3
Repeat God’s Name in the Silence of the
Heart
The magnet cannot draw to itself a bit of iron
that is covered with rust and dust. You cannot
yearn for God when your mind is laden with the
rust of material desires and when the dust of sen-
sual craving sits heavy on it. Clear the rust, know
the glory of God, and repeat His name in the si-
lence of the heart. Any one of the names that de-
note Him can be selected. Do not listen to people
who canvass for one particular name and cavil at
others.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume VII,
Chapter 45: The Treasure under Your Feet.
2
Keep Silent if Speaking Truth Causes
Grief
or Pain
If you want to know the way in which you
have to observe truth in speech, read the Bhagavad
Gita. It tells you that the best speech is speech that
does not create pain or anger or grief to others.
The scriptures also say, “Speak the truth and speak
pleasantly. Do not speak the truth which is not
pleasant. If speaking truth will cause grief or pain,
keep silent.”
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume VII,
Chapter 46: Truth and Love.
2
The Voice of God Can Be Heard Only in
the Depth of Silence
It is only in the depth of silence that the voice
of God can be heard. Speak as low as possible, as
little as possible, as sweetly as possible.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume VIII,
Chapter 33: The Creeper and the Tree.
All Joy Is Within
All the joy you crave for is in you. But, like
a man who has vast riches in the iron chest but
who has no idea where the key is, you suffer. Hear
properly the instructions, dwell upon them in
the silence of meditation, practise what has been
made clear therein; then, you can secure the key,
open the chest, and be rich in joy.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume IX,
Chapter 3: Mahashivarathri.
2
Avoid Entangling Yourself in the Affairs
of Others
Detachment is the first step in spiritual prac-
tice. Silence helps you avoid entangling yourself in
the affairs of others; that is why it is encouraged as
a preliminary.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume IX,
Chapter 19: Counsel for the Chosen.
2
Talk to Others in Whispers
One of the first principles of straight living
is – practise silence. For the voice of God can be
heard in the region of your heart only when the
tongue is stilled and the storm is stilled and the
waves are calm. There will be no temptation for
others to shout when you talk to them in whis-
pers. Set the level of the tone yourself – as low as
possible, as high as necessary to reach to the out-
ermost boundary of the circle you are addressing.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume X,
Chapter 4: The Very Breath.
2
Silence Promotes Self-Control
Silence. This is the first step in spiritual prac-
tice; it makes the other steps easy. It promotes self-
control; it lessens chances of anger, hate, malice,
greed, pride. Besides, you can hear His footsteps
only when silence reigns in the mind.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume X,
Chapter 16: Labels Are Libels.
4
Spiritual Practice Is Done in Silence
There are many who go about the country,
preaching about repeating God’s name and medi-
tation, pretending to be highly advanced experts.
They claim to be masters, so that they can collect
huge audiences and show off their skills. But such
exhibition of talent is not a sign of spiritual attain-
ment. Spiritual attainments shun publicity. Spiri-
tual practice is to be done in silence, away from
public gaze. The name and form of God are ex-
tolled by Mira as “precious gems”; precious gems
are not brought out as wares to the market place;
only vegetables are so exhibited for all to see. The
units of our organisation should not encourage
pomp or show – for they are alien to the spiritual
path.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume X,
Chapter 33: Faults and Failures.
2
Maintain Silence in the Recesses of the
Heart
God is omnipresent. So, do not act differently
when you are away from My presence. Be always
and everywhere conscious of the presence. Be vigi-
lant, even while engaged in little tasks. Maintain
silence in the recesses of the heart, as well as out-
side.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume XIV,
Chapter 59: The Search for Fulfilment.
Cultivate Inner Silence
The very first spiritual practice one must adopt
is the cultivation of inner silence, to put an end to
the endless dialogue with the mind. Let the mind
rest for a while. Do not project on the mind ir-
relevant details and pollute it with fumes of envy
and greed. Every idea we entertain, either good
or bad, gets impressed on the mind, as on carbon
paper. An element of weakness and unsteadiness is
thus introduced in the mind. Keep the mind calm
and clear. Do not agitate it every moment by your
non-stop dialogue.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume XV,
Chapter 42: The Triple Purity.
2
The Mind Must Desist from Wandering
Speech is produced cheaply, but it has high
value. It can elevate as well as demean man. Lis-
tening to a speech, a zero can rise into a hero or a
hero can collapse into a zero. Speech can inspire
or plant despair. It must be true and sweet, not
false and pleasant. Man must endeavour to ac-
quire speech untouched by subterfuge, limbs un-
touched by cruelty, hands free from violence, and
thoughts free from vengefulness. Frenzy, fanati-
cism, and gusts of anger have to be controlled, for
they lead to disasters whose range is beyond calcu-
lation. By constant practice, these can also resort
to the vow of silence. The mind too must desist
from wandering when the tongue is desisting from
talking. Otherwise, the vow cannot be fruitful. Be
conscious that every word we utter or hear will
leave an impression on our consciousness and pro-
voke reactions that may or may not be beneficial.
This is the reason why the company of God and
godly people is to be sought.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume XV,
Chapter 42: The Triple Purity.