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Notebooks of Paul Brunton> Category 3: Relax and Retreat> Chapter 1: Take Intermttent Pauses

Take Intermttent Pauses1

Perhaps these pages may mpart a fla!our of that unforgettable "uet #h$h $ounters the

tumult of today%s exsten$e&

'

(e must make t#o demands on so$ety f he s to a$$omplsh hs purpose))soltude and

tme& *nd f so$ety s unprepared and therefore un#llng to grant them+ he must take

them by for$e& If ths leads+ as t may+ to the false $rt$sm that he s self)$entered and

proud+ he must a$$ept ths as part of the $ost of gro#th&

3

* modern #ay of sprtual l!ng for busy $ty)d#ellers #ould be to $arry out all normal

dutes but to retreat from them from tme to tme nto rural soltude for spe$al

medtaton and study& In the to#n tself+ they should manage to fnd a half to one hour

e!ery day for prayer and mental "uet&

,

If you begn the day #th lo!e n your heart+ pea$e n your ner!es+ and truth n your

mnd+ you not only beneft by ther presen$e but also brng them to others))to your

famly or frends+ and to all those #hom destny dra#s a$ross your path that day&

-

Ths #thdra#al from the day%s turmol nto $reat!e slen$e s not a luxury+ a fad+ or a

futlty& It s a ne$essty+ be$ause t tres to pro!de the $ondtons #heren #e are able to

yeld oursel!es to ntut!e leadngs+ promptngs+ #arnngs+ tea$hngs+ and $ounsels and

also to the nsprng pea$e of the soul& It dssol!es mental tensons and heals negat!eemotons&

.

/e need these nterludes of mental "uet&

0

u$ky s the man #ho+ n these days+ $an extr$ate hmself from so$ety #thout passng

permanently nto the $loster& 2et lu$k s only apparent+ for no one $an do t #thout frm

determnaton and stubborn perssten$e&

The aggress!e #orld of our tme needs to learn ho# to get out of tme& The a$t!e

#orld needs to learn to st stll+ mentally and phys$ally+ #thout be$omng bored&

4

If #e g!e a part of the day to the purposes of study+ prayer+ medtaton+ and phys$al

$are+ t may begn as a duty but t may end as a 5oy&

16

To begn the day #th su$h hgh thoughts+ su$h metaphys$al readng+ su$h medtat!e

$alm+ s to begn the day #ell& *ll hs rea$ton to ts $omng e!ents #ll be nfluen$ed by

ths #se pro$edure& (e s a far)sghted man #ho refuses to be $arred a#ay by thespeed and greed of our tmes but nssts on makng a perod for elated feelng and

exalted mnd&
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11

(e $an do nothng better for hmself and+ n the end+ for the #orld than to step out of ts

$urrent from tme to tme& If he uses the o$$ason #ell+ he #ll brng ba$k somethng

#orth ha!ng&

1'

In these perod$al retreats from so$ety he fnds the best part of hmself& In so$ety+ hefnds the other part&

13

The earth #ll $ontnue to turn on ts axs+ #th or #thout hm& (e s not so mportant

as he thnks&

1,

If human lfe s to a$he!e ntellgent a#areness+ t must fnd tme+ pr!a$y+ and "uet&

1-

(e must do #hate!er s possble #thn hs karm$ lmts to arrange tmes for su$h

retreats& 7ther#se the pressure of habt and routne+ of other persons and so$al+ famly+

or professonal demands+ #ll pro!de ex$uses for ther negle$t&

1.

In these perods he retreats for a #hle from the outer role he s playng on the #orld)

stage& (e s lettng t go+ no longer to play the 8personal self8 role but to rest from t and

smply 8be&8

10

*t $ertan perods they feel a need to get a#ay from ea$h other& There $an be merely

phys$al+ ner!ous+ emotonal+ or mental reasons for t+ but on the hghest plane t s the

need of that undstra$ted aloneness n #h$h 9od $an be found&

1

Before the day%s busness starts+ attend to your busness #th the 7!erself&

14

The man #ho makes no tme for thought about 9od or $ontemplaton on 9od s to be

pted& or on the s$ale of real !alues hs a$tual busness s mere dleness f t remans

unguded+ unprote$ted+ and unnspred by the truths+ la#s+ or ntutons dra#n from su$h

retreats&

'6

/hen he $an retreat #thn hs o#n mnd and en5oy the pea$e he fnds there+ ho# lttle

$an the busy thrustng be$konng #orld attra$t hm;

'1

If+ to fnd ths lesure+ he has to shorten #orkng or sleepng hours+ t s stll #ell #orth

the pr$e&

''

The prn$ple of temporary #thdra#als and o$$asonal retreats from the #orld s a

!aluable one& It $lears the mnd #h$h has be$ome too fogged #th ts o#n desres& It

$alms the heart #h$h has be$ome too agtated by dsturbng e!ents&

'3
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These nter!als of retreat g!e us the $han$e to lft the mnd abo!e all the hates+ fears+

and greeds of negat!e suggestons from our surroundngs&

',

It s good to forget for t#enty or thrty mnutes ea$h day the #orld and ts affars n

order to remember the 7!erself and ts serenty& Ths forgetfulness s exaltng and

uplftng n proporton to the dstan$e t $arres us from the ego&

'-

* day begun #th mental "uet and nner re$ept!ty s a day #hose #ork s #ell begun&

and nobler than t other#se #ould ha!e been&

'.

