5th Journey Towards Self-Realisation - The 99 Days of Silence

5th Journey Towards Self-Realisation

The 99 Days of Silence

Opening

While teaching in the classroom one morning, a student suddenly said, “I don’t like Math.”

Her voice carried anger, resistance, and dissatisfaction — as if the subject had wronged her.

I smiled gently and asked, “Do you think Math likes you?”

She paused, surprised. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

I continued, 

“If Math likes you and you don’t like it, it makes some sense. But if both of you don’t like each other, it doesn’t make any sense — there’s no fun in moving ahead. You can’t skip Math, so why create complications with it? Start liking it. Believe me, it’ll like you more than you expect.”

That one line changed everything. She smiled, tried sincerely for a week, and her performance began to rise. Her marks improved — but more importantly, her attitude transformed.

Examples or Incidents

Sometimes, getting good marks in Math becomes harder because learners start expecting success without building a connection with the subject.

It’s not fair — you can’t reap without sowing.

I often tell my class, 

“Don’t study for marks. Study to gain knowledge, to sharpen your logic, to train your mind. Marks will automatically run behind you.”

Another time, a student was completely frustrated with his score. I asked him to close his eyes and imagine entering school again.

“What do you see first?” I asked.

He said softly, “My classroom.”

“Then?”

“My teacher… the prayer…”

“Does your teacher like you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then open your eyes and study again. Everything that welcomes you here — likes you already. You just forgot it for a while.”

He smiled, and slowly began solving the ‘mystery’ of equations with focus and faith.

Reflections

That day, I realised — hatred, even towards a subject, sends vibrations of resistance. And in return, the subject resists us too.

Just like in equations, what you substitute is what you receive.

The same formula works in relationships, in learning, in life.

If you add negativity, the outcome will always be negative.

But when you substitute patience, curiosity, and self-belief — the answer shines beautifully clear.

Perception shapes everything.

When someone is introduced as “disciplined and intelligent,” we form an image of respect.

When the same person is described as “lazy and careless,” our mind starts judging even before knowing them.

Math too suffers from this wrong introduction — it’s never the villain; it’s the mirror of our own understanding.

And in breaking these myths, I’ve seen miracles.

When I taught an uneducated girl in Mumbai, I started from the basics of English. Within a month, she could communicate freely. Later she handled other subjects, and a year later, she disappeared from my sight — only to reappear two years later in news that she had cleared her 10th exam privately.

That day, silence filled me — the kind that speaks without words.

The 99 Days of Silence

Those silent months during COVID-19 became my sacred retreat — 99 days of solitude, reflection, and divine companionship.

In that stillness, I learned the true language of the Universe: discipline, surrender, and service.

No crowd, no chaos — just me and the silence that taught more than any book ever could.

From those 99 days were born the habits that shaped the new me — early rising, mindful teaching, and writing from the core of consciousness.

The solitude of COVID-19 became the symphony of self-realisation — peace, purpose, and pure service. 

Takeaways

• Liking what you learn makes the learning like you back.

• Marks are reflections, not goals — understanding is.

• Energy returns what you emit — be conscious of your vibrations.

• Solitude is not isolation; it’s incubation for awakening.

• The Universe blesses those who practise consistency with humility.

From the Desk of the Author

Every classroom I enter now feels like a prayer room.

Each student, each equation, each moment of silence is a gentle whisper from the Universe.

Teaching is not my job anymore — it’s my sadhana.

And when I guide a learner from fear to faith, a part of me realises,

“The real lesson was never for them — it was for me.”

Note or Appeal

To every learner — never build walls between you and knowledge.

Even silence can become your greatest teacher if you listen deeply enough.

To every teacher — remember, when words fail, presence teaches.

Your calmness, your patience, your belief are the real equations your students solve.

Continue Reading…

As the silence deepens, a new dawn begins.

In the next part, the seeker slowly dissolves — leaving behind only pure awareness.

Part 6 — The Calm After the Questions

When the seeker disappears, and only awareness remains…

— Rakesh Kushwaha

Author | Educator | Founder — Mathivation HUB