In Relationship with Solitude

I was once told that no one valued solitude as much as I. Nothing in my response was helpful for in Zen one does not explain, one experiences.

That said, whenever I am questioned about my love of solitude, it is May Sarton’s words that return to me: “Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self.”

Yes, that is the experience, letting go of ego. Chögyam Trungpa says it’s a matter of “admitting the helplessness of ego to control its world and secure itself.”

In an ever-changing world, trusting the self is to become comfortable with “groundlessness” as Pema Chödrön calls it. Certainly, it’s a lifetime practice and one not without its challenges.

After all, we are always in relationship, even with the insect in the room. On so many days, it is in relationship that I begin.

Aim for Even posts offer equanimity a dose at a time. No day or dose is ever the same, even if the aim is. You may read about the origins of Aim for Even here or on this site’s About page.