Those #ho keep ther lesure too busly o$$uped #th too many unessental a$t!tes+

useless gossp+ or ex$ess!e entertanment to ha!e any tme left to spare for the hgher

purposes of lfe+ #ll ha!e only themsel!es to blame f+ later+ the outer $rses of lfe fnd

them #thout the nner resour$es to meet them&

'0

To st do#n and lterally do nothng ex$ept to abstan from mental and phys$al

mo!ement #ould seem to an unkno#ng onlooker to be another #ay of beng dle&

Perhaps& But there s paradox here+ for t s also the best #ay of beng busy=

'

Nature%s rhythm of energet$ a$t!ty and re$uperat!e stllness offers us an an$ent

lesson+ but too many are ether too slo# to learn t or too mpatent #llngly to redu$e

the speedy tempo and busy thought of the modern mnd& o they fal to return to ther

$entre+ fal to proft by the great e!er)present 9ra$e&

'4

The falure on the part of most people n the /est to g!e a lttle of ther tme to

personal and pr!ate holy $ommunon))brngng no prest or $lergyman nto the perod

but seekng n ther o#n soltude to take ad!antage of the usually #ell)$amouflaged fa$t

that man s essentally alone))brngs ts ne!table $onse"uen$es& Ther l!es may be

good or bad+ ther $areers may be su$$essful or falng+ but #th no $ons$ousness of

Cons$ousness+ they reman only half)men& They ha!e so lttle $ompetent gudan$e from

those #ho are professonal sprtual gudes that most do not e!en kno# the sn through

omsson they are $ommttng+ do not re$ogn?e the falure n duty+ and are not troubled

by the n$ompleteness of ther kno#ledge&

36

* lfe #h$h $ontans no nterludes of stllness $an possess no real strength&

31

The noton that #e must keep e!erlastngly a$t!e to 5ustfy our exsten$e s not a deep

one& @u$h of #hat #e do has no real !alue&

3'

To ths extent+ that he pro!des the re"uste tme and soltude e!ery day for medtaton

and study+ t may be sad that he #thdra#s hmself nto a lfe apart&

33

/thdra#al from the famlar en!ronments+ for bref nter!als+ s good f properly used+
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that s+ f one mo!es o!er to the atttude of beng a deta$hed obser!er of that

en!ronment and of #hat has already happened #thn t&

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These #ho are so o!er)a$t!e and under)medtat!e may be n$redulous of the

suggeston that they mght go farther by gong slo#er& But t s a fa$t&

,-

It s good to #thdra# for a #hle to bathe n the pool of profounder thought))not to

es$ape lfe but to gan stronger fath for l!ng+ $learer !son for a$ton+ and a true

mpetus n all thngs&

,.

/thdra# for a #hle+ not ne$essarly for moral n!entory and personal sto$k)takng+

although t $ould #ell n$lude them+ but essentally for deep real?aton&

,0

The $rt$s of those #ho pra$tse #thdra#al talk of 8es$ape8 n derogatory tones+ as of

some $o#ardly and shameful a$t& But #hy s t so mertorous to stay $haned fore!er to

burdens+ problems+ anxetes+ and $rosses; /hy may a sufferer not take refuge from

ther #eght and pressure+ seek relef from ther tenson+ forget and let them fade nto

abeyan$e for an hour; Ths too s #orth#hle e!en f+ unlke the monk prof$ent nmedtaton exer$se+ he feels no post!e pea$e& or the nstn$t #h$h leads hm nto t

s a sure one+ ho#e!er dm and unformulated t be& It s a far)off re$ognton of a

profoundest fa$t))the $onne$ton #th a (gher Po#er&

,

If he seeks to a!od the $ares of lfe and the burdens of reponsblty by retreatng nto

rural soltude+ $uttng tes and $urbng ambton+ he s enttled to do so& But he #ll be

mu$h better enttled f hs deserton of the busness and tumult of the $ty s only for a

tme+ and only to learn #hat the 7!erself alone $an tea$h&

,4The return to ordnary $ondtons from these #thdra#als may fnd hm some#hat

relaxed+ perhaps #th some feelng of #ell)beng+ e!en f he dd not su$$eed n tou$hng

any hgher state&

-6

Prepare for the day%s lfe by a perod of $omplete stllness&

-1

7pen yourself n these slent perods to ne# ntut!e feelng+ and f t dre$ts you to any

ne# $ourse of a$ton+ t #ll g!e you the po#er needed for that $ourse&

-'

(e s enttled to turn a#ay from so$al exsten$e from tme to tme f that exsten$e

stands n the #ay of hs aspraton and gro#th+ f t obstru$ts the lght produ$ng hs

!son of lfe%s nfnte greatness&

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medtaton on the hgher self $annot 5ustly demand a sprtual return out of all

proporton to #hat they ha!e g!en&

--

Retreat from the #orld s as ne$essary for a healthy nner lfe as return to t&

-.rom these $ontemplat!e ponderngs he may take ba$k truth and strength for hs day)

to)day l!ng+ solutons for hs personal problems&

-0

* man #ho does not g!e hmself the lesure for study+ refle$ton+ and medtaton does

not g!e hmself enough $han$e to gro# mentally and de!elop sprtually& u$h a man

#ll not be able to brng to hs lfe the best preparaton and must not expe$t the best

results&

-

The #orst troubles fall nto better perspe$t!e #hen #e enter nto these #thdra#nperods+ #hen #e look at them from the deeper self%s pose&

-4

top dong #hat you usually do+ $ease your daly tol for a #hle+ and be stll= Thus you

de daly to self&

.6

By nsertng these perods of #thdra#al nto the busness of e!eryday l!ng+ that !ery

busness #ll tself take on $learer meanng&

.1

It s essental to set asde a part of hs mornng for ths mportant purpose& It need only

be a tny part+ f he feels that s all he $an spare&

.'

