REMEMBER HIS SILENCE WHEN READING WRITINGS IN HIS NAME

 
Those who have been in his presence know that Baba communicates through his silence. What proceeds from him is beyond words, does not need words, could not be contained in them. The inaudible sound is from heart to heart: silence that penetrates mind and heart.

He sometimes reminds those who read or listen to what he 'says' that he uses another language from theirs, which should be remembered when his words are considered. That is, his standpoint is different from those who listen. He is on the level of the listener, but his standpoint is absolute, i.e. timeless and essential, while that of the listener is relative, i.e. in the terms of earthly life and history.

Silence is not only a matter of non-speaking, but silence of the desires, passions, urgings and conflicts of body and mind. In those who practise it, silence brings about calmness and harmony in the body, making it a ready instrument: it is complete self-possession.

Baba's silence places him among the intangible, the unrecorded and not documented, a positive sign that he does not wholly belong to the rational world of facts and events but to the inner world of insight and intuition. This suggests that something should be said of the silence of Baba in connection with the great amount of writing bearing his name, of which there is much contained in this book. When we read the discourses, messages and books, we should never forget his silence, which is certainly one of his important symbols. Despite all the published matter, he has not spoken a word, neither has any written word of his been published [as of 1964].

There are no writings by Krishna; the Buddha who talked much wrote nothing; Socrates, essentially a talker, wrote nothing; Jesus did not write, and though his teaching is treasured his significance is contained in his life, in particular the story of his resurrection. Baba's significance is conveyed most forcibly by his silence and not writing. We cannot escape the full meaning of the fact. The Buddha is said to have remarked to his disciples, 'I have been talking and talking to you for the last forty-nine years, but in truth I have not spoken a word.'

It is very necessary to remember that all the writing that bears Baba's name reaches us through others. What he used to 'say' on the alphabet board was interpreted, and every time the words 'Baba says' appear, inverted commas should be used, and in documents bearing Baba's name the signature should be in inverted commas too. I do not mean to say that Baba is not responsible for these declarations and writings; but so far as the reader or hearer is concerned he should know that they reach him at second hand.

Even when Baba used the board, it is necessary to remember how the words were conveyed. He would dictate, usually not word for word, a general idea or theme, from which the writer would compose a discourse; it would then be read to Baba, who would indicate alterations, after that he would be finished with it. There are many declarations and messages in which he dictated exactly what he wished said, including those since he gave up the board, conveyed by gestures and composed with difficulty. It should especially be noticed how often in messages Baba is made to refer to himself in the second person, which clearly indicates that someone is speaking for him.

Those who serve him do so with complete devotion and singleness of heart, and I am certain that they would give their lives for the truth. Never in the very slightest degree do they intend to convey anything from him but with the most meticulous accuracy. Yet one only has to read what bears his name to realize that the utterances cannot be Baba's in the strict sense, for the manner of the interpreter is too often unmistakably impressed upon them. I say this with emphasis, for I have studied almost every word that has been printed or circulated under Baba's name.

When Baba has 'spoken' to groups of people and what he has said has been taken down, on his instructions, it is interesting that the records have only too often shown discrepancies, despite the desire of those taking notes to be exact. Listeners do not always hear the same thing, and omissions of what has been said, as well as words introduced that have not been spoken, are frequent. Statements, and messages, of course, are carefully taken down and scrupulously checked; none the less the words do not come from his lips or hands.

That is part of the price Baba has to pay for choosing to be silent and not to write; for he cannot be silent and at the same time have the advantage of speech. We never get the full intonation, the flavour, the precision of Baba's own being in his 'words', though we do often get his humour.

In the course of writing this book I have been continually aware that I should have put such words as 'said', 'remarked', 'spoke', 'declared' and the like, when used of him, in quotation marks to remind myself and the reader of what was actually happening; but to do so would have been confusing, and might possibly have diminished the force of what was being 'said'. More might have been lost, than gained. I do, however, ask the reader to take account of this explanation.