There is so much clutter and noise all around us. No, I don't mean what we are seeing visibly in the physical world. It is all around us, as in thoughts, ideologies, doctrines, etc. Just as the doctors and Siddha physicians go to the root cause of our medical issues rather than attending to what is visible, everything begins from the space where thoughts are generated. In silencing these thoughts, every other thing settles down. But it is truly a battle. One can physically overthrow another in battle, but not these thoughts that keep coming like missiles one after another. What is it like to be in a thoughtless state?
The Buddha asks us to hold on to a single thought, as it would help subdue the rest. In connecting with nature, we can achieve some progress, for it too is silent. I guess this is the reason rather than bring out a sacred text and read it out to me, Tavayogi during the days of my stay at his Kallar Ashram in 2005 took me into the jungles and the caves to be with nature. It is only when the other speaks and we reply or vice versa that a continuous chain of thoughts comes on as further speech, replies, and conversation. I guess this is the reason we are told that Lord Dhakshanamurti finally remained silent before his four students, as no amount of discussion helped them attain Gnanam. Muruganar shares this story that he heard from Bhagawan Ramana himself.
"When the four-aged Sanakadi Rishis first saw the sixteen-year-old Sri Dakshinamurti sitting under the banyan tree, they were at once attracted by him, understanding him to be the real Sadguru. They approached him, did three Pradakshinas around him, prostrated before him, sat at his feet, and began to ask very shrewd and pertinent questions about the nature of Reality and the means of attaining it. Because of the great compassion and fatherly love (Vatsalya) that he felt for his aged disciples, the young Sri Dakshinamurti was overjoyed to see their earnestness, wisdom, and maturity, and hence he gave apt replies to each of their questions. As he answered each consecutive question, further doubts rose in their minds and still they asked further questions. Thus they continued to question Sri Dakshinamurti, for one whole year, and he continued to clear their doubts through his compassionate answers. Finally, however, Sri Dakshinamurti understood that if he gave more answers to their questions more doubts would rise in their minds and hence there would never be an end to their ignorance (Ajnana). Therefore, suppressing even the feeling of compassion and fatherly love that was welling up within him, he merged himself into the supreme silence. Because of their great maturity (which had been ripened to perfection through their year-long association with the Sadguru), as soon as Sri Dakshinamurti thus merged himself, they too were automatically merged within, into silence, the state of Self."
Richard Schiffman, in his "Sri Ramakrishna – A Prophet for the New Age", Paragon House, 1989, writes about the significance and depth of silence. Silence is potent. In silence, the walls that separate the guru and disciple cease to exist, he adds. Both their hearts meet. In these hours of silence, the "self" speaks with the "higher self". In silence, there is neither giving nor receiving. Just being in each other's presence. We learn from Ruzbeh Bharucha's writings that sitting in silence, disenchantment sets in as we delve deeper and deeper into a state of silence. Agathiyar often calls me over to sit with him in silence and in meditation in the midst of attending to his devotees.
T.R. Kanakammal wrote in the "Mountain Path", that Bhagawan Ramana except when he answered questions, abided in the natural state of absolute silence. His Upadesa was mainly through silence. T.K. Sundaresa Iyer wrote "Sri Bhagavan sat and sat in His usual pose, no, poise. No words, no movement, and all was stillness! He sat still, and all sat still, waiting. The clock went on striking, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, one, two, and three. Sri Bhagavan sat and they sat. Stillness, calmness, motionlessness – not conscious of the body, of space or time. Thus eight hours were passed in Peace, in Silence, in Being, as It is. Thus was the Divine Reality taught through the speech of Silence by Bhagavan Sri Ramana (Dakshinamurthy). At the stroke of 4 a.m. Sri Bhagavan quietly said: “And now have you known the essence of the Dakshinamurti Hymn."
In sitting alone be it in nature or if we can find the time and space in our own homes, what remains after the thoughts have settled down is the awareness of the breath in us. If initially, during the initiation in Malaysia, Tavayogi told me that Agathiyar's name and mantra were that of God, he showed me the painting and later the fiber statue of Agathiyar as God upon arrival at his Ashram. Coming down the stairs of Nattatreeswarar Temple he told me that both Siva and Agathiyar were one. Just before leaving, he tells me that the breath was God. This was Tavayogi's final definition of God, that the breath was God. This is the thread. Holding on to it we reach God or rather immerse in God.