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The Law of Silence
Our Soul's Journey | by Zeal Okogeri
The law of silence, also known as kamit, has been referred to as "The law of
all laws."
In certain Oriental teachings like Taoism, it is said that those who know do not
talk. And those who talk do not know. The Tao masters insist, "Keep your mouth
closed and guard your senses."
It seems selfish and unfair that those who know should not talk. How are others going
to learn from them if they refuse to talk about what they know?
When one gets on the path, however, he or she must know when to talk and when to
simply listen and keep his or her mouth closed. You have to be careful of what you
say for some of the information given to you in dreams or in the spiritual worlds
are exclusively for you. It is not to be shared. Sharing it would only unbalance
your energies and slow down your spiritual emancipation.
If any seeker would sincerely scrutinize the architecture of his or her consciousness
by means of reflective introspection, that seeker will recognize that many of his
or her difficulties can be attributed to breaking the law of silence.
But why do we persist in breaking this very important spiritual law? Why don't we
just say "No" to talking about the things that we ought to keep to ourselves?
There are several reasons for this type of behavior. One of the reasons is that some
of us have acquired the habit of talking excessively. We get so carried away by the
excitement of our stories that we lose total control of vital information that has
been entrusted upon us by Spirit. Another reason is that we never considered a particular
event or experience, whether it occurred inwardly or outwardly, as "classified
material." So, we innocently shared these experiences, much to our detriment.
Yet another compelling reason for divulging spiritual secrets is vanity. We want
to feel important and special. By discussing unique or intriguing spiritual experiences,
we become mysterious in the eyes of the neophyte, and this sort of mystery usually
tends to impress those who are unfamiliar with the type of experiences we are discussing.
With others impressed, our need for "significance" is met.
About 10 years ago while I was living in California, I had a vivid dream (Conscious
Dreaming) in which I traveled to Africa. During this inner voyage, I saw an old friend
of mine. He was sitting hopelessly on the ground, next to a coffin, just waiting.
I woke up from the dream quite concerned. About three months later, I physically
took a trip to Africa to visit my family. While there, I visited the village of this
friend to inquire about him. I was relived to find out that he was still alive. But
he had lost a lot of weight. I asked him what happened.
With a tone of gratitude, he said, "It is a miracle that I am still alive today.
I almost died three months ago." He said that his burial arrangements had completed
when he suddenly made a miraculous recovery.
Hearing this, and without considering the impact of what I was about to say, I nodded
and said to him, "I know."
Perplexed, he inquired, "What do you mean you know?"
"I saw you in my dream, that's how I know," I said.
Surprised, fascinated, and mystified at the same time, he insisted that I must tell
him exactly how I saw him in my dream. I was a bit hesitant about giving details,
but I thought it wouldn't hurt to satisfy my friend's curiosity. So, I explained
to him that I had seen him sitting next to a coffin and realized that he was in big
trouble. He was shocked that I was able to have such an insight and said nothing
further. And after a few seconds of awkward silence, we changed the subject.
Three weeks later I returned to the United States. For the next two years following
my return from Africa, I was unable to receive any further inner revelations in dreams.
This was unusual for me, because since I was a young boy, Spirit has always been
"downloading" all sorts of sensitive information on me, most of which were
none of my business. All that stopped for about two years. On further reflection,
I realized that my discussion with my African friend temporarily blocked my ability
to receive further insights. My insights returned only after I realized that I had
broken the Law of Silence. But there was a permanent change. The method in which
I usually received information changed. I had to learn a new method of receiving
"classified" data.
In addition to the possibility of losing our insight, we can also invite resentment
from others if we carelessly broadcast our spiritual experiences. When you are a
newcomer on a path, you might start having the type of inner experiences that some
longstanding members can only wish for. By sharing these, you can invite jealousy.
In addition, you can invite psychic invasion. When people with strong mental capacity
think you know a lot, they can't help but wonder what else you know. Quite unconsciously
they might begin to invade your psychic space, attempting to pull more information
out of you. Instead of moving forward with your spiritual development, you'll waste
valuable time struggling to regain your balance, spiritually. One of the signs of
this type of psychic invasion is acute headache.
By violating the law of silence, you also run the risk of antagonism from well-meaning
friends and relatives. They might belittle your spiritual experiences or introduce
unnecessary fear. This can cause you to start doubting your own insights, or involvement,
with your chosen path. And if you are not well grounded yet, you may likely leave
the path. The society as a whole might antagonize you, because what you are talking
about is beyond the scope of the average person.
When we divulge proprietary information to the wrong people, we can experience unusual
changes to our plans. Some of you can recall an incident when your plan was going
very well until you decided to share it with a relative, sibling, or with someone
you considered a friend. This can happen when we disclose our agenda to individuals
who are not on our side emotionally or spiritually. In other words, they are not
in harmony with our mission. This is simply a matter of misplaced trust on our part.
A general rule of thumb is to keep your plan to yourself until it materializes. And
if you must share it, do so only with people who are truly in harmony with your initiative.
Before you start divulging details about your personal spiritual experiences and
insights, consult your deeper self and find out if it's OK to share. There are so
many other things to talk about without revealing what is going on within you. Many
of the problems that spiritual aspirants encounter arise from talking too much. You
invite problems to yourself by talking about things that you should keep to yourself.
However, if you are experiencing difficulties or can't understand certain things
that are happening in the inner world, of course, share these with qualified, designated
members of your path or seek professional counseling.
The law of silence is an extremely important law to observe. It can make or break
the seeker.
Dr. Zeal Okogeri is the author of the best-selling book, God's Relentless Generosities
-- An Inspiring Journey of Soul. He lectures worldwide on topics related to personal
development and spirituality. His book is available at www.amazon.com, www.powells.com,
and www.barnesandnoble.com. He also maintains Wellness Centers in Chanhassen and
Minneapolis, Minn. For more information on Dr. Okogeri's seminars, books or to inquire
about health care, call (952) 975-1819 or e-mail him at Zeal@ZealOkogeri.com, and
visit www.LightBooksPublishing.com.
Copyright © 2005 Zeal Okogeri. All rights reserved. |
| January 2005 |
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