To observe silence means to keep the mind fixed on Him. - Anandamayi Ma

Words of Sri Anandamayi Ma

This evening the following statement was made "Through the observance of silence one attains to Supreme Knowledge (Jnana)".

SRI MA: How is that? Why has the word ‘through’ been used here?

A DEVOTEE : Silence is itself wisdom, the means is itself the end.

SOMEONE ELSE : By silence we have to understand the stilling of the five senses.

SRI MA : Yes, but why say ‘through’?

A DEVOTEE: Complete and exclusive concentration on the Self this is the significance of ‘through’.

SRI MA : When speech is suppressed, the activity of the mind still continues. All the same, such silence helps to control the mind. As the mind dives deeper, its activity slackens off, and then one comes to feel that He who provides for everything, will arrange matters. When the mind is agitated by thoughts of worldly things, the benefit that should be gained by abstaining from speech is lost.
One may, for instance, keep silent at the moment of anger, but some time or other it is bound to burst forth. When the mind is centred in God, it keeps on advancing steadily, and along with this emerges purity of body as well as mind. To let thought dwell on the objects of the senses is a waste of energy.

When the mind is thus occupied and silence is not observed, it finds release in speech. Otherwise, this kind of silence might put undue strain on the senses and possibly result in ill-health. But when the mind is turned inward, not only can there be no injury to health, but more than that, by constantly dwelling on the thought of God, all the knots (granthi) that make up the ego are unravelled, and thereby that which has to be realized will be realized.

To observe silence means to keep the mind fixed on Him.

At first one feels the impulse to talk, later all inclination and disinclination vanish. It is also like this : just as the bee collects honey, so all that one needs is gathered together naturally. What is necessary becomes available of its own accord -presents itself, as it were - when there is ever closer union with Him.

When one entirely refrains from speaking and even from communicating by signs or gestures (kasta maunam), how is the body kept alive?

Everything dovetails, and the silent person just watches as a kind of spectator. In the measure that one progresses towards union, one will notice that obstacles disappear, and whatever is necessary provides itseif;
It is one thing if everything happens by itself, and quite another to make arrangements by one’s own effort.

Real silence means there is actually nowhere else for the mind to go.
In the end, whether the mind exists or not, whether one speaks or not, makes no difference.
To say "through silence He is realized" is not correct, because Supreme Knowledge does not come "through" anything - Supreme Knowledge reveals Itself.