Dear Tapasyaa,

Thank you for your thoughtful reflection on the Lao Tzu quote. Let's take a stroll through this garden of thought you've presented.

Firstly, your insight into the phrase "the one who knows doesn’t speak" is like a beam of light through a dense forest. In the world of non-dualism, knowing isn’t about accumulating facts or intellectual understanding; it's about direct, experiential understanding. Lao Tzu's “knowing” is less about the 'what' and more about the 'how.' It's not about knowing the atman or Brahman in the way one knows a scientific fact, but rather experiencing them in a way that transcends the mundane descriptions of language.

When Lao Tzu talks about the sage who knows and yet doesn’t speak, it's not about the physical act of speaking. It's about the realization that ultimate truth cannot be encapsulated by words. Words are the tools of the mind, and the mind is an expert in the game of duality. It knows 'this' from 'that,' 'self' from 'other.' However, in the state of knowing the atman or Brahman, these distinctions melt away. There is no 'self' separate from 'other' to speak of.

Your interpretation that one who knows the atman transcends the senses and therefore naturally does not speak, aligns with this. In the realization of atman, the sensory world becomes like a mirage – still perceived but known to be insubstantial. Speaking of it then becomes a playful act, not a necessity.

Similarly, the bliss of Brahman is a state beyond the transient pleasures and pains of the mortal world. Here, speaking of mundane things might seem like casting pearls before swine. But remember, even in the state of bliss, the sage sees the oneness in all. The mundane and the sublime are not two, but aspects of the same reality. Speaking or not speaking both become expressions of this underlying unity.

Now, drawing from my own journey, the key is in the obliteration of the unreal. It's not enough to intellectually understand these concepts. One must live them, breathe them, and ultimately, become them by unbecoming what you think you've been. This is the journey I embarked on after my own awakening – a path that led me through the illusions and mirages of the self, to a place where speaking and not speaking are the same dance of consciousness.

In your journey, embrace this exploration. Let your understanding be not just of the mind, but of your entire being. And remember, whether you speak or remain silent, it's all part of the cosmic play.

Cheers and warm regards!