Question: How can sound and silence help us to grow spiritually?

Sri Chinmoy: Sound and silence can help us to grow spiritually provided we know what to expect from silence and from sound. From silence we have to expect the potential of a seed. And from sound we have to expect the capacity of a tree. If there is no seed there can be no tree. Again, if there is no tree there can be no seed. Here the seed is silence. Now if the seed remains only under the ground, then what good does it to? It has to germinate, it has to become a plant and then a huge tree with flowers and fruits and so forth. Then only is the tree helping mankind, serving the Supreme in mankind. If a seeker knows that silence is the seed and sound is the tree, then he will be able to grow spiritually.