(Chinese translation below)

There is an annual silence day in the traditions of India. It is called Mauni Amavasya. Mauni means ‘of or for silence’, and amavasya means ‘no-moon day.’

It occurs on the no-moon day of the Maagha month in the Hindu calendar when sun and moon are both supposed to enter the sign of Capricorn (makara rashi).

It is held in the tradition as the day when Manu, the Archetypal Man first appeared on earth; he wedded Shata-roopa (She of a Hundred Beautiful Forms) and generated humankind.

This year it falls on 30th January by the western calendar.

Last year it was also part of the grand kumbh mela and thirty million people are expected to take the holy immersion on that day at the sangam (meeting place of three holy rivers) in Allahabad.

Whether you accept the story or Manu or not, we do need to institute a day of silence every year.

On the other hand, if you prefer to be true to some western tradition you may research if there was a day sacred to Harpokrates, the Greek god of silence whose statues have been found as far away as the Gandhara country (present day Afghanistan). Harpokrates was derived from the Egyptian god Harpa-khruti, the child Horus, representing the daily new born sun, the source of light.

Of course, there is an amplitude of Christian saints who have taught silence and there are numerous monasteries of various orders dedicated to silence.

As I have entered the five-year vow silence, I would like many of my friends to set aside at least one day to share the silence with me just as you have shared the full moon day for an hour each month for more than a decade now.

So, please note:
2014 the day of mauni amavasya is now on 30th January.
2015 the day will be on 20th January.

If you plan from now, you can arrange your worldly affairs in such a way that they do not interfere with your one-day vow of silence.

On that day, no driving (except for emergencies), no TV, no conversation, just self-observation, contemplation, japa and learning (1) to give love in silence while (2) learning to love silence.

May I ask all our swamis, initiators, spiritual advisers, teachers, centre leaders to kindly popularize this concept and take this year to prepare the people to undertake this one-day vow of silence.

Editor’s Note

Mauni Amavasya Silence Retreats are planned each year to take place at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama in Rishikesh, India. For more details, please see the event calendar.

Chinese Translation

by Francine Kuo

印度傳統上每年有一天的靜默日，稱為Mauni Amavasya, Mauni 意為靜默的或為了靜默，而amavasya意思是月蝕之日。

印度年曆中的Maagha月份(西洋月曆的一二月)中的月蝕之日，太陽和月亮會同時進入魔羯星座(Makara rashi)

傳統上這一天也是摩努(Manu),第一位地球上出現的原人，他迎娶夏塔茹帕(Shata-roopa，據傳擁有百種美形)的日子，然後才有人類的起源。

今年這一天落在西洋日曆中的一月三十日。

去年的這一天也是偉大大壺節的一部分，當天阿拉哈巴德三聖河匯流處(sangam)，擁入了三千萬人參加神聖的聖浴。

不管你是否相信摩努的故事，我們都需要每年有一個這樣的靜默日。

另外，如果你比較能接受西洋史，你們可以去研究是否在同一天，也是希臘祭祀荷波卡拉帖斯Harpokrates, 希臘的靜默之神的日子，他的雕像遠至干達拉國(阿富汗的古名)都能被看見。荷波卡拉帖斯源自埃及的神Harpa-khruti,孩童荷魯斯，象徵每天新生的太陽，光的源頭。

當然，還有許多的基督教聖人都被教導靜默，各種社會文化不同的修道院也都有靜禱的傳統。

我正在五年的靜默誓約中，希望我的朋友們，也能至少在一年空出一天與我ㄧ同靜默，如同我們過去十年每次滿月共同靜坐一般。

所以，請記得，2014的靜默日在1月30日，2015年則在1月20日。

如果你現在開始計畫，你可以安排你在世俗的事情不會干擾你這一天的靜默練習。

在那一天，不開車(除非有緊急事件)，不看電視，不交談，僅做自我的觀察，沉思，持咒和學習這兩件事情： (1)在靜默中給予愛 (2)學習愛上靜默

容我邀請所有的斯瓦米，啟引者，靈性導師，老師，各中心領導人仁慈的把這個觀念普化，並用這一年幫人們為接受一天靜默誓約做準備。

斯瓦米韋達 帕若堤

[備註：每年在印度瑞詩凱詩都會舉辦靜默日營]