[ Chapter 08 ]
IDEAL SOLITUDE
In the
//Sutta Nipata// we find a discourse by the Buddha entitled "The Rhinoceros
Horn" in which he compares the one horn of the rhinoceros with the sage's
solitude. The Buddha praises being alone and the refrain to every stanza
of the sutta is: "One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn." (//K.R.
Norman transl. P.T.S.//)
There are two kinds of solitude, that of
the mind (//citta- viveka//) and that of the body (//kaya-viveka//). Everyone
is familiar with solitude of the body. We go away and sit by ourselves
in a room or cave or tell the people we are living with, that we want to
be left alone. People usually like that sort of solitude for short periods.
If this aloneness is maintained, it is often due to people not being able
to get along with others or being afraid of them because there isn't enough
love in their own hearts. Often there may be a feeling of loneliness, which
is detrimental to solitude. Loneliness is a negative state of mind in which
one feels bereft of companionship.
When one lives in a family or community,
it is sometimes difficult to find physical solitude, it's not even very
practical. But physical solitude is not the only kind of aloneness there
is. Mental solitude is an important factor for practice. Unless one is
able to arouse mental solitude in oneself, one will not be able to be introspective,
to find out what changes in oneself are necessary.
Mental solitude means first and foremost
not to be dependent on others for approval, for companionable talk, for
a relationship. It doesn't mean that one becomes unfriendly towards others,
just that one is mentally independent. If another person is kind to us,
well and good. If that isn't the case, that's fine too, and makes no difference.
The horn of a rhinoceros is straight and
solid and so strong that we can't bend it. Can our minds be like that?
Mental solitude cuts out idle chatter, which is detrimental to spiritual
growth. Talking about nothing at all, just letting off steam. When we let
the steam go from a pot, we can't cook the food. Our practice can be likened
to putting the heat on oneself. If we let off steam again and again, that
inner process is stopped. It's much better to let the steam accumulate
and find out what is cooking. That is the most important work we can do.
Everybody should have occasion each day
to be on her own physically for some time, so that we can really feel alone,
totally by ourselves. Sometimes we may think: "People are talking about
me." That doesn't matter, we are the owners of our own kamma. If somebody
talks about us, it's their kamma. If we get upset, that's our kamma. Getting
interested in what is being said is enough to show that we are dependent
on people's approval. Who's approving of whom? Maybe the five //khandha//
(body, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness) are approving.
Or possibly the hair of the head, the hair of the body, nails, teeth and
skin? Which "self" is approving, the good one, the bad one, the mediocre
one, or maybe the non-self?
Unless one can find a feeling of solidity
in oneself, from the centre, where there is no movement, one is always
going to feel insecure. Nobody can be liked by everyone, not even the Buddha.
Because we have defilements, we are always on the lookout for everybody
else's pollutions. None of that matters, it's all totally unimportant.
The only thing that is significant is to be mindful; totally attentive
to each step on the way, to what one is doing, feeling, thinking. It's
so easy to forget this. There's always somebody with whom to talk or another
cup of tea to be had. That's how the world lives and the inhabitants are
mostly unhappy. But the Buddha's path leads out of the world to independent
happiness.
Letting off steam, idle chatter and looking
for companionship are the wrong things to do. Trying to find out what people
are thinking about one, is immaterial and irrelevant and has nothing to
do with the spiritual path. Solitude in the mind means that one can be
alone in the midst of the crowd. Even in a large and agitated crowd of
people, one would still be able to operate from one's own centre, giving
out love and compassion, and not being influenced by what is happening
around one.
That can be called ideal solitude and means
one has removed oneself from the future and past, which is necessary in
order to stand straight and alone. If one is attached to the future, then
there is worry, and if one is hankering for the past, there is either desire
or rejection. That is the constant chatter of the mind, not conducive to
mental solitude.
Solitude can only be fully experienced
when there is inner peace. Otherwise loneliness pushes one to try and remedy
a feeling of emptiness and loss. "Where is everybody? What can I do without
some companionship? I must discuss my problems." Mindfulness is able to
take care of all that because it has to arise in the present moment and
has nothing to do with future and past. It keeps one totally occupied and
saves one from making mistakes, which are natural to human beings. But
the greater the mindfulness, the fewer mistakes. Errors on the mundane
level also have repercussions on the supermundane path, because they are
due to a lack of mindfulness, which will not allow us to get past our self-inflicted
//dukkha//. We will try again and again to find someone who is to blame
or someone who can distract us.
Ideal solitude arises when a person can
be alone or with others and remain of one piece, not getting caught in
someone else's difficulties. We may respond in an appropriate manner, but
we are not affected. We all have our own inner life and we only get to
know it well when the mind stops chattering and we can attend to our inner
feelings. Once we have seen what is happening inside of us, we will want
to change it. Only the fully Enlightened One (//Arahant//) has an inner
life which needs no changing. Our inner stress and lack of peace push us
outward to find someone who will remove a moment of //dukkha//, but only
we, ourselves, can do it.
