What is a vow of silence and why is it given?
![What is a vow of silence and why is it given?](https://fashion.decorexpro.com/images/article/croppedtop/450-255/2021/01/chto-takoe-obet-molchaniya-i-zachem-ego-dayut.jpg)
Each person communicates throughout the day. It is difficult to imagine your own life without expressing your thoughts with your voice. However, some people are able to live without talking and without access to the internet. They take a vow of silence for thought, meditation or prayer.
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What it is?
The vow of silence is one of the most common promises made to God. It is used in various religions and world religions. The duration of an oath can range from a few minutes to many years. The main purpose of the vow is to unite with God, self-contemplation and renunciation of the daily hustle and bustle. At the same time, the ritual significance may differ significantly.
The meaning of the phraseological unit literally indicates the presence of an oath not to speak at all. This means that a person refrains from speaking. With such a real action, the subject confirms his faith in God or some kind of spirits. The main task is continuous mental communication with higher powers. Complex and important spiritual practice helps to put in order the mind, take a break from the influx of various information.
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A vow of silence can have a figurative meaning in the case when it comes to a vow not to touch on a certain topic in conversations with other people. In this case, it can mean keeping some kind of secret.
The vow not to speak can be given to oneself. Sometimes a person simply refuses to touch on a topic.
Silence helps men to strengthen willpower and comprehend their purpose in life. It is important for women during a period of calm to know their own femininity and the truth of their desires. People become silent in the expectation of learning to hear themselves and others.
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Features in various spiritual movements
In Orthodoxy
For the sake of gaining silence, the ascetics retired to the deserts and forests, the monks retired in cells. Silence helped them to listen to God's answer in order to get closer to knowing the truth.... The greatest ascetic Saint Sergius of Radonezh in his declining years took a vow of silence. Before his death, he did not utter a single word during the last six months of his earthly journey. And at the hermit of one of the monasteries of the Novgorod region, Vera the Silent, the vow lasted 23 years.
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In Buddhism
People who practice yoga and meditation techniques keep silence to establish a connection with the spiritual principle. Inner silence develops the ability to perfectly manage oneself. A Buddhist can stay in complete calm from several minutes to 10 days.
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In islam
The Koran excludes the possibility of being silent all day until nightfall. The vow of silence is forbidden, but Muslims try to protect themselves from empty talk. People are reluctant to say aloud statements that do not bring any benefit to religion and everyday life. During the fast of silence, the Muslim is obliged to refrain from lying, gossip and backbiting.
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What is it needed for?
The modern world is filled with streams of negative information that provoke anxiety and fear. Negative emotions interfere with career growth and the development of interpersonal relationships. In such a state, it is difficult for a person to achieve harmony with himself. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is difficult for an individual to understand the purpose of his birth, to recognize the main tasks of life. Silence helps to penetrate into the essence of many things, gain wisdom and find peace.
A person who remains completely silent for some time has a unique experience.
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Silence does no harm to the person. For a subject who is not distracted by noise and extraneous tasks, the thought process takes place differently. The brain gets a certain freedom from the external environment. The personality is focused on the inner world. Long-term silent seclusion helps a person clear their thoughts, know themselves and tune in to a positive mood.
The vow of silence implies constant self-observation. The individual must show great responsibility and vigilance. Some resort to immersion in silence in order to get rid of bad habits. Subject swears that they will only begin talking after completely quitting smoking, drinking alcohol or drugs. Overly talkative people are forced to constantly control verbal incontinence.
How long does it take?
The duration of the silence depends on the tasks set. A person can remain silent for a short period of time. The action can be sustained for a few minutes allotted for yoga classes or prayers. Someone is silent all day for the sake of testing himself.
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Some take a vow of silence for the rest of their lives. Sometimes an emergency or other circumstance will lead to a forced violation of a vow. The cost of human well-being is higher than any given vows.
How to give?
Experts recommend starting with daily silence for several hours. It is very important for a woman to learn to restrain her speech. She must give up unnecessary statements. A man needs to moderate his anger. Before diving into complete silence, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons. It is easy to make a vow of silence, but difficult to fulfill.
You should first talk with your spiritual mentor. He will help you find a suitable way to draw closer to God. It is necessary to study the relevant literature on spiritual self-improvement. Only after you can take responsibility can you take a sacred oath.
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A working person may have great difficulties. It is necessary to secure the permission of the manager in advance. Often a vow gets in the way of doing the job properly. If the authorities did not approve of your decision, then it is better to postpone the vow of silence to vacation days. Students also need to enlist the support of the teacher before such a serious act.
Some make the necessary inscriptions on the card in advance. For example, "I have a vow of silence" or "I'll meet in a month and discuss all the problems."
Write down the relevant phrases on your answering machine. People need to know why you can't answer a call.
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For complete immersion in your thoughts, you can rent a separate apartment, country house or cottage. It is very important to warn your loved ones and friends about your upcoming silence. Then you need to define clear boundaries: whether email messages, non-verbal communication or communication through notes are possible. Set your own rules. After that, you need to carefully study all your further actions during the period of silence.