The ancient masters of all the great religions recommended time alone as a crucial means of discovering true self.
It was the 40 days that Jesus took for time alone in the desert to confront his own shadow and the demons of temptation. Moses removed himself alone to Mount Sinai to receive the ten commandments from God.
It is in the time spent alone that we come closest to the divine and our life purpose, especially if it is time alone in nature.
The Chinese masters of the body arts such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong called the empty space between the spokes of the wheel more important than the spoke itself.
It is in that empty dark space between the stars where you touch the divine.
We as a society are obsessed with what the wise ancients called the distractions of the 10,000 things.
The news media feed on negative news, the constant subliminal messages working our emotions instill a need for material things we mostly don’t need. There is confusion between necessity and want.
It is no coincidence that with the addiction to distraction there are very few people who can truly bear to spend time alone.
We are thus constantly seeking the accolades through social media as a reassurance. But it will seldom lead you onto the path of deeper spiritual experience.
It is during the walk alone, the time-out during a silent retreat and the alone time in nature where the gateway to the soul opens and you begin to realize who you truly are.
It is during the alone time that we discover the heart, the love and the divine within. It is who we truly are and that which soul wants to illuminate.
Reino Gevers – Author, Mentor and Consultant
