Ramana Maharshi says Solitude is for mind and not for body

[Guest guest]

It seems that an American lady by name Eleanor Pauline Noye came here once

or twice a long time ago. A friend of hers, an elderly American woman, came

here about ten days back, and told all people that she would stay for some

time. The Kumbhabhishekam being fixed for the 17th instant, the place is now

full of people. Because of the crowds, she could not have a peaceful

atmosphere.

 

As it is Tuesday today, I went round the hill and came to the Ashram a

little later than usual. I did not therefore know what had happened in the

morning in Bhagavan’s presence. As soon as I went to the Ashram in the

afternoon at 3 o’clock, prostrated before Bhagavan and sat down, the old

American lady came in. Looking at me, Bhagavan said, “The old lady over

there wrote a letter and showed it to me this morning. It is stated therein

that she would like to go the Himalayas to move about with the animals there

and remain in solitude. There are lots of people here now. She is perhaps

unable to put up with the noise. Last night some one else also complained to

me about the noise and I told him that he could not live in solitude even in

the forest because, if there were men here there would be animals there. Why

should anyone go to the Himalayas to live in solitude?” I asked, “Does the

saying ‘Ekaki Yatachittatma’ (living in seclusion with the mind subdued)

apply to the mind only?”

 

Bhagavan: “Yes. That is so.

 

The Yogi who has subdued his mind and body and who is free from desire and

bereft of possessions, living in seclusion all by himself, should constantly

engage his mind in meditation. -- Gita, VI: 10

 

 

“That means a Yogi must remain steadily in the secret place called Atman,

realise that there is none other but his Self, and keep his mind in the

Atman without his mind being deflected to any other matter.

‘Viviktadesasevitvam’ also means the same thing.

 

Unflinching devotion to Me through exclusive attachment of the mind, living

in secluded and sacred places, absence of pleasure in the company of men.

Gita, XIII: 10

 

“It means one has to remain in a state where nothing else but one’s own Self

is existent, without attachment to the outer world and with exclusive

devotion to the Self; living in a place without thoughts, and unattached to

worldly matters.” Hence solitude refers to the mind and not to the body. If

men are here, animals are there. Will they not be noisy and disturb peace?

An American, by name Haig, used to live in our Palakothu.* About ten years

ago, he went away to the Himalayas for the same reason. Recently we received

a letter from him, saying he is coming back and that he will stay here alone

till his death. Many people are like this. They go away saying they do not

get peace here. They wander from place to place and come back here again.”

 

Source: Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam Book