Solitude may be physical, but that's not
its main function. The solitary mind is one which can have profound and
original thoughts. A dependent mind thinks in cliches, the way everybody
else does, because it wants approval. Such a mind understands on a surface
level, just like the world does, and cannot grasp the profundity and depth
of the Buddha's teaching. The solitary mind is at ease because it is unaffected.
It's interesting that a mind at ease, which
can stand on its own, also can memorize. Because such a mind is not filled
with the desire to remove //dukkha//, it can remember without much trouble.
This is one of its side benefits. The main value of a solitary mind is
its imperturbability. It can't be shaken and will stand without support,
just as a strong tree doesn't need a prop. Because it's powerful in its
own right. If the mind doesn't have enough vigour to stand on its own,
it won't have the strength and determination to fulfil the Dhamma.
Our practice includes being on our own
some time each day to introspect and contemplate. Reading, talking and
listening are all communication with others, which are necessary at times.
But it is essential to have time for self-inquiry: "What is happening within
me? What am I feeling? Is it wholesome or not? Am I perfectly contented
on my own? How much self-concern is there? Is the Dhamma my guide or am
I bewildered?" If there's a fog in one's mind, all we need is a searchlight
to penetrate it. The searchlight is concentration.
Health, wealth and youth do not mean no
//dukkha//. They are a cover-up. Ill-health, poverty and old age make it
easier to realize the unsatisfactoriness of our existence. When we are
alone, that is the time to get to know ourselves. We can investigate the
meaning of the Dhamma we've heard and whether we can actualize it in our
own lives. We can use those aspects of the Dhamma which are most meaningful
for us.
The solitary mind is a strong mind, because
it knows how to stand still. That doesn't mean not associating with people
at all, that would lack loving-kindness (//metta//). A solitary mind is
able to be alone and introspect and also be loving towards others. Living
in a Dhamma community is an ideal place to practice this.
Meditation is the means for concentration,
which is the tool to break through the fog enveloping everyone who is not
an //Arahant//. At times, in communal living, there is togetherness and
lovingness and service. These should be the results of //metta// not of
trying to get away from //dukkha//. Next time we start a conversation,
let's first investigate: "Why am I having this discussion? Is it necessary,
or am I bored and want to get away from my problems."
Clear comprehension is the mental factor
which joins with mindfulness to give purpose and direction. We examine
whether our speech and actions are having the right purpose, whether we
are using skilful means and whether the initial purpose has been accomplished.
If we have no clear-cut direction, idle chatter results. Even in meditation
the mind does it, which is due to lack of training. When we practice clear
comprehension, we need to stop a moment and examine the whole situation
before plunging in. This may become one of our skillful habits, not often
found in the world.
An important aspect of the Buddha's teaching
is the combination of clear comprehension with mindfulness. The Buddha
often recommends them as the way out of all sorrow, and we need to practice
them in our small every-day efforts. These may consist of learning something
new, a Dhamma sentence remembered, one line of chanting memorized, one
new insight about oneself, one aspect of reality realized. Such a mind
gains strength and self-confidence.
Renunciation is the greatest help in gaining
self-confidence. One knows one can get along without practically everything,
for instance food, for quite some time. Once the Buddha went to a village
where nobody had any faith in him. He received no alms-food at all, nobody
in the village paid any attention to him. He went to the outskirts and
sat down on a bit of straw and meditated. Another ascetic came by who had
seen that the Buddha had not received any food and commiserated with him:
"You must be feeling very badly not having anything to eat. I'm very sorry.
You don't even have a nice place to sleep, just straw." The Buddha replied:
"Feeders on joy we are. Inner joy can feed us for many days."
One can get along without many things when
they are voluntarily given up. If someone takes our belongings, we resist,
which is //dukkha//. But when we practice self-denial, we gain strength
and enable the mind to stand on its own. Self-confidence arises and creates
a really strong back-bone. Renunciation of companionship shows us whether
we are self-sufficient.
The Buddha did not advocate exaggerated
and harmful ascetic practices. but we could give up -- for instance --
afternoon conversations and contemplate instead. Afterwards the mind feels
contented with its own efforts. The more effort one can make, the more
satisfaction arises.
We need a solitary mind in meditation,
so we need to practice it some time during each day. The secluded mind
has two attributes; one is mindfulness, full attention and clear comprehension
and the other is introspection and contemplation. Both of them bring the
mind to unification. Only in togetherness lies strength; unification brings
power.
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DharmaNet Edition 1994
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Transcribed for DharmaNet by Maureen Riordan
Sincere thanks Dr.
Binh Anson for offering us this electronic book. (Thich Nguyen Tang,
12/07/00)
Computer layout: Thieu Manh
Update : 01-01-2002
