Loneliness is a state of mind that is felt by many in our crowded world today. Depression is on the rise. Alienation strikes at the heart of many, especially the youth, though in some countries also the elderly. It shows that paradoxically the more crowded it becomes, the more estranged society is from itself.
Since the soul has been ripped out of our mass consciousness, our culture and traditions, we no longer have meaning to our lives other than the pursuit of money for survival. Religion, culture and family have all been eroded and stripped away so people have few traditions left or symbolic values other than the self. It's every man for himself today.
This is engineered by the bad leadership who have ulterior motives where they wish to keep the masses ignorant and enslaved as consumers and laborers. With the rise of AI even the jobs of laborers will be replaced by robots and machines. As a result even more alienation and meaninglessness will arise and people will have even less purpose to their existence. Dark days are upon us, despite the so-called rise in knowledge and information.
We are labeled as useless eaters by the bad leaders who see the masses not a precious life, as human beings worthy of dignity, but rather as cattle to be herded and culled at will for the convenience of the one percent at the top. This is hell in which we live and we don't even know it.
Therefore, one who seeks escape from this hell might be inspired to flee the masses and go live alone in a remote place. It is much more conducive to yoga, meditation and awakening, compared to living in the crowded towns.
Strangely one might actually feel more content and less lonely when alone, and more alienated when squashed together. When alone, one can take refuge of ones inner world and find companionship with one's other half. Life is but a dream. Solitude is much better than living among those who drag you down.
If you're strong enough to retain your mental health, despite being among crowds and negative people, then you are well suited to a life of service to humanity who need someone to uplift them.
Bhagavad Gita ch6:9
सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु ।
साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते ॥ ९ ॥
suhṛn-mitrāry-udāsīna-
madhyastha-dveṣya-bandhuṣu
sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu
sama-buddhir viśiṣyate
SYNONYMS
suhṛt—by nature a well-wisher; mitra—benefactor with affection; ari—enemy; udāsīna—neutral between the belligerents; madhyastha—mediator between the belligerents; dveṣya—envious; bandhuṣu—among the relatives or well-wishers; sādhuṣu—unto the pious; api—as well as; ca—and; pāpeṣu—unto the sinners; sama-buddhiḥ—having equal intelligence; viśiṣyate—is far advanced.
TRANSLATION
A person is said to be still further advanced when he regards all— the honest well-wisher, friends and enemies, the envious, the pious, the sinner and those who are indifferent and impartial— with an equal mind.
TEXT 10
योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थित: ।
एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा निराशीरपरिग्रह: ॥ १० ॥
yogī yuñjīta satatam
ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ
ekākī yata-cittātmā
nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ
SYNONYMS
yogī—a transcendentalist; yuñjīta—must concentrate in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; satatam—constantly; ātmānam—himself (by the body, mind and self); rahasi—in a secluded place; sthitaḥ—being so situated; ekākī—alone; yata-cittātmā—always careful in mind; nirāśīḥ—without being attracted by anything else; aparigrahaḥ—free from the feeling of possessiveness.
TRANSLATION
A transcendentalist should always try to concentrate his mind on the Supreme Self; he should live alone in a secluded place and should always carefully control his mind. He should be free from desires and feelings of possessiveness.
PURPORT
Kṛṣṇa is realized in different degrees as Brahman, Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, concisely, to be always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. But those who are attached to the impersonal Brahman or the localized Supersoul are also partially Kṛṣṇa conscious, because impersonal Brahman is the spiritual ray of Kṛṣṇa and Supersoul is the all-pervading partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Thus the impersonalist and the meditator are also indirectly Kṛṣṇa conscious. A directly Kṛṣṇa conscious person is the topmost transcendentalist because such a devotee knows what is meant by Brahman or Paramātmā. His knowledge of the Absolute Truth is perfect, whereas the impersonalist and the meditative yogī are imperfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Nevertheless, all of these are instructed herewith to be constantly engaged in their particular pursuits so that they may come to the highest perfection sooner or later. The first business of a transcendentalist is to keep the mind always on Kṛṣṇa. One should always think of Kṛṣṇa and not forget Him even for a moment. Concentration of the mind on the Supreme is called samādhi or trance. In order to concentrate the mind, one should always remain in seclusion and avoid disturbance by external objects. He should be very careful to accept favorable and reject unfavorable conditions that affect his realization. And, in perfect determination, he should not hanker after unnecessary material things that entangle him by feelings of possessiveness.
All these perfections and precautions are perfectly executed when one is directly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because direct Kṛṣṇa consciousness means self-abnegation, wherein there is very little chance for material possessiveness. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī characterizes Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this way:
anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ
nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate
prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ
mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate.
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.255-256)
"When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṇa is not as complete in his renunciation."
A Kṛṣṇa conscious person well knows that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and thus he is always free from feelings of personal possession. As such, he has no hankering for anything on his own personal account. He knows how to accept things in favor of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and how to reject things unfavorable to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is always aloof from material things because he is always transcendental, and he is always alone, having nothing to do with persons not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the perfect yogī.
Reference: Bhagavad Gita As It Is, translation and commentary by Swami A C Bhaktivedanta, original Macmillan 1972 edition.
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