{"id":14022,"date":"2016-06-15T13:11:02","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T18:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=14022"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:28:30","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:28:30","slug":"deva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=14022","title":{"rendered":"Exploring silence as a vehicle of deeper thought"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"(Photo
(Photo courtesy of Rukmini Deva)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Senior Rukmini Deva<\/a> is a SURF<\/span> recipient and undergraduate researcher in the UNC<\/span> College of Arts and Sciences majoring in biology, with a minor in religious studies. Her research focuses on monastic silence \u2014 a lifetime of voluntary commitment to silence and\/or \u201cstillness.\u201d Last summer, she traveled to a Trappist monastery in South Carolina and a Yogoda ashram in India to explore why silence is used as a vehicle of deeper thought and spiritual\u00a0experience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When you were a little girl, what was your response to this question: \u201cWhat do you want to be when you grow up?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I wanted to be a physician. For me, it was always about being able to nurture life \u2014 not about the prestige that comes with a white coat. In fact, I have always wanted to serve in clinics in underprivileged areas of the world. My parents\u00a0taught me that service gives the greatest satisfaction, and I\u2019ve been fortunate to experience glimpses of this satisfaction through various forms of service.<\/p>\n

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Describe your research in 5\u00a0words.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201c<\/span><\/span>The symbolic role\u00a0of\u00a0silence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Share the pivotal \u201cmoment\u201d in your life that helped you choose research as a career\u00a0path.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Researchers have the ability and resources to explore their questions \u2014 and I always have questions. Why did I choose to study silence as a vehicle of communication? It\u2019s an inner journey, but saints have paradoxically attempted to describe the experience with words. Paramahansa Yogananda, a renowned Hindu Swami, stated: \u201cBy delving into the depths of silence, one can find answers to all the religious queries of the heart.\u201d It is evident that silence or stillness is not a void, but a language in itself, and the techniques of attaining that quietness of mind and body differ among religions. I wanted to study the different types of silence to see if they serve the same religious purpose and how they facilitate spiritual evolution.<\/p>\n

\"Deva
Deva (left) practices Indian classical dancing with her sister Meera (right) in her spare time. (Photo courtesy of Rukmini Deva)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What\u2019s an interesting thing that happened while doing\u00a0research?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I brought my grandfather along with me to one of the monasteries in India so he could enjoy the hermitage while I conducted ethnographic studies. One day, he was so inspired by the monks that he turned off the light in his room and meditated for quite a few hours. Later that day, he said: \u201cI had the most beautiful spiritual experience during meditation today. I saw some divine lights!\u201d I couldn\u2019t help but chuckle as I realized that I had\u00a0accidentally\u00a0turned on his room light when I was looking for him, and quickly turned it off when I realized\u00a0that he was\u00a0meditating!<\/p>\n

What advice would you give to up-and-coming female researchers in your\u00a0field? <\/strong><\/p>\n

I would say that conviction is the very first step. We have to really believe<\/em> in what we are doing. Believe in it not because others have told you to, but because you<\/em> have done the work necessary to know that it has potential. Once you\u2019re convinced, be persistent and determined, and nothing can stop\u00a0you.<\/p>\n

Story courtesy of Endeavors magazine’s Women in Science<\/a> Wednesday series.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Senior Rukmini Deva is a SURF recipient and undergraduate researcher in biology, with a minor in religious studies. Her research focuses on monastic silence \u2014 a lifetime of voluntary commitment to silence and\/or \u201cstillness.\u201d 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