This beautiful paragraph is from the book 'Living with Himalayan Masters' by Swami Rama.
I am never lonely. A lonely person is one who is not aware of the complete fullness within. When you become dependent on something outside without having awareness of the reality within you, then you will indeed be lonely. The whole search for enlightenment is to seek within, to become aware that you are complete in yourself. You are perfect. You don’t need any externals. No matter what happens in any situation, you need never be lonely. One day when I was sixteen years old I was standing outside our cave in the Himalayas and saw several people approaching. When they came closer, I recognized them to be a ruling prince of India with his secretary and guards. He came up to me and arrogantly said, “Brahmachari [young swami], I have come to see your master!” In the very same tone I said, “You cannot see him!” His secretary asked, “Don’t you know who he is?” I replied, “I don’t care, I am the protector of this cave! Go away!” So they departed. They returned several times, but to no avail, because I seldom allowed anyone to see my master. I wanted to shield him from disturbance, and we had no inclination to see arrogant people.
Sometimes I would say to my master, “These rich people come from far and wide and you say you don’t want to see them. Is this good?” He would smile and answer, “I am happy with my Friend within me. Why do I need to see these people? They are not genuine seekers; they want something worldly. One wants to have a child, another to have a high position. They don’t want spiritual food. Why do you ask me to see them?”
Finally the ruler prince recognized that I didn’t care about his status, so he changed his attitude. When he came again he politely asked, “Sir, may I please see your master?” I took him inside the cave, where my master was sitting quietly.
That prince wanted to be polite and to show his manners and Western breeding. He said, “Sir, you seem to be lonesome.” My master said, “Yes, because you have come. Before you came I was enjoying the company of my Friend within. Now that you have come I am lonesome.”
It is true that the highest of all companionship is the company of the real self. Those who learn to enjoy the real self within are never lonely. Who makes us lonely? Those who claim to know and love us, or those whom we love, create loneliness and make us dependent. We forget the eternal Friend within. When we learn to know our real self we do not depend on externals. Dependence on external relationships is ignorance that needs to be dispelled. Relationships and life are synonymous and inseparable. Those who know the Friend within love all and are not dependent. They are never lonely. Loneliness is a disease. Being alone happily means enjoying the constant company—the constant awareness—of the Reality.
After learning this lesson, the ruler returned to his palace and pondered over the teachings. He then started practicing meditation. He soon realized that it is possible for everyone to be free from the self-created misery of loneliness and to enjoy life.
I am never lonely. A lonely person is one who is not aware of the complete fullness within. When you become dependent on something outside without having awareness of the reality within you, then you will indeed be lonely. The whole search for enlightenment is to seek within, to become aware that you are complete in yourself. You are perfect. You don’t need any externals. No matter what happens in any situation, you need never be lonely. One day when I was sixteen years old I was standing outside our cave in the Himalayas and saw several people approaching. When they came closer, I recognized them to be a ruling prince of India with his secretary and guards. He came up to me and arrogantly said, “Brahmachari [young swami], I have come to see your master!” In the very same tone I said, “You cannot see him!” His secretary asked, “Don’t you know who he is?” I replied, “I don’t care, I am the protector of this cave! Go away!” So they departed. They returned several times, but to no avail, because I seldom allowed anyone to see my master. I wanted to shield him from disturbance, and we had no inclination to see arrogant people.
Sometimes I would say to my master, “These rich people come from far and wide and you say you don’t want to see them. Is this good?” He would smile and answer, “I am happy with my Friend within me. Why do I need to see these people? They are not genuine seekers; they want something worldly. One wants to have a child, another to have a high position. They don’t want spiritual food. Why do you ask me to see them?”
Finally the ruler prince recognized that I didn’t care about his status, so he changed his attitude. When he came again he politely asked, “Sir, may I please see your master?” I took him inside the cave, where my master was sitting quietly.
That prince wanted to be polite and to show his manners and Western breeding. He said, “Sir, you seem to be lonesome.” My master said, “Yes, because you have come. Before you came I was enjoying the company of my Friend within. Now that you have come I am lonesome.”
It is true that the highest of all companionship is the company of the real self. Those who learn to enjoy the real self within are never lonely. Who makes us lonely? Those who claim to know and love us, or those whom we love, create loneliness and make us dependent. We forget the eternal Friend within. When we learn to know our real self we do not depend on externals. Dependence on external relationships is ignorance that needs to be dispelled. Relationships and life are synonymous and inseparable. Those who know the Friend within love all and are not dependent. They are never lonely. Loneliness is a disease. Being alone happily means enjoying the constant company—the constant awareness—of the Reality.
After learning this lesson, the ruler returned to his palace and pondered over the teachings. He then started practicing meditation. He soon realized that it is possible for everyone to be free from the self-created misery of loneliness and to enjoy life.
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