Japanese proverb: In the bu?? of the marketpla$e there s money+ but under the $herry

tree there s $ontent&

.3

8Be stll and kno# that I am 9od&8 (ere s a dre$t $ommand+ a $ounsel+ e!en a

re!elaton #h$h $an be $arred out only by desertng the e!eryday a$t!tes and

brngng both body and mnd nto stllness&

.,

Pushng oneself to the lmt may help a man at a $ertan tme+ but there s also a

dfferent tme #hen lettng go may help hm more&

.-

There are tmes #hen the heart%s need to feel pea$e be$omes mperat!e and #hen the

mnd%s need of long)range perspe$t!es be$omes o!er#helmng& To yeld to these needs

s not a $o#ardly es$apsm but a sensble re)ad5ustment&

..

urrounded by the dstra$tons of so$ety though t may be+ the mnd must retre and$on$entrate n tself& eated n the mdst of a numerous assembly as he may be+ a man

$an yet d#ell n mental soltude+ as abstra$ted as a lonely hermt&
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$almng one&

Balance inner and outer

04Ths antagonsm bet#een the medtat!e lfe and the pra$t$al lfe s only a supposed

one+ not a real one& If t exsts at all t exsts only bet#een ther extreme and therefore

abnormal forms+ bet#een the #holly na$t!e tran$e state))#h$h s temporary))and the

#holly a$t!e extro!ert state))#h$h s dseased& The proper human lfe s not only

pra$t$al but also medtat!e& There s ne$essarly a $ontrast bet#een the t#o "ualtes

but there need not be an antagonsm&

6

@an%s tral leads all the #ay from the prmt!e #ho d#elt n a $a!e be$ause he ne!er

sa# a $ty to the yog #ho d#ells n a lonely $a!e be$ause he has seen too mu$h of

$ro#ded $tes= But t #ll not stop there& The phlosopher #ll seek an en!ronment#here he $an unte the "uetude and soltude and beauty of Nature #th the $omfort and

stmulaton and appeal of the to#n& (e #ll be partly n the #orld yet partly out of t& (e

#ll $ommune #th hs d!ne sprt yet also #th hs better neghbour&

1

Phlosophy ad!o$ates nether the permanent asso$aton #th so$ety nor the permanent

retrement nto soltude& It does not !aunt the home at the expense of the monastery or

the monastery at the expense of the home& It takes no sde n any absolute manner+ but t

makes use of both n the fullness of ts o#n ds$reton& It says that at one tme or at a

$ertan stage+ so$ety #ll be helpful or e!en ne$essary to a man+ #hereas at another

stage or at another tme+ soltude #ll be not less ne$essary and not less helpful& It saysthat to reman n so$ety #hen the nner promptng s to go nto soltude s to turn

so$ety nto an e!l thngA but on the other hand+ to reman n soltude #hen the nner

bddng s to go forth among one%s fello#s agan s e"ually #rong& * man%s need n these

matters must be d$tated by hs personal $r$umstan$es on the outsde+ and by hs

ntut!e feelng on the nsdeA and f he s n any doubt as to #here hs duty les he has

to fnd and $onsult a $ompetent sprtual dre$tor+ #ho #ll "u$kly put hm on the rght

tra$k& But+ #e repeat+ phlosophy $annot be ted do#n to any ds$plnary formula #h$h

s to be pres$rbed freely to all men and at all tmes& It s hostle nether to retrement

from the #orld nor to a$t!ty n the #orld+ but n$ludes both as beng+ at dfferent

tmes+ part of the phlosoph$ lfe and needful to a #ell)balan$ed temperament&

'

The se$ret of a$he!ng su$$essful balan$e bet#een the $ontemplat!e lfe and the a$t!e

lfe s to go slo#ly+ n$h by n$h+ and not to 5ump&

3

/hat s needed s a daly alternaton of medtatonal retreat and pra$t$al a$ton+ a

s#ngng to and fro bet#een these t#o ne$esstes of a balan$ed lfe&

,

/e must a$t n so$ety the thoughts and dreams of our soltude& It s dff$ult to ad5ust

the lfe of the oul to the lfe of the #orld today and keep a fne balan$e))but #e musttry&
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-

7ught #e to flee the #orld and l!e n as$et$ dsdan of ts attra$tons; 7r ought #e to

nlay a myst$)phlosoph$ pattern nto the p$ture of e!eryday duty; The ans#er s that

both $ourses are $orre$t& /e must buld suff$ent strength to deta$h our hearts from

ensla!ement to desre+ and #e must make pra$t$al the nsghts $onferred by ths "uest

of the 7!erself& /e must learn ho# to do the frst #thout shuttng oursel!es n

monast$ se$luson+ and ho# to do the se$ond #thout losng the proper balan$ebet#een the un!ersal and personal outlook+ a balan$e #h$h marks the sage& /e must

mngle #th manknd to sho# them that a nobler exsten$e ispossble and to share #th

them #hate!er they $an absorb of nsghts and experen$es #h$h only the ele$t usually

ha!e&

.

