Silence and Emptiness

In the dimension of silence the movement of thought goes on without creating the illusion of a thinker.

The reception of the sensation and the interpretation of the objects surrounding you takes place without the interpreter.

The movement of thought goes on without the thinker.

There is no centre to say: "I like this and I dislike that, I prefer this and I have a hatred for that".

So there is involuntary cerebral activity without the psychological recording or registering.

The movement of thought, the movement of knowledge goes on in the body like the movement of breath, of blood.

Silence implies the existence of the total human past within you, inside you. It also implies the movement of knowledge, thought, etc. without the knower, without the thinker.

The absence of the knower, the thinker, the experiencer, the centre - is the essential part of what we call silence.

And because there is no centre, no knower, no experiencer you call it emptiness.

Notable quotes of Vimala Thakar

There is much unexplored potential in each human being. We are not just flesh and bone or an amalgamation of conditionings. If this were so, our future on this planet would not be very bright. But there is infinitely more to life, and each passionate being who dares to explore beyond the fragmentary and superficial into the mystery of totality helps all humanity perceive what it is to be fully human. Revolution, total revolution, implies experimenting with the impossible. And when an individual takes a step in the direction of the new, the impossible, the whole human race travels through that individual.

…In India, Hinduism says woman can never be liberated in a woman’s body. If she behaves, if she follows bhakti yoga, then she may be born again in a male body and then she will be liberated. Buddhists and Jains also never accept that a woman in a woman’s body can be emancipated. Nor do the Catholics accept it. So at best a woman becomes a mother figure, such as Anandamayi Ma, or this figure or that figure. And she teaches as the Mother, not as an emancipated person.

What is the purpose of life?
"To live."

Is service internal or external?
"It's all the same."

I'm talking to you right now -- is that external?
"If I'm sharing with something, is that not an internal expression of love and compassion?"

Is englightenment a process or spontaneous occurence? "Both."

Where will spirituality blossom most, in the West or East?
"Everywhere. Even in the Middle-East."

Are we on the cusp of a collective transformation? "Yes. Not in my lifetime, but during yours."

Does everyone need a spiritual teacher?
"No."

Is Gandhi relevant today?
"Now more than ever."

What is non-violence?
"Science and spirituality."

What is your message for the youth?
"Arise, awake and act."