Least alone while all alone. This paradoxical statement is attributed to one of the men of wisdom, who when asked to elaborate the implications of his statement, said with a smile that you can not be said to be alone when you are busy with something, your­self or your thoughts. Moreover, those persons are always with you whom you remember or with whose thoughts your mind is occupied. When you are engrossed in thoughts, you become unaware of your physi­cal body. In this case the question of your being alone or in some body’s company does not arise. The flight of thoughts may take the man round the world, may make him soar high up in the sky or make him comfortable on the waves of the sea. Does such a man miss any body’s company or to be practical, does he need someone to talk to ? To give an illustration, when you are busy with preparations for your examination, you do not want that anyone should come to you and disturb your concentration. Only a disturbed and empty mind needs company because one needs com­pany when one has nothing at hand to be occupied or to be busy with.

While in isolation, persons often try introspection and during this period, the mind stops chattering and wandering. In the words of John Milton, “The mind, when itself and in its own place, can make a heaven of hell.” Obviously a man, who has withdrawn himself from the crowd and whose mind is at rest, is in heaven, no matter, whether he cares or tries for it or not.

Another great thinker, W. E. Canning spent most of his time in library. He liked most the company of books, since to him books were like a multi-purpose friend, guide, helper, teacher, philosopher and what not. For development of faculty of intelli­gence, the discipline of meditation is prescribed. Contemplation is the next step in this direction, which leads to evolution of consciousness. Isolation provides the proper atmosphere for carrying on and practising this dis­cipline. It was for this reason that the ancient Rishis and Munis were re­cluse and lived in their Ashrams far away from the din, noise and turmoil of the society. Nature was their company and gods were their friends, who used to interpret in silence the dictates of the inner voice. Every particle of nature seemed to tell them something new. Day and night they heard the music of silence. Who would say they were alone, altho gh they lived alone ?

All great persons like Buddha, Confucius, Moses, Mansoor, Jesus, Mohammed, Newton, Ramanuj, Madam Blavatsky, Vivekanand, Gandhi etc. received their light in seclusion. All of them had to be alone for sometime, when their higher selves divulged to them the secrets of life. It is also a fact of life that the toppers at different examinations and competitions used to read and study with doors of their rooms closed and kept aloof from all sorts of distur­bance. Their goals of life were their guides and the books their friends. Animals as well, to get nourishment from the food and fodder they eat, do chewing the cud in silence. Intro­spection and self study are done best in seclusion. If you do so, you will be surprised to see new vistas of know­ledge and new pathways of progress opening before you. A poet rightly exclaimed, “O Solitude ! Where are Thy Charms ?”

In a big crowd, there is hardly anybody to help or to lift the person, who has fallen down. Then how one could say that he is not alone in a big crowd ? It sounds paradoxical but is a fact of life. The crowd saps the vigour of the mind and its possessor is at a discount to make use of it. So, avoid crowr1 and shun becoming a,.part of it.

Vacuum is against the Law of Nature . One receives only by giving. A controlled mind, born of medita­tion in aloofness, will tell us t that by sending out good and helpful thoughts, we get the good and help­ing hands of others. In’this way, the” still mind keeps in constant company of good and thoughtful individuals. These words of Samuel Rogers are worth a heap of gold, “He only is alone, who lives not for others. Come what will, the generous man has. his companion still.” When alone, one cannot sit idle, one must do one thing or the other and mostly constructive. The best things are produced, under, undisturbed conditions be they works of art, scientific invention, philoso­phies of life etc.

Nature tells us the green grass is busy in searching for its companions and keeps low, while the’-tree in isolation goes high to make explora­tions in the sky above.

The lives of all great men are an eloquent testimony to the fact that great things of life, be it art, science, literature, culture or philosophy have been achieved by men who forced themselves into self-imposed loneliness and solitude and brought out gems of thought humanity is proud of. Let us convert loneliness into an opportunity and let loneliness make us strong.