It s needful to a$he!e a knd of rhythm n the days l!ng+ a #thdra#nness no# and

then pun$tuatng the out#ardness of the a$t!e hours& Ths s needed #hether the

a$t!ty be mental or phys$al&

0The message of rshna n the Gitamay be summar?ed as: 8Ths $alm e!enness of

mnd s kno#n as 2oga& (e #ho #ns t by soltary medtaton n the $a!e gans nothng

hgher than he #ho #ns t by ego)deta$hed #ork n the marketpla$e&8

The longng to remo!e hmself from the #orldly so$ety around and fnd some retreat

may $ome upon hm from tme to tme& (e should nether resst nor yeld to t but try to

understand #hy t arses+ #hat t n!ol!es+ and strke a debt balan$e about t& Then only

$an he see more $learly ho# best to deal #th t&

4The need of rest perods s not lmted only to tmes after #ork or any other a$t!ty))t

s also needed after a number of meetngs #th other persons& Isolaton s needed to

balan$e so$ety& The d!ne presen$e s $ompany enough&

46

* lfe star!ed of perods of beng+ that s+ a lfe extro!erted nto thoughts and a$tons+ s

unbalan$ed&

41

To l!e n the e"ulbrum of the sprt #hle l!ng at the same tme n the turmol of the

#orld))ths s the phlosopher%s pra$t$al but glorous task& The monk #hose nner !o$edre$ts hm to seek the $lostered lfe of a monast$ nsttuton must be honoured for

obeyng t& That s hs spe$al #ay& ome may e!en en!y hs sheltered pea$e #hle

others may shudder at hs somber as$et$sm& But the phlosopher+ #ho seeks the 7ne n

the @any and fnds the @any n the 7ne+ sees no undue superorty ether n the grdled

robe or the trousered sut& (e s ready and #llng to be a monk or to be a #orldlng+

#h$he!er #ay the #sdom of destny+ the pressure of $r$umstan$es+ the gudan$e of

$ons$en$e+ and the n$lnaton of temperament nd$ate& (o#e!er+ he #ll generally

prefer to keep hs ndependen$e by keepng to hmself+ rather than be$ome prsoner to

other people%s fanat$sm& Nor does hs !e# of lfe separate the un!erse from 9od+

a$t!ty n t from a godly lfe&

4'

It #ll be #se to restr$t so$al $onta$ts and a$t!tes but not $arry the restr$tons to
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10/22

extremes& (e must use hs $ommon sense to 5udge ho# far to engage n these a$t!tes

to keep a proper degree of balan$e&

43

It s not that he s $oldly nsenst!e to the #orld tragedy around hm but that he needs

tme to e"ulbr?e hmself to deal #th t&

4,

If he s #orred about the la$k of money to the extent that he $annot keep the nner

pea$e ganed durng the perods of su$h relaxaton+ that s to $ompel hm to be$ome

better balan$ed+ more pra$t$al+ and rghtly ad5usted to the phys$al #orld& (e should

treat t not as somethng to #orry about+ but as a problem to be "uetly fa$ed and

sensbly mastered&

4-

Phlosophy does not ad!o$ate out#ard separaton from the lfe of the #orld although t

en$ourages o$$asonal and temporary retreats& * total separaton s not 5ustfable and+

#hat s more+ not ne$essary&

4.

If he retres to en5oy the tran"ullty of rural retreats+ he does so only to emerge later for

the a$t!ty of $ty #ays& (e does so only to brng more #sdom and more strength+

more noblty and more sprtualty nto hs external lfe&

40

*lthough t s extremely helpful for most begnners to $ult!ate a "ueter lfe+ meetng

fe#er people and keepng less busy+ retrng nto the temporary soltude ea$h day of a

study)medtaton perod+ the asprant need not re5e$t so$ety altogether or totally retre

from e!erythng #orldly& ome do+ of $ourse+ and 5on ashrams or monasteres& But su$ha drast$ mo!e s dff$ult for most persons n modern lfe& Nor s t re$ommended by

phlosophy& The opposton en$ountered n that lfe+ ts materalst$ unpleasantness+

may be treated as a $hallenge& The exer$se of keepng the emotonal self pea$eful+ or

makng the mnd $alm+ despte pro!o$aton+ s of the utmost !alue n su$h

$r$umstan$es&

4

The dff$ulty of $arryng on #th the myst$al Duest n the mdst of domest$ $ares and

the dutes of a household s admttedly great& Ne!ertheless+ karma has put us #here #e

are n order for us to learn $ertan lessons& These lessons $an only be learned there+

amongst $hldren+ husbands and #!es+ and relat!es& The need of soltude and of retreatto Nature s genune+ but ths $an be satsfed by takng o$$asonal !a$aton trps&

44

To bele!e that one mustl!e n a monast$ ashram f progress s to be made and to

despse the #orld outsde as beng sprtually unproftable+ s a mstake& Ths has been

amply !erfed by experen$e+ obser!aton+ and refle$ton& * lfe #holly spent #thn the

#alls of an ashram #thout lengthy perod$ returns to the #orld+ s an unbalan$ed one&

7n the other hand+ t s e"ually true that a lfe #holly spent n the #orld%s a$t!tes

#thout perod$al retreats nto soltude or Nature s also an unbalan$ed one& Therefore+

phlosophy+ n the true sense+ pla$es balan$e as one of ts foremost pra$t$al ams& Ths

referen$e to ashrams s used only by #ay of llustraton&

166


11/22

The prudent and sensble #ay+ #h$h s also the phlosoph$ #ay+ s to retre from the

#orld as and #hen su$h a $ourse s needed+ as and f one $an+ and then to turn one%s

ba$k on retrement tself&

161

/e gan our !$tory o!er the lo#er nature both by strugglng #th t and by flght from

t& That s+ #e need the #orld)arena be$ause of the temptatons and oppostons #h$h tpro!des to test our strength+ try our $hara$ter+ and re!eal the real measure of our

attanment& But #e also need pla$es of soltary retreat #here #e $an deta$h oursel!es

from the out#ard struggle o$$asonally+ examne ts nature analyt$ally and sur!ey

oursel!es $oolly& 7nly by playng ths double role of a$t!st and hermt+ householder

and monk+ only by pra$tsng ths double mo!ement of enterng the fght and

#thdra#ng from t+ $an #e a$he!e that properly balan$ed progress #h$h s sold to

the $ore and s as substantal as t appears to be& et t be added+ ho#e!er+ that #hereas

the #orld%s busness must ne$essarly take a large share of our tme and energy+ the

re$ess and "uetude need take only a small one&

16'* balan$ed #ay of lfe re"ures a person to hold determnedly to ths regular retreat

