Be Tranquil in Solitude
A profound and powerful instruction
In any spiritual path, an aspirant is exposed to numerous principles and practices, and the nature and interpretation of these vary across different paths. But, if there is one instruction that stands out for its simplicity, profundity and impact, it is this one — ‘be tranquil in solitude’.
It is one of the instructions from the text Upadesha Panchakam, composed by the great sage and scholar of Advaita Vedanta, Adi Shankara. In the fifth verse of this text, he says: ekānte sukhamāsyatām (एकान्ते सुखमास्यताम्). Literally, it means “in solitude, sit in tranquillity.”
In this article, we explore the purport and objective of this instruction, with particular focus on the term ‘solitude’.
Another interpretation of the instruction
The instruction (ekānte sukhamāsyatām) from Adi Shankara is sometimes interpreted as ‘sit comfortably in solitude’. Some see this as a preparatory step before meditation. Here is what Adi Shankara says in Atma-bodha (verse 38):
“Free from attachments and having conquered the outgoing senses, seated in solitude, one should meditate upon the eternal and non-dual Self with one-pointedness of the mind.”
But here too, one has to interpret the phrase ‘sit comfortably’ appropriately. Whatever be the interpretation, it does not refer to the physicality of things, but to the state of mind which has made itself free from any contact at the level of thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Solitude is not ‘being alone’
“I want to be alone”. This expression, in general, means that one doesn’t want to be in the company of others. But does being away from the company of others give us the solitude we want for our spiritual pursuit?
No, it does not. Why? Because, in most cases we say, “I want to be alone”, and retire to a room alone or to a solitary place, carrying a book, smartphone, tablet or the laptop. In the context of our discussion, this cannot be considered solitude.
Why is this not solitude? Because with a book or an electronic device, we have entered another world where we are still in contact with an ‘imaginary’ world, and sometimes more intensely.
Can I be solitude with my thoughts?
Let us now go a step further. One is alone and also does not have any other object or creature to give company.
Sometimes people say, “I want to be left alone in the company of my thoughts”. In the context of the instruction we are discussing, this too cannot be considered solitude. When we are with our thoughts and feeling, we are engaging intensely with the imaginary inner world we have created.
In that moment when thinking began,
An object called thought is born;
Rethink, you reinforce that thought,
And there is now an attachment taut;
Before you control that one wave,
The thought has got you for a slave;
Like in all else in this diverse world,
Behold the cyclic nature unfold;
“As we think, so we become”, they say,
That single thought is fully at play;
What was a mere thought in the past,
Is more alive than the world so vast;
Where is the question of ‘solitude’ here,
Real now are desire, love and fear!
Just because one is alone in a forest, or in the expanse of the hills, in complete silence, it does not guarantee the calmness of solitude, if we carry the entire baggage of thoughts, emotions, etc.
Why are we seeking solitude?
In life, driven by our desires, we are constantly in a state of activity. The sense organs and the mind are constantly looking outward, seeking happiness in the activities and objects of the world.
But the truth is, the world is not the one that gives us the real happiness. The source of true happiness lies in the inmost core of our being — in the Self.
Realizing this, we want to now withdraw the outgoing mind from the world of objects, activities, pleasures, etc. and establish it in the Self.
This is how one attains tranquillity, says Bhagavad Gita (verse 2.64):
“The one in whom the mind and intelligence are in control, freed from likes and dislikes (attachment and aversion), and with the senses under control, though active in the world around, attains tranquillity of the mind.”
In the text Sarva-vedanta-siddhanta-sara-sangrahah (verse 107), Adi Shankara says, the following qualities are required to attain tranquillity of the mind:
“Diligent study of the scriptures (Upanishads), equal vision towards favourable and unfavourable, not hankering after honour, disposition for being in solitude and yearning for liberation.”
In the above verse, Adi Shankara uses the phrase ‘ekānta-sheelatā’, meaning the disposition or inclination for being in solitude. What a beautiful term!
Etymology of ‘solitude’
Here is the etymology of the Sanskrit word ‘ekānta’ (solitude):
एकस्मिन् एव अन्तः समाप्तिः यस्य ।
Meaning: “That which ends in one”.
In this context, it means: Everything ends in the One, non-dual Brahman, the Supreme Reality, the Universal Self
Here are some other ways the term ekānta (solitude) has been interpreted:
- The only end or aim — The one, non-dual aim to be attained, Brahman
- Devotion to one object — Exclusive devotion to the One, Brahman
- Directed towards or devoted to only one object — The one object being Brahman
- Absolute oneness — which is our real nature, the non-dual Self
In the text Ribhu Gita (verse 33.10), an exposition on Advaita Vedanta, there is a phrase: एकान्तैकप्रकाशोऽहम्.
It essentially means “I shine alone”. The implication is:
- I am independent
- I am not dependent on anything else for my existence
- I am the One, the non-dual, that shines alone
- I am the one that illumines all, the witness to all
A few other quotes
Ashtāvakra Gita (verse 17.1) says:
“He alone has attained the fruit of knowledge (of the Self) and that of yoga, who is content (knowing that the world cannot bestow happiness), who is pure (not desiring anything, not attached to anything), and who delights in being alone.”
Delights in being alone: This comes from the realization of the oneness of the Self and Brahman. In other words, ‘Self alone is’, and there is nothing other than the Self.
Bhagavad Gita repeatedly talks of the importance of solitude (verses 13.11, 18.52). In the following verse (6.10), the text says:
“The practitioner of the yoga of meditation, should constantly steady the mind, remaining alone in a solitary place, with the mind and body in control, free from desires and longings and devoid of possessions.”
In Vivekachoodamani (verse 368), Adi Shankara describes the benefits of solitude thus:
“Being in solitude facilitates control of the sense organs; control of the senses helps control the mind; and controlling the mind helps getting rid of egotism. The destruction of egotism gives the practitioner the incessant experience of bliss of the Brahman (the Supreme). Therefore, one should always strive to control the mind.”
Sit in a state of tranquillity in solitude
Let us now turn our attention to the instruction of Adi Shankara.
Having recognized that happiness does not come from the world outside, sit in solitude, without any contact with the world. It is not referring to being inactive, but for the senses and the mind to be in a state of calm without yearning for objects of the world.
It is not the ‘physical’ contact with the objects of the world that is being referred to here. The contact-less-ness is at the level of the mind and the faculty of the senses. This is the true meaning of ‘being alone’. Also, solitude does not mean running away from things and people.
To begin with, it may begin as a practice at the level of physical solitude, i.e., to be alone and away from the contact of other people and things. But the real intent of solitariness is being contact-free at the level of the senses, mind and intellect.
Introspect over the following key points related to ‘be tranquil in solitude’:
- Always strive to withdraw the outgoing mind, and dive within
- Real tranquillity is independent of the world and its objects, and is in the Self
- If mind and senses are constantly in pursuit of objects of the world, then the mind cannot abide in the Self
- The Self can be realized only when away from the world and its objects
- The moment there is one more object or thought, it brings about duality
In Conclusion
I hope this article has given you many points to introspect over.
When we realize that we don’t need ‘anything’ to be happy, we will begin to understand the real meaning of solitude. Being in solitude is not a practice, it is a mindset!
