say things gently and it is always weakness that bursts out into unpleasantness.”[7]
Today I am at a stage where uncontrolled speech has taken the form of habit, i.e. it has made an inner crease in me, for example, every time a thing does not please, automatically without any control, I get angry.
As I sit doing my project I shudder to think what uncontrolled speech which by now has become a habit has done to me. For the Mother says,
“Each lie uttered is a step towards disintegration.”[8]
The Mother has even stated that,
“… vulgar quarrelling, impressed in coarse language, then that amounts to suicide, spiritual suicide within oneself.”[9]
So what is important is that one must control one’s speech. When I say control one’s speech, it does not mean an outer control of speech. For if one outwardly controls one’s spoken word but feels anger or ill-will against another, it is more harmful and dangerous. No doubt, the Mother has on innumerable occasions said,
“There is a great strength in the power to keep silent.”[10]
However, if speech is controlled unnaturally it can lead to a vindictive and turbulent mind, which I have experienced at very close quarters around myself and it is in divergence to what the actual aim of controlled speech is, i.e. to lead to a mind at peace and free from rancour.
Thus, controlled speech is, as the Mother says, to learn to say what is useful in the most exact and true way possible.
In order to achieve the aforesaid the first pre-requisite for effective control of speech is:
1. Control of thought. For speech is really an expression of our thought and our thoughts are a dwelling place that we can, if we choose, make clean, sweet and serene, full of harmonious notes; but we can also make it into a dark and dreadful place filled with mournful sounds and discordant cries.
2. The second pre-requisite is to develop mental silence, perfect calm and receptivity to inspirations coming from the higher regions of the being.
To achieve thought control, a strict control should be put on ideas that are accepted for translation into action and for that purpose the Mother recommends that,
“… it is good to set apart every day some time when one can quietly go over one’s thought and put order into one’s synthesis. Once the habit is acquired, you can maintain your control over thoughts even during work and action.”[11]
Thought control can also be achieved by cultivating the power of concentration and attention.
In order to achieve mental silence, the Mother says, the only true solution is aspiration for the higher light.
It is by putting in a disciplined and a systematic effort that one can
“Let the Spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue.”[12]
- Ritika
Goyal
[1] The Mother,
cited in Words of the Mother, part 1,
p.123 (
[2] The Mother, Sri
Aurobindo and The Mother on Education, p.148, Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
[3] Ibid., p.146
[4] Sri Aurobindo,
The Silence and Beyond the Silence (AIM booklet), p.11, Sri Aurobindo Society,
[5] The Mother
[6] The Mother,
Collected Works of The Mother, p.202, Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
[7] The Mother,
cited in Words of The Mother, p.123 (
[8] The Mother,
Collected Works of The Mother, p.202, Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
[9] Ibid., v.9,
p.14 (
[10] Ibid.,
p.203
[11] The
Mother, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother on Education, p.119
[12] Khalil Gibran, The Prophet