Osho On ALONENESS: “Aloneness and silence are two aspects of one experience, two sides of the same coin. If one wants to experience silence one has to go into one´s total aloneness. It is there. We are born alone, we die alone. Between these two realities we create a thousand and one illusions of being together – all kinds of relationships, friends and enemies, loves and hates, nations, races, religions. We create all kinds of hallucinations just to avoid one fact: that we are alone. But whatsoever we do, the truth cannot be changed. It is so, and rather than trying to escape from it, the best way is to rejoice in it. Rejoicing in your own aloneness is what meditation is all about. The meditator is one who dives deep into one´s aloneness, knowing that we are born alone, we will be dying alone, and deep down we are living alone. So why not experience what this aloneness is? It is our very nature, our very being.”
Oh, how I’ve grown to LOVE the sound of silence. I didn’t always love it. No way. In fact, for many years it scared the crap out of me!
I can remember being alone when I was younger and absolutely terrified. I can remember not wanting to leave my room to the point that sometimes I would lock myself in there (often with the family dog) until someone came home. I can remember wanting all the lights on when I went to bed as well as the TV just so I didn’t have to be alone with my thoughts. I couldn’t take what was there. I would do anything just to not have to be alone.
As I got a bit older I started to realize, being around people so much was making me crazy. Don’t get me wrong I love people. I love friends. I love family. But, I needed some space. I needed some quiet. Most of all I needed to feel okay with it.
So, little by little I practiced being alone. I practiced sleeping with the lights out. I practiced turning the tv and music off. I practiced meditation. What I discovered was that I loved it more than anything. What I discovered is that there is a beautiful sound in silence, a sacred sound that calms you to your core. It has a rhythm. You can feel the sound of silence. It cuts deep into your soul. You can feel it in your bones. It sings a song. It vibrates & flows. It tells a beautiful story. It’s your story. Silence is the story of the Universe.
What was I scared of to begin with? What is so scary about the sound of silence?!
What I came to find is that the truth lies there, in the silence.
The truth of what you feel. The truth of who you are. The truth of what you fear.
The fear is of being with your self. The fear that you don’t exist and don’t matter when no body else is around to give you recognition or confirmation that you are alive and important.
In silence, you have to face the fact that you are alone. You were born alone and you will die alone. But, you’re not truly alone. Yes and no. Although you are alone…you are never really alone.
Try it. Just sit and listen and you will feel it. Maybe that’s the fear?? You are not alone but yet you can’t see someone there. We want something tangible that we can taste, touch and see.
Open your mind to a new way of seeing things. Feel the silence. Hear the sound. Feel comfortable just being with your self.
Know that you are loved.
Know that you are safe and supported by the Universe.
No matter how much practice it takes, find the time to spend alone in silence. Cry if you want to. Feel scared if you need to. Get angry if you must. But, Be there in the silence. You will become stronger & more confident because of it.
“The sounds of silence aren’t silent. Each creation that lives sings its own song. It takes a quiet mind, a quiet soul, a quiet heart to hear these songs.”
“Learn to listen to silence. Listen to the world around you. The silence will sing you a beautiful song.”
Is being alone and/or in silence challenging for you??
What is your experience??
