The keeping of silence (Mauna) in the Ashrams of Anandamayi Ma

Within the ashrams of Anandamayi Ma, and in the homes of her devotees all over the world, there is a daily practice of keeping silence (Mauna) for 15 minutes in the evening.

In India the custom that Ma encouraged would be for the presiding Swami and other monks to come together with the guests and visitors and settle into quietness just before 8.45pm in the evening.

At precisely 8.45pm the electricity to the ashram would be turned off - so the place would be plunged into complete darkness and silence, and everyone around this group would stop whatever they were still doing at that moment, and sit quietly wherever they were.  It was, and is, a most helpful way of encouraging people to simply look inside themselves, and with everyone, allow the mind to become accustomed to pausing a little every evening for inward, quiet meditation.

At 9pm the Swami would chant a few verses of the scriptures - 'Satyam Jnanam' meaning:  'The Lord, the Self, is Truth, Knowledge and Infinity' (included in the Mantras section of the website) and then the lights and air conditioning or fans would, hopefully, resume.  I found it a very beautiful part of the daily routine and it is observed here at Landermere.

Swamiji would also himself keep silent and be indrawn for one day each week.  He encouraged everyone to follow this for the benefit of slowing down the thought processes and also to enable the people living around him and us to have an experience of being with, and sensitive to this spiritual practice as an everyday helpful occurrence rather than a strange rarity.

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