is called mauna (silence), it is the state of egolessness. Experiencing silence Kena Upanishad tells us - यद्वाचाऽनभ्युदितं येन वागभ्युद्यते – "That which is not uttered by speech that by which speech is revealed" (I.5), - यच्छ्रोत्रेण न शृणोति येन श्रोत्रमिदं श्रुतम् - "That which man does not hear with the ear, that by which man knows the ear", - तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते - "know that to be Brahman and not this that people worship as an object" (I.9). It is only when the knower is utterly negative and yet aware that the known conveys Its secret to him, that the process of knowing as emanating from the knower ceases, and that the interval between knowing and not knowing is not covered by any projection of the knower. The sensitive mind ready to receive the subtlest intimation of Brahman responds to the voice of silence. The mind liberated from even the attribute of sattva must stand in front of utter silence. Yajnavalkya insists that the spiritual man in order to experience Brahman must transcend both silence (mauna) and non-silence (amauna). Practice of silence Anandmayi Ma once told 'Bhaiji', "If you desire to observe real silence, your heart and mind must fuse so closely, into one thought that your whole nature, inwardly and outwardly may freeze, as it were, into the condition of an inert stone. But if you merely want to abstain from speech, it is a different matter altogether." Human knowledge suffers from the limitation of incompleteness but the Vedantic view of knowledge is rooted in self-revelation or self-luminosity. The truth of knowledge consists in its non-contradictedness and novelty, and not in mere correspondence or coherence. Metaphysical knowledge essentially implies permanent and changeless certitude. Nididhyasana with the aid of sravana (with a basis of the Mahavakyas) must precede knowledge. Sruti is the starting point of enquiry. Sraddha (Provisional belief), induced by Sabda or Agama (authoritative statements) and supported by Anubhava (experiences or realizations), is required to start an enquiry. Knowledge is truth and truth is the foundation of the Upanishads. Truthfulness in speech leads to truthfulness in spirit because in truth is initiation based. Truth is based on the heart, and reason is the true abode of truth. Satya or truth is a quality of speech and Dharma is the actualization of truth. Control of speech is not forced silence. Meditation is the practice of silence.