The power of speech is a characteristic which distinguishes man from other animals. Speech is the universal medium of human communication. We know the value of speech, but do not know that not to speak is as valuable as to speak. Let me elucidate this point. Spiritually perfect beings do not need speech. We have to adopt speech when we are not in a position to communicate our minds to others directly. One who can communicate our minds to others speech does not speak. Speech becomes useless when are can communicate with others without the help of a material medium. The more one acquires higher knowledge, the lesser does he speak. The Tirthankaras had attained the highest knowledge. Why then did they employ language to communicate with others? Why did they talk and deliver sermons? Ancient commentators on religious texts called the Tirthankaras enlightened men who had attained a state where there was nothing left for them to do. But one who has attained the highest knowledge is filled with compassion for his fellow beings, and for this reason, he likes to communicate his knowledge to others. Compassion, sympathy, fellow feeling and friendliness persuade him to transmit his experiences to others for the latter's benefit. It is these feelings which make the Tirthankaras speak. If two Kevala Jnanis (men with pure knowledge) met, they would not speak to each other. They would not need the aid of any material medium of communication, because they would be able to understand each other directly. The medium of language is relevant to those only who do not know.

Withholding the tongue gives enormous scope for the development of knowledge. Talkativeness is an obstruction in self-knowledge. A fickle mind cannot possess knowledge. Language is a symbol of he fickleness of the mind. According to Pujyapada, speech is the medium of social commerce. A solitary man does not need language. Speech is preceded as well as followed by the fickleness of the mind. There can be no language unless the mind begins to work and think. As a matter of fact, speech itself is an activity of the mind. In this way all the precedents and antecedents of speech as well as speech itself disturb the inner world of man. That is why all those who practised sadhand used the minimum of speech. They kept silent. Acharya was asked as to what the purpose of silence was and replied that withholding the tongue produced a state of thoughtlessness. Vacanagupti (withholding the tongue) brings about the cessation of thinking and passions. It enables the mind to regain the equilibrium which has been disturbed by speaking. If we withheld speaking, there will be no need for thinking and the mind will enter into a state of thoughtlessness.

Withholding the tongue has another advantage. It does not involve us in any kind of conroversy. When there is no fuel, ther will be no fire. If One of the two persons who quarrelled became silent, the quarrel will end.

America. He asked Swami : ‘How do you all yourself an emperor? You do not possess anything. Your personal belongings are meagre.' Swami replied: ‘I am an emperor simply becauuse I do not possess anything. The poor try to grab and possess things. I am not a poor man because the whole world is mine and I need not grab and store anything. It is you people who are poor because you grab and store things.' Swami reply is very meaningful.

Swami Ramatirtha returned to India with the idea that the would narrate his experiences in the States to his country man. He selected Banaras for this purpose. Banaras was the city of the elite. He thought that the learned would be able to appreciate him better. He narrated his experiences before a congragation of the learned. At the end of his speech a Pundit stood up and said: ‘Do you know Sanskrit?' Swami replied: ‘No, I don't.' The Pundit retorted: ‘How do you dare talk of spiritual matters when you do not know the language of the gods? These remarks sprang from the egotism of the Pundit . Spiritual knowledge is the outcome of the purity of the Pundit. Spiritual knowledge is the outcome of the purity of the soul, but the pundit wanted to circumscribe it within the limits of the Sanskrit language. What a pity! That is why Acharya said that the knowledge of several languages does not guarantee knowledge of the self. The various disciplines which need the help of language can not safeguard anybody. The best security lies in one's own self. Self-knowledge is not concerned with speech, but it is certainly associated with reticence. It needs no language.

There have been knowers of the self in almost all the countries of the world. They knew the languages of their own countries very well. There have been knowers of the self who knew hardly any language and could not express themselves in any language satisfactority. Language is an external instrument, whereas self-knowledge sprouts in the soul. Language is only a means of communication. It is a medium of social commerce. Unfortunately we have made it the means of expressing egotistical feelings. If we withheld our tongues, we will certainly get rid of the sense of false pride.

I agree that the ordinary man also to speak. Speech is indispensable for him. But it is one thing to speak when one has to. It is quite another thing to treat speaking as the most important thing in life. This weightage in favour of talking has resulted in weakening the powers of the mind. The mind which is capable of revealing itself directly has come to depend on the linguistic means of communication.

Para-psychologists speak of telepathy as the means of direct communication. It means transmission of thoughts without any material medium. We can establish telepathic communications with men livig at a distance of thousands of miles away from us. Telecommunication has become a technological device also these days. In ancient times people had adopted the method of thought wave transmission. A Yogi could establish telecontacts with his disciples who lived thousands of miles away from him. He would sit in the meditational posture and send thought waves to his disciples. The mind of the diciple acted as the receiver of the thought waves. If he had to reply, he too would sit in the meditational posture and send his own thought waves to the master. This needed an enormous development of the powers of the mind and practitioners devoted themselves assiduously to such a development.