Mauna is not just about controlling the speech, but also it will lead to quiet the thoughts.
By limiting our actions and speech, it will lead us to slow down the thought waves. This will lead us into meditation.
Through talking, we are losing our prana especially if we are speaking harsh words and lies, slandering, gossiping, censuring, condemning, destructive speech and all types of negative complaints and criticisms.
If we need to talk, may it be kind words, truthful, constructive, motivating, encouraging, uplifting and cheering.
Speaking and sharing the truth of Dharma with all without any discrimination is still consider Mauna. If we need to speak Dharma to the people who are in need of Dharma speech, we should not be stubborn or attached onto observing silence and refuse to speak Dharma to desperate living beings.
Anyway, speech or languages are very restricted and conditioned. Most of the time misunderstanding occurred because of misinterpretation of the meanings of the words that is being spoken, because everybody might have different interpretations of words in different languages.
That’s why sometimes the best speech is being silent.
Dharma can never be fully explained or expressed through the limited speech and is difficult to be understood by the conditioned perception of the mind. Not many people can grasp the real meaning of Dharma through listening and reading the Dharma. The best way of understanding and knowing the Truth is through self-inquiry and self-realization. Even though, we still have to share the knowledge of the Truth with many people through speech and writing, or else it will be less people getting contact with the valuable Dharma.
Any speech that is pure and intention-less is not contradict with the practice of Mauna.
If we are observing Mauna not speaking for many months and years, but we still have lots of impure and evil thoughts in our mind and doing lots of impure and evil actions, then that is not Mauna at all.
If somebody is speaking lies and condemn about us or doing something unkind actions to us, and if we know how to be patient, compassionate, forgive and unmoved, and being silent and remain calm without the need of self-justification or reaction to any of those unkind speech and actions, then this is the highest Mauna of all.
The real Mauna is inclusive of total self-control over all the impurities of the thoughts, actions and speech. It’s not just about not talking keeping the mouth shut, and continue to express the unceasing thoughts through the sign language of facial expressions and body movements.
