What is Mauna Yogam?

Only Mauna Yogam (Silence & Solitude) helps one realize oneSelf.

Yoga or Yogam means ‘being one with nature’ or being ‘one with the Existence’ itself. The more we move ourselves away from nature, the more struggles we face in life.

Apparently, there are many streams or types of Yogam such as Raja yoga, Kriya yoga, Bhakti yoga and Jnana yoga. Each serves its purpose wonderfully well, if one practices it rightly. But all of these Yoga streams must bring one to Silence (Mauna Yogam). If not, one must check whatever yoga that they are engaged in. One should not go on practicing without attaining the state of Shanti (absolute rest). The very reason why one comes to any kind of yoga is to have both physical and mental well-being. However, it shouldn’t stop there. Well-being is not our ultimate aim. Humans come into this world with only one purpose and that is Self-realization. That’s what the LIFE within all the beings is throbbing for and not for the wrongly-assumed purposes like attaining money, pleasures or any short-lived happiness.

Once you achieve something that you were chasing, the hangover is there for sometime but that recedes sooner or later. Even the dream-come-true events in your life have lost their charm or have become an aversion now. So, one keeps doing something new to maintain that happiness. Can this go on forever? That’s why people become tired and some go to the extent of depression or being suicidal too. They don’t know what went wrong.

Is there even such a thing called the “happily-ever-after” aspect in life? Well, let’s ask ourselves a question here. What’s that one thing that if I do in my life, then I don’t have to do anything more? What if I achieve that one thing which can make me truly feel happy and contented forever? The one and only option is to know who you truly are, by realizing your own Self. There are absolutely no other options. All these life shortcuts and pleasures of life will not fetch you that ever-existing restfulness.

You must know that you’re not going to attain anything. Only what is already there, that you will know or attain. What is ‘not’ there cannot be known or attained anyway. So, what you must know is this:

“You are already a Jnani, Yogi or a Realized one. But because of life-time habits and conditioning, the mind, its illusory ideas and identifications are hiding your true nature from you.”

Your true nature and original true state is 'Mauna' (silence). From that true state of yours, you come out to function in the world. Or in other words, your true source state is 'Mauna', which means that you go out to the world to function temporarily from the state of silence and not the other way round. But you’re always anchored in your state of 'Mauna' (silence).

Habitual conditioning of the mind, makes you think that you have lost silence, which is not at all correct. How can leave your source or be away from your source? So, no matter how you’re functioning in the world, knowing and holding on to that wisdom that “my source is Silence and that never changes; but I am operating in the world temporarily, based on my prarabdha (prescribed) karma. And that is absolutely ok to be that way. Only this wisdom will free you. Anything else is just a temporary patch.

Mauna Yogam is nothing but simple silent sitting.

What is Atma Vichara (Self-enquiry)?

Who am I?

Thoughts will come and go. In fact, thoughts only appear to disappear; not to disturb you. In case a thought is not disappearing and making you get stuck, then as yourself a question:

Q: “To whom this thought is appearing?”

Ans: To me.

Q: “Who is this me, Who am I?

Upon enquiry, that particular bothering thought will die down. And you will be back in your source, silence sitting. No matter how many disturbing / deviating thoughts happen, keep going through this process of this ATMA VICHARA, Self-enquiry. This is the most direct and immediate way to realize yourself.

If you are established in Silence, you are restful, irrespective of what goes on in the world. You are not touched by any turbulence of worldly life. Being restful means being absolutely peaceful, even when an untoward event happens. This doesn’t mean that one will not do what is required to be done, but that one will not succumb and fall prey to situations, thereby reacting, rather than consciously responding. It can be said that such a person has established himself in Mauna Yogam.

Silent sitting is not meditation. Silent sitting cannot be called meditation but meditativeness. Meditation is a doing, whereas Silence is just being. There’s an ocean of difference between Silence & meditation. Meditation means you need ‘you’ and an ‘object’ to hold on and sit. A meditator and the meditating object. And, most notably so, the mind must be used to meditate. Because, here the meditator is mind. Whereas in a restful silent sitting, a person is not focusing on an object such as a God, any part of the body or following meditation technique. In Silence, it is just a ‘being’, even when there are thoughts appear, this one sits as if the thoughts are not of his. Because thoughts will come, thoughts will go. He will just be an observer.

'Maun' or 'Mauna' means silence in Sanskrit. But 'Maun'  means more than what the word silence conveys. 'Maun'  is not just ‘not talking’. The truly enlightened yogi or the realized one whether he speaks or not, his state is 'Mauna'. On the contrary, the unenlightened whether he speaks or in silence, it cannot be called maunam.

'Maun' is the state of Being for the realized one, very natural to him. He may talk, he may be busy in the world, but still his state of existence is Maun. That’s because his very presence conveys silence or 'Mauna'. The power of silence is in the “state of his silence” not in what he says or not says.

How does one come to Mauna Yogam?

Well one can directly come to Mauna Yogam, if that one is spiritually mature because of various spiritual wisdom. But, by and large one comes to Mauna Yogam after sravana, manana, nidhidhyasana. Now the worldly people who are driven by various worldly desires will take a long time, by going various other yoga streams such as Hata yoga, kriya yoga etc.,. This doesn’t mean this is any less but needed for the souls who are mostly worldly and living materially still outwardly.

How does one get established in the Mauna Yogam?

• Sravanam (Being part of Jnana Yogam Satsangs, listening to wisdom of atma, the Self)

• Mananam (Contemplating / reflecting on the wisdom learned)

• Nidhidhyasanam (Atma Vicharam, Self enquiry)

• Atma Bodham (Self abidance - continued prolonged Silence, daily & CONSISTENTLY)

• Ekanta (Solitude) - Retiring, secluding oneself from people, books, mobile - just living only with food, no other feed to mind.