When is silence broken?

Devotees would come to Sri Ramakrishna and ask him about the nature of the behaviour of a man of true realization. They would ask how such a person would interact with ordinary mortals. He would explain the idea using a beautiful analogy. When butter is heated in a pan, it makes a sizzling sound until all the water is gone. Then it becomes clarified and there is no longer any noise. It becomes silent. But, if a rice cake is put into the clarified butter, it again sizzles. In the same way, a man of realization first becomes silent and returns to the world to teach. In this analogy the initial sizzling sound during the heating of the butter is due to the presence of impurities such as water, etc. When it is purified, it becomes silent.

In the same way, a sincere Sadhaka performs intense spiritual disciplines to prepare himself for the realization of the Ultimate Truth. Such a person has to get rid of the impurities accumulated due to various reasons.

During the struggle, the aspirant tries to withdraw from the world, but yet participates and mingles with others at least to some extent. But, as he progresses in spiritual life, he becomes more and more quiet and when true realization dawns on him after he had reached a state of absolute purity, he becomes completely silent. I

t is a state when it is impossible for an ordinary Sadhaka to return to the mortal plane or world of senses from the higher state of Samadhi. Sri Ramakrishna himself was deeply absorbed in the extraordinary state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi for almost nine months with absolutely no consciousness of the body.

Then he was commanded by the Divine Mother to stay in this world for the welfare of others and that is how he continued to live and brought solace to struggling souls.