Solitude

Solitude or Loneliness? Solitude and loneliness-two words that sound somewhat similar to our ears – but do they describe one and the same state of mind? We are born alone, suffer pain alone, die alone. Yet throughout our lives we seek to escape loneliness through acquisition of people and things. In this pursuit, we may feel satisfied at times, but never fully assuaged. The pain of loneliness again returns. Then there are those who "execute a strategic retreat from the world" (as Paul Brunton puts it) in order to create a solitude otherwise unknown. They seek out a state of aloneness as something positive and fulfilling. Why? Those who have sought to realize the higher purpose of existence have found a wellspring of joy in solitude. Learning to be alone with ourselves, facing ourselves instead of maneuvering escapes from our subjective reality, can bring a cleansing of the personality, a peace within, an inner strength that can be carried out into the work-a-day world."In solitude," says Vimala Thakar, "many things are unlearned and many things are learned… your time in solitude… prepares you to be an adventurer into the unknown."