#hle yet #orkng a$t!ely n the #orld most of the tme& In ths #ay the #orld%s

destru$t!e effe$t #ll be $ountered+ the sprtual !talty #ll be rene#ed+ and the nner

tran"ullty reganed&

163

Eesus sho#ed men #hat to do+ for although he often #ent apart to $ommune #th 9od+

he al#ays returned to l!e #th hs fello#s&

16,

Too mu$h soltude s unnaturalA too mu$h so$ety+ unbearable&

16-

It s not soltude nor so$ety that must be un!ersally pres$rbed but rather the rhythm of

both together& It s ther alternaton+ not ther $an$ellaton+ that fosters true sprtual

de!elopment&

16.

*lthough the hghest end of lfe $annot be to spend t dly n an !ory to#er+ ths s only

$omplementary to the other truth that o$$asonal and temporary retreat to the to#er for

$ontemplaton #ll help us to a$he!e that end&

160

It ad!o$ates a lfe of a$ton pun$tuated by shorter perods of retreat to mantan sprtual

balan$e& Then+ amd the 5ar and 5angle of $ty streets+ he may yet keep an n#ard pea$e

#hlst he goes star)ga?ng& (e doesn%t despse the earth on #h$h he stands&

16

/e ha!e looked out#ard long enoughA t s no# tme to look n#ard as #ell&

164

Relgon s for the gregarous many+ myst$sm for the soltary fe#+ and phlosophy for

the !ery fe# #ho are abo!e both gregarousness and soltude+ #ho $an embra$e ordspense #th ether as ne$essary&

116


12/22

*lthough an obs$ure and pea$eful lfe may be hs desre+ karma may #ll other#se and

brng fame and a$ton+ #th ther $on$omtant troubles+ nto hs exsten$e&

111

/e need ths rhythm of a$t!ty and retreat be$ause #e need tme to deepen fath and

freshen understandng+ to re$uperate sprtual for$es and $larfy nner !son&

11'

It s true that the #ould)be myst$ needs lesure and needs "uet but he does not need

them all the tme+ only some of the tme&

113

(e mo!es n a dfferent #orld of thought from that of the persons))and they are many))

#ho are n$apable of response to hgher promptngs+ and he kno#s t& Therefore he must

keep some part of hs day))ho#e!er small))for hmself+ some pla$e #here he $an be by

hmself& @u$h nonsense s talked or prea$hed n relgous $r$les about 8lo!e+8

8$ommunty+8 and so on& It e!aporates #hen the truth about t s sought& * man $an start

to g!e lo!e #hen he has t to g!e+ but he $an g!e nothng #hen he has none of t& Theordnary man l!es !ery mu$h n hs ego and $an only g!e hs egotsm& If he seems to

g!e lo!e+ there s an egost$ thought or mot!e behnd t& The asprant #ho mmerses

hmself n somebody else%s ego may make the latter feel happer but both are #allo#ng

n the same element& Real ser!$e+ real $harty n the #orld are admrable thngs but

rarely pure& The daly retreat from the #orld+ f for hgher purposes+ may n the end be

better for others+ too& If a man uses these perods to get a#ay from all other nfluen$es

and seek only the d!ne presen$e+ he may n tme ha!e somethng of t+ e!en f only

atmosphere+ to brng others& (s en5oyment of that presen$e $annot help but put really

sn$ere good#ll nto hs atttude to them& The sharng of #hat he feels be$omes a

natural a$t!ty& Ths s lo!e n a deeper more endurng sense+ and more produ$t!e+ too&

11,

Eust as phlosophy ad!o$ates the rule of o$$asonal and temporary retreats as beng

helpful to pra$tse medtaton+ pursue study+ and $larfy the mnd+ so t ad!o$ates the

rule of temporary as$et$sm as beng helpful to purfy desre+ fortfy #ll+ and ds$plne

the body& Ths s a $omponent of ts moral message to the present age 5ust as total retreat

and total as$et$sm #as the rght rule for former ages& u$h a dfferen$e s of !ast

magntude to the nd!dual $on$erned and of !tal mportan$e to the so$ety n #hose

mdst he d#ells& It s often a personal $on!enen$e to $ombne the t#o))the retreat #th

the as$et$sm))and thus keep any dsturban$e of so$al lfe to a mnmum&

11-It s needful to $orre$t mstaken mpressons that t s #rong to try to es$ape from daly

a$t!ty+ and ts troubles+ nto the slen$e& 7n the hghest le!el+ there a$tually are no

problems+ for the great #ork of e!oluton s then kno#n to be all)n$lus!e and al#ays

effe$tual+ and the #orld)experen$e s seen for #hat t s& The ultmate purpose of l!ng

tself s+ of $ourse+ to attan ths state& 7n the relat!e le!el+ there $oexsts the ne$essty

of a$$eptng e!eryday lfe+ together #th ts dff$ultes and problems+ f #e are to

de!elop the resour$es needed n order to progress& The phlosoph$ atttude re$on$les

both these !e#ponts as beng $omplementary and ne$essary to ea$h other&

11.

Those #ho seek $loser $ons$ous relatonshp #th the 7!erself must pay the pr$e+ partof #h$h s resstan$e to the allurements of usng lesure only for pleasure&
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13/22

Shorter pauses

110

Throughout the day he s to take ad!antage of odd moments to lft hs mnd to a hgher

le!el& The pra$t$e re!eals post!e "ualtes of strength and serenty not ordnarlykno#n to be possessed by the person&

11

These reser!ed perods+ these mnutes s$rat$hed for hs o#n best self+ may be g!en to

refle$t!e thought or to slen$ed thought& The day%s part$ular need or the hour%s ntut!e

urge s to be the gudng fnger to hs de$son&

114

It s not only n the spe$al perods g!en o!er to the pra$t$e that mental "uet may be

str!en for+ but also n the "ute ordnary o$$upatons of routne exsten$e& But here a

!ery short tme))perhaps e!en a mnute or t#o))#ll ha!e to suff$e& Nor $an t go !erydeep& *nd t may ha!e to be dsgused or hdden to a!od dra#ng attenton& 2et f t s

repeated at e!ery opportunty durng the day some sprtual proft must emerge&

1'6

The method of re$allng oneself+ at the tme the $lo$k strkes the ne# hour+ to the

pra$t$e of an exer$se n relaxaton or to d#ellng on a Fe$laraton))and ths only for a

$ouple of mnutes))s a !aluable one&

1'1

(e should $ult!ate the po#er to dsengage hmself mentally and emotonally+ #hen

busy #th affars or #orldly o$$upatons+ and turn "u$kly to#ards prayer or medtaton&

1''

The shft from a$t!ty to repose should be sharply done+ mmedate+ almost automat$&

1'3

@an%s need to solate hmself temporarly but regularly from the #orld%s turmol s more

urgent n ths $entury than n any pre!ous one& The ntent should not be to es$ape but to

rally the sprtual for$es and re$uperate from personal stresses+ to take a proper look at

the knd of lfe)pattern he s #ea!ng and to note defe$ts and plan amendments& No one

#ould be #orse and e!eryone #ould be better for takng a lttle tme out of hs day+ for

suspendng hs daly a$t!tes for perhaps a half hour e!ery day+ to 8go nto the slen$e&8fe be$omes spa$ous and unstraned+ ts hor?on of daly l!ng enlarged+ #hen a stll

tmelessness $reeps nto a man%s make)up& (e #ll be$ome less hurred but not less

a$t!e& (e kno#s that hs future s assured be$ause hs present $ondu$t s serene and that

t s safe be$ause hs present understandng s rght&

1',

The d!ne part of our beng s al#ays thereA #hy then s t not a!alable to us; /e ha!e

to pra$tse makng oursel!es a!alable to It& /e ha!e to pause+ lsten n#ardly+ feel for

Its blessed presen$e& or ths purpose medtaton s a !aluable help+ a real need&

1'-(e $an pra$tse for a sngle mnute or for f!e mnutes #hene!er opportunty sho#s

tself& Ths may happen n hs off$e durng a pause bet#een t#o nter!e#s+ n a
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14/22

ralroad #atng room durng the bref perod before hs tran arr!es+ or n some other

pla$e&

1'.

(s earthly busness #ll not suffer in the endbut he hmself #ll gan mu$h proft f he

deta$hes hmself from t on$e or t#$e a day to turn hs attenton to#ard $elestal

busness for #h$h he #as really put on earth&

1'0

In #hate!er #ay he uses ths perod+ #hether to pray+ to relax phys$ally emotonally

and mentally+ or to medtate+ the frst need s to drop hs affars of the moment abruptly

and let go of them $ompletely durng ths short pause& No matter ho# tghtly bound to a

tmed s$hedule hs busness has made hm+ here at least he enters a tmeless #orld&

1'

The medtaton may be short but must be fre"uent+ so that there s not enough room n

one%s lfe or mnd for the #orld to s#amp one $ompletely&

1'4

It s more than a short respte from personal troubles+ more than a #hte mag$ #h$h

leads hm a#ay from a hard and $ra?y #orld: t s a return to the sour$e of fe&

136

The famlar routne of ordnary prosa$ lfe should be broken nto short perods of

pause& In ths #ay t may be possble sometmes to en$ounter the unfamlar hdden

ba$kground of all our thoughts&

131

By #thdra#ng hs attenton nto hmself+ by be$omng $ons$ous of Cons$ousness+ he

rebuts the #orld&

13'

(e s asked to pause at least on$e a day n these #orldly pursuts that are hnderng hm

from hearng #hat the ntuton $an tell hm& (e s asked to $entre hmself+ to dra# hs

thoughts together on ths sngle and supreme theme&

133

To ntrodu$e these $alm moments "ute delberately and "ute regularly s to ntrodu$e

strength and depth nto one%s lfe&

13,

If he $annot fnd a fe# mnutes of hs day to rest n the hgher deas and sa$red

aspratons+ hs lfe s ndeed a falure+ ho#e!er su$$essful t may be by other standards&

/hat are all these other thngs n $omparson #th a d!ne !staton;

13-

rom these bref daly retreats he $an gather enough strength to #thstand the pressures

of $onformty and preser!e hs ndependen$e&

13.

It s mu$h more prudent to set the regular hour for ths pra$t$e than to lea!e t to be set

by $apr$e+ for then he #ll not be able to fnd tme for t at all&

130
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15/22

There s so mu$h po#er and lght n these "uet perods that the publ$ gnoran$e of

medtaton s more than regrettable&

13

(e puts asde the #orld%s problems and hs o#n #orldly problems so that n ths $leared

spa$e #thn hs mnd+ the d!ne pea$e may enter&

134

The $apa$ty for $ontemplaton rarely exsts today among /estern peoples& It s a ne#

one for them to de!elop&

1,6

*t the one tar teel plant n Texas+ there #as ere$ted at the $ompany%s expense n

14-, an nterdenomnatonal $hapel for the use of ther 3-66 employees& The handsome

buldng bears a large bron?e pla"ue as a $ornerstone+ ns$rbed #th the #ords: 8or

prayer and medtaton+ #here men shall fnd lght for darkness+ assuran$e for $onfuson+

and fath for doubt and despar&8

1,1

oltude s as ne$essary at $ertan tmes to the "uester as so$ety s to the $hatterer& The

man #hose ob5e$t n lfe s to fnd hmself must pro!de these !a$atons of pause e!ery

day+ f possble+ e!ery #eek f not+ #hen he $an be alone and medtate&

1,'

The man #ho $annot free hmself for half an hour e!ery day from o!era$t!ty #hether

n #ork or n entertanment s a self)made sla!e& To #hat better use $ould he put ths

small fra$ton of tme than to #thdra# for su$h a hgh purpose as seekng hmself;

1,3

(e s soon dstra$ted by the routnes+ the dutes+ the $ares+ and the a$t!tes of lfe+

ho#e!er petty they are+ so that the great eternal truths re$ede from hs !son& Ths s

#hy su$h perods of temporary #thdra#al are absolutely ne$essary e!ery day&

1,,

If he #ll take the tme to #thdra# for a short perod from the $ontnuous phys$al and

mental a$t!ty that goes on from the moment of #akng n the mornng to the moment

of fallng asleep at nghtA f he #ll use ths perod to obser!e #thn hmself $ertan

del$ate nuan$es of feelng and subtle $hanges of thought+ he #ll begn to $ult!ate hs

a#areness of soul+ hs o#n lnk #th 9od&

1,-

The pause bet#een the ds$harged breath and the ntaken one s smlar to the greater

pause #h$h takes pla$e n nature bet#een nght and day at sunrse and bet#een day and

nght at sunset& *ll these three ponts are mportant to man%s nner lfe& But f he s

gnorant and unnstru$ted he msses the opportunty to take the fullest ad!antage of

them& Eust as ths $an be done by medtatng ether at sunrse or at sunset+ so t $an be

done by sprtual remembran$e bet#een the fall and the rse of t#o breaths&

1,.

/hene!er one has the opportunty durng the day+ #hle not nterruptng other dutes+

one should re$all hs aspraton for sprtual real?aton and rekndle t ane#& It s e"uallyne$essary to pay str$t attenton to one%s $ondu$t and to #ork n the dre$ton of

a$he!ng greater moral ele!aton+ $ontrollng the passons+ sub5e$tng the emotons&

9ood thoughts lead to good results&


16/22

1,0

Is t too mu$h to ask a man to pause n ea$h of hs busy days long enough to $ult!ate

the one fa$ulty))ntuton))#h$h offers hm an utterly dsproportonate return for the

n!estment of tme and attenton;

1,

The modern man+ #ho spends hs #orkng hours n a densely)peopled fa$tory or off$ebuldng and hs pleasure hours n 5ust as densely peopled playhouses+ needs more than

hs forebears e!er dd ths short daly perod of soltude+ relaxaton+ and slen$e&

1,4

Those #ho are #llng to look beyond the day%s famlar routnes nto #der spa$es+

#llng to brng routnes+ a$t!tes and engagements to a $omplete halt for a #hle+ put

themsel!es n a better poston to ds$o!er the trans$endental self&

1-6

@en #ho are so extro!erted that they $an l!e only n external s$enes and external

a$t!tes need some $ounterpose to redress the balan$e& Ths s #ell pro!ded by a

short daly perod of medtaton& They #ould stll be a long dstan$e from those pure

ntro!erts+ the myst$s+ and they #ould stll ha!e ther feet on earth&

1-1

ome $ty #orkers #ho feel t #ould be too tryng to attempt the early mornng

pra$t$e+ #el$ome the bref break of half ther lun$h hour #h$h they spend n a "uet

$hur$h& Ths s made possble+ of $ourse+ only f they eat a smpler meal and f the

$hur$h s near enough to ther pla$e of #ork& *fter the mornng%s stress+ they are glad to

ha!e ther mnds $almed and ner!es soothed by ths bref retreat+ e!en f no sprtual

experen$e $omes to them&

1-'

(e s to g!e hs mnd the $han$e+ at set nter!als+ to #thdra# from the endless a$t!ty

of fllng tself #th #orldly+ petty+ or narro#ly personal thoughts& (e s to repla$e them

all by the $entral thought of the 7!erself&

1-3

or all thngs a pr$e must be pad& or ths treasure of pea$e he must solate a $ertan

perod daly+ #thdra#ng t from personal affars and de!otng t to the sear$h for nner

stllness&

1-,

If you are not #llng to nterrupt your affars to the extent of de!otng a "uarter or half

hour+ on$e or t#$e a day+ to ths pra$t$e+ you are re!ealng #hat sense of !alues

a$tuates you&

1--

The perplexed men #ho #ork and #alk n our larger $tes seldom take tme to $onsder

metaphys$al or myst$al top$s& 2et sn$e these deal #th the purposes of l!ng and the

fulflment of human exsten$e+ they are #orth a lttle thought e!ery day&

1-.

