मौन

mauna

मौन · mauna · the silence that is full

The word comes from muni — the sage. A muni is not someone forbidden to speak; he is someone whose quiet became so complete that speech turned optional. Mauna is that kind of silence — chosen, full, like a vessel that has been filled and set down. Not the silence of an empty pot.

Every house has two silences, and they are opposites wearing the same clothes. There is the wall — silence withheld, silence as punishment, the loudest thing in the room. And there is the well — silence with depth in it, available, unthreatening. A child can tell them apart from another room, blindfolded. So can a spouse.

At six, a child's silence usually means overload — the face hidden in your shoulder, the sudden muteness after a big day. Do not ask for an explanation the child does not have. Sit near. Nearness is the answer to that silence.

At ten comes the sulk — silence used as a message. Receive the message without punishing the medium. "You'll talk when you're ready" is a complete sentence, and it keeps the well open.

At thirteen, the closed door. This silence is a room where a self is being assembled, and assembly requires privacy. Knock less. Be findable more.

Your own mauna is the model for all three. Today, notice which silence you keep.