The Sound of Silence...
The Sound of Silence...
18th June 2025 — a day I will never forget in my life. One incident that happened with me has left a great impact. A poor lady, in terms of financial status, taught me how one should lead life with self-respect and dignity as a human being. This very sweet-looking lady, around 40 years old, studied up to the 10th standard and lost her hearing after she delivered her child. Many times during delivery, the bones in the ear get stiff and you can lose your hearing. She has one child, a daughter who is now in the first year of engineering. This means she has had hearing issues for the last 18 years. She mentioned that around 10 years ago, I had given her a hearing aid, and it worked well, helping her manage her hearing. Due to her hearing issues, her husband left her, and now she lives with her parents. Her father takes care of her child's education, so even though her hearing aid stopped working two years ago, she never went anywhere to get help to hear better.
I told her that since she had been in silence for so many years, to get her hearing back properly, she would need good technology. These high-tech hearing aids would help her hear speech better. I told her I would give them to her at a minimal price and that she would at least be able to communicate one-on-one and also work and earn money for herself. She said, “I understand, I know, but I can’t spend.” I said, “Okay, I know you, so don’t worry. Give me the money in instalments I’m ready to help you.” She said, “I don’t have work, so how will I repay?” I said, “It’s okay. Whatever money you have, you can give, and I will cover the rest. I really want to help you. Your daughter is here we can tell her that when she becomes an engineer, she can earn and return that money, and then we can help another person.” Her prompt reply: “She will become an engineer after 3 years. Till then what??”
She wasn’t sure whether she would hear well outside with the hearing aids, so I told her she could take the hearing aids for three or four days, and if she felt uncomfortable, she could return them. “No, I live very far. How will I come again?” Then I said, “Now you decide. I’m really ready to help you — you decide what you feel is right.” Her daughter also said, “Let’s try this and come back.” Then she said, “I will ask my dad what to do.” It so happened that her father didn’t pick up the phone. She said, “Why should I take these hearing aids if I can’t pay you? Why should I take anything for free? I’m not comfortable with that thought. It’s nice, but my mind, body, and soul are not ready to take it for free, to take an obligation and that too without asking my dad.” I counselled her and said, “I’m so happy with your honesty that I want to help you.” She just refused to take the hearing aids and said, “I will come again with my father, get the money, and whatever is available within that amount, I will take it.”
I was so impressed with this lady’s self-respect and her ethics in life despite being in one of the most difficult life situations. In my 33+ years of practice, I’ve seen so many patients some rich, many celebrities who ask for extra favours, discounts, or take all our facilities for granted, delay payments, or repeatedly reschedule. Many times, their family members don’t cooperate in giving them the best possible solution. And here was this lady, in silence for so many years, struggling to hear, living with so much darkness but still such a strong and pure soul from within. Living in silence, yet having a peaceful sound life. Where do you find such people nowadays?
I learned from her how extremely positive a person can be. Sometimes I think these are the people who have real faith in God. Even though they are in the most difficult phase of life, God is there to guide them. They know how to survive and how to motivate themselves every single day. I think our country is surviving today because of such financially poor people, the ones living in silence, yet being honest and truthful to themselves, the ones who believe in and uphold true values towards life, towards themselves, and towards others. I salute this lady and people like her who have embedded faith in our cultural values.
It is said that there are ways of curing illness one being putting the force of consciousness and truth on the affected physical spot. The effect depends on the natural path and the receptivity of the person. In her case, though the organ of hearing was affected, the sound of silence is so powerful that it cures and relieves her from the pain she goes through. In contrast, other people with insufficient receptivity suffer worse, as their physical damage also affects their psychological state their illness becomes refractory and you can’t do much to help. Lord Krishna has narrated in the Bhagavad Gita that the path to love and peace is through honesty and values. I feel such beautiful people can truly perceive the melody of life Lord Krishna through his Bansuri.
I read somewhere: “Do not love your ill health, and the ill health will leave you.” I have learned from this lady today, though the sound of silence is not loved by everyone, if you love your silence, then that silence of sound can be more powerful than you ever imagined. Today I have started to learn, don’t think about what you don’t have in life; think about what you do have, and enjoy every bit of it.
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