Spiritual Practice In Solitude ( Sri Ramakrishna On The Need For Solitude)

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Why is solitude so important? A tender plant must be hedged, otherwise it may be eaten away by cattle. Similarly, the untrained, susceptible and fickle mind of a young spiritual seeker must be protected from worldly temptations and unholy impressions. Once the mind becomes strong and gets a permanent impress of God, there is no more danger of it being polluted by the world. Sri Ramakrishna used to explain this with the help of various illustrations. He would tell his devotees, "Be ye turned into gold by once touching the philosopher's stone. Then even if you are laid deep under the earth for a thousand years, you will remain gold for ever, and behave like gold, when you are dug out"

"The world is like water, and the mind of man, like milk. Milk will mix with water if you put the two together, but turn the milk into curd by letting it stand still in a pot. Then churn it and have butter. Now if you keep the butter in water, it won't mix with it but float unattached." Sri Ramakrishna was of the firm opinion that one cannot all of a sudden rise to the spiritual height scaled by King Janaka, who ruled a kingdom and yet lived unattached in the world.

Janaka [Sri Ramakrishna said] spent many long years in devotional practices in solitude away from the din and bustle of the world. It is easy to say but a different matter to be Janaka. What terrible austerities did not Janaka practise at the outset ? Enter into the world after gaining Jnana and Bhakti for yourselves. The best curd is formed when milk is left alone to stand quite still. Shaking or even changing pots, spoils it. Living in solitude may be important and possible for those fortunate spiritual seekers who have no family bondages and worldly responsibilities and who aspire to devote their whole life for God.

What then about the ordinary householder, who is already entangled in the world? For him too Sri Ramakrishna recommended solitude as the best remedy. His advice to such devotees was: That the mind may be thus unattached and fixed upon God, it is meet that you should often retire into solitude, ie such a place which is away from either men or women, a place where you may be left absolutely to yourself, praying to the Lord with a yearning heart for the true knowledge. There you may abide in prayer and devotion with no thought of Samsara for at least three days, if not more, or even for at least one day if not three.

Read more on the benefits of seeking solitude for spiritual practices on the Next Page