Vigyan Bhairava Tantra
Sutra- 81.1
You must have heard the saying, “Silence brings a hundred joys” or perhaps the advice, “Sometimes, place your tongue against the roof of your mouth.”
Friends, this is the uniqueness of our culture—we take profound truths and integrate them into everyday life, making them accessible to all. Through sayings and practices, we remind everyone to follow these paths. However, over time, the true essence and impact of these teachings are often forgotten, reducing these once profound sayings to mere common phrases.
The act of placing the tongue against the palate and remaining silent carries a deep spiritual significance. Today, we equate this with simply keeping quiet, but the true meaning of silence lies in quieting the mind. If your mind is caught in a whirlwind of thoughts while you refrain from speaking, it is like a dormant volcano waiting to erupt, causing harm to yourself and others when it does. Anger, excessive aggression, constant negativity, or the habit of using harsh words are direct results of this inner turmoil.
The truth is, no one makes you angry, nor do someone’s actions or words directly provoke your anger. Rather, anger is something that has already been growing within you, waiting for an opportunity to surface. You may ask, “How can anger exist within me without my knowledge?” You are correct to question this, for suppressed anger often hides in your subconscious mind.
When you suppress anger, believing you have controlled it, it doesn’t simply vanish. Instead, it stores itself in your subconscious mind. Over time, these unresolved emotions manifest as illnesses, inexplicable irritability, or sudden outbursts of anger with lasting consequences for you and those around you.
Tantra teaches us not to suppress thoughts but to let them flow freely. Anger is also a thought, and suppression only complicates matters. In today’s world, you often hear advice like “Control your anger” or methods to curb it. There are even specialized centers where you can pay to vent your anger. While modern approaches focus on managing or reducing anger, very few guide you toward a state where anger ceases to arise altogether.
The method described in this sutra, which is somewhat similar to the Khechari Mudra and Soham Kriya, offers a simple yet profound way to achieve this state. Through this practice, not only does your mind calm, but you also gain control over your thoughts, directing them with intention and clarity.
This practice quiets the mind and aligns your inner being, allowing you to transcend both anger and the unnecessary turbulence of thought, bringing you closer to inner peace and meditation.
