Vedanta Kesary, 1992, August 314-318
Solitude is also important for the concentration of mind. A restless mind cannot think uninterruptedly of God. Its restlessness must be reduced at least to some extent if one wants to meditate well. Now, the mind gets restless either due to external sensory stimuli or due to thought-waves arising out of the store of past impressions in the subconscious mind. If the external sensory stimuli are not stopped, they not only disturb the mind but also produce fresh impressions or samskaras. So it is advisable for one to live in such an environment where the external stimuli are minimum. Then the problem caused by the internal stimuli arising out of past impressions alone remains for the spiritual aspirant to deal with. And if these impressions are noble, controlling them is not difficult.
Another major advantage of solitude is that we are able to study our own mind. This is not possible to do when one is busy with a hundred activities. Our subconscious desires and impulses do not find a clear expression when we are busy or engaged in hectic activity. The social surroundings permit only a few of our desires to find expression and fulfillment. The do's and don'ts of the social setup force many of our desires and impulses to remain suppressed. We are compelled to act like a gentleman and thus suppress most of our evil tendencies. Under such circumstances, we may wrongly consider ourselves as noble, even saintly. In solitude, where no one observes us and where there is no worldly activity to keep us 'busy', the subconscious mind gets sufficient opportunity to reveal its ugly face. An alert seeker can observe this aspect of his hidden personality as a detached witness and correctly assess his spiritual progress. This in itself is a great gain.
If there are evil tendencies in us, the Lord too is always with us, ever ready to guide, to lead and to lend a helping hand. But in a busy life and noisy surroundings, with so many things demanding our attention, we are not able to listen to His voice. In solitude when the external noise subsides, when our personal preoccupations are over and the mind is quiet, the still, inner voice is heard, the much needed guidance for the journey on the spiritual path is obtained, and we draw closer to the Lord.
While there are many advantages in living in solitude, there are dangers and problems too. Unable to control the sudden onrush of evil thoughts arising out of the subconscious mind to the surface of the conscious mind, an inexperienced and weak-minded seeker may succumb to them. Or the tension caused by contrary desires and impulses may drive him mad. That is why a novice is not generally advised to live alone in solitude. Swami Brahmanandaji used to say, 'Until you have advanced a little, you cannot live in perfect solitude. Many have gone mad by seeking absolute solitude prematurely. Living in the company of saints and other spiritual aspirants in a quiet ashrama is more beneficial for such novices.
There is another danger. A sudden reduction or stoppage of the accustomed mental and physical activity may lead to inertia and laziness. Such a person then spends his time in sleeping rather than in meditating. Or he may invent activities other than spiritual practices to keep himself busy. In fact, a well-trained, experienced sattvika seeker alone can derive maximum benefit from such retirements into solitude. It is therefore always advisable to prepare oneself before retiring into solitude for spiritual practices.
Solitude is also important for the concentration of mind. A restless mind cannot think uninterruptedly of God. Its restlessness must be reduced at least to some extent if one wants to meditate well. Now, the mind gets restless either due to external sensory stimuli or due to thought-waves arising out of the store of past impressions in the subconscious mind. If the external sensory stimuli are not stopped, they not only disturb the mind but also produce fresh impressions or samskaras. So it is advisable for one to live in such an environment where the external stimuli are minimum. Then the problem caused by the internal stimuli arising out of past impressions alone remains for the spiritual aspirant to deal with. And if these impressions are noble, controlling them is not difficult.
Another major advantage of solitude is that we are able to study our own mind. This is not possible to do when one is busy with a hundred activities. Our subconscious desires and impulses do not find a clear expression when we are busy or engaged in hectic activity. The social surroundings permit only a few of our desires to find expression and fulfillment. The do's and don'ts of the social setup force many of our desires and impulses to remain suppressed. We are compelled to act like a gentleman and thus suppress most of our evil tendencies. Under such circumstances, we may wrongly consider ourselves as noble, even saintly. In solitude, where no one observes us and where there is no worldly activity to keep us 'busy', the subconscious mind gets sufficient opportunity to reveal its ugly face. An alert seeker can observe this aspect of his hidden personality as a detached witness and correctly assess his spiritual progress. This in itself is a great gain.
If there are evil tendencies in us, the Lord too is always with us, ever ready to guide, to lead and to lend a helping hand. But in a busy life and noisy surroundings, with so many things demanding our attention, we are not able to listen to His voice. In solitude when the external noise subsides, when our personal preoccupations are over and the mind is quiet, the still, inner voice is heard, the much needed guidance for the journey on the spiritual path is obtained, and we draw closer to the Lord.
While there are many advantages in living in solitude, there are dangers and problems too. Unable to control the sudden onrush of evil thoughts arising out of the subconscious mind to the surface of the conscious mind, an inexperienced and weak-minded seeker may succumb to them. Or the tension caused by contrary desires and impulses may drive him mad. That is why a novice is not generally advised to live alone in solitude. Swami Brahmanandaji used to say, 'Until you have advanced a little, you cannot live in perfect solitude. Many have gone mad by seeking absolute solitude prematurely. Living in the company of saints and other spiritual aspirants in a quiet ashrama is more beneficial for such novices.
There is another danger. A sudden reduction or stoppage of the accustomed mental and physical activity may lead to inertia and laziness. Such a person then spends his time in sleeping rather than in meditating. Or he may invent activities other than spiritual practices to keep himself busy. In fact, a well-trained, experienced sattvika seeker alone can derive maximum benefit from such retirements into solitude. It is therefore always advisable to prepare oneself before retiring into solitude for spiritual practices.