/thout belttlng the pra$t$al !alues of daly l!ng #h$h the /estern #orld shares

e!ery#here+ t must be sad that a better)balan$ed use of ts tme #ould brng t a better

real?aton of our sprtual possbltes& * perod))ho#e!er short))of phys$al solaton

from ts restless routne of bustle+ #ork+ and pleasure+ repeated e!ery day and used for


17/22

medtaton+ #ould be #ell repad& Nothng #ould be lost by playng the re$luse for a

fe# mnutes or+ better+ for a fra$ton of an hourA but mu$h #ould be ganed&

1-0

Is t not #orth#hle to shut out the busy #orld for a lttle #hle+ #th ts turmol and

troubles+ and #thdra# nto the grand slen$e and great pea$e #h$h are to be found at a

$ertan deep le!el #thn oursel!es;

1-

Ths perod of #thdra#al needed to dsengage hmself from the routne rounds of

e!eryday l!ng should be lmted to $r$umstan$es&

1-4

/hat he fnds emergng from these daly #thdra#als enables hm to support more

$almly and more $ourageously the dff$ultes #h$h offset the satsfa$tons of #orldly

lfe&

1.6(s hope les n deta$hng hmself for a short tme daly from hs normal routne+ n

bref separatons from all that $onsttutes hs personal lfe+ or n mpartal examnatons

of that lfe&

1.1

(e must dra# asde from the day%s restless lfe and st do#n for a #hle #th hmself

and by hmself&

1.'

The 7!erself asks to be alone #th hm for $ertan perods e!ery day& Ths s not too

mu$h to ask+ yet t seems too mu$h to g!e for most people&

1.3

These solated perods are to be de!oted to another knd of mental lfe altogether+ far

a#ay from that #h$h preo$$upes hm durng the rest of the day&

1.,

It s a pra$t$e #h$h helps to transform $hara$ter& The shallo#)mnded be$ome deeperA

the sharp)tongued be$ome knder&

1.-

If men #ere n#ardly pass!e to the thought of the sprtual self for some mnutes ea$h

day+ they #ould be more #sely a$t!e the rest of ea$h day&

1..

* day may $ome #hen bulders and ar$hte$ts #ll make a small room for slen$e and

medtaton a part of e!ery stru$ture))be t resdental or busness&

1.0

(e may ha!e "ute !ald reasons for l!ng apart from the #orld and should therefore do

so+ but $an he; e# n ths modern era $an fnd the freedom re"ured+ the pla$e sutable+

the $r$umstan$es permttng t& Nearly e!eryone and e!erythng s hostle to su$h an

ntenton& Total remo!al s almost mpossble but partal remo!al may be attanable&

/hat s #thn easer a$$ess for most persons s a temporary and partal remo!al& Thats+ n the pr!a$y of home+ to arrange a tme and $orner #here he $an hope to be left

undsturbed for a half hour or longer to put hs mnd on somethng more uplftng than
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18/22

that #h$h the #orldly en!ronment $ustomarly demands from hm& Ths re$ess o!er+

ths daly retreat ended+ the $onfrontaton #th the knd of lfe he has establshed n the

#orld to satsfy ts re"urements and hs o#n personal needs for sur!!al #ll ha!e to be

repeated&

1.

It needs only a bref nter!al no# and then to pra$tse ths self)re$olle$ton durng thedayA t s only a matter of t#o or three mnutes&

1.4

* fe# mnutes e!ery day for relaxng the thoughts and feelngs #ll help one to endure

the harassments of tme and a$t!ty& * lttle study no# and then #ll re!eal the (gher

Purpose behnd t all))and there s one=

106

No man s so busy that he $annot take a fe# mnutes from hs day or nght for ths

purpose&

101

/e dread the mysterous $alm of NatureA #e fear to break our o#n $hans of a$t!ty

and plunge nto the stll lagoon of medtaton+ and #e dare not pause to "ueston

oursel!es as to the meanng of t all&

Longer pauses

10'

ometmes t s hgh #sdom to desert the #orld for a#hle+ restng n a hermtage orreposng #th Nature& or a fresh pont of !e# may be found there+ #hat s happenng

#thn oneself may be better understood+ the tred mnd may gan some $on$entraton+

and the frnge of nner pea$e may be tou$hed&

103

The opposton+ struggle+ and dff$ulty of lfe n the #orld pro!des the needed

experen$e #h$h tea$hes the man to $ontrol hs grosser nature+ leads hm to ds$plne

hs anmal self+ and $ompels hm to $ult!ate hs ntellgen$e& But t does not tea$h hm

about hs hgher nature or lead hm to hs myst$al de!elopment& or ths he must

remo!e hmself to soltary pla$es from tme to tme #here the forest+ sea+ or mountan

$an pro!de the ne$essary $ondtons for that&

10,

(e #ll $ome to look upon these seasons of pr!ate retreat as among the most !aluable

of hs lfe& (e #ll learn to regard these perods of self)re$olle$ton as oases n the

$ontemporary desert& /hat he gans from them must not be put n the same $ategory as

the artf$al sprtualty #h$h may be got from the publ$ retreat of ashrams& or he

$omes nto ntmate real?aton of the l!ng po#er #thn hs o#n soul&

10-

*ll men #ho refuse to engage perpetually n the struggles of #orldly lfe are not

ne$essarly nse$ure es$apsts+ hestant before problems+ dangers+ and dff$ultes theyfeel unable to $ope #th& ome are 8old souls8 #ho ha!e had more than enough of su$h

experen$es and #ho feel the need to stand stll for a proper e!aluaton of them rather


19/22

than to $ontnue a blnd part$paton n them&

10.

et hm take to rest and se$luson for a perod of days or #eeks+ some#here a#ay from

$ty nose and nterrupton& To those #ho say that $r$umstan$es make t mpossble to

do so t must be asked: #hat #ould you do f you #ere ordered to a hosptal;

100

(e #ll greatly proft f he retres from the #orld to be alone #th Nature and hs soul&

But he should do that only o$$asonally and temporarly& In ths #ay he makes use of

the method of the retreat to refresh hs aspraton+ to purfy hs heart+ and to ntensfy hs

myst$al lfe&

10

The perod of a retreat may be only a half)day+ a #eekend+ or a #hole month& It may

e!en be a half)year& But t should not be longer&

104If t s ob5e$ted that ths attenton to self)ds$o!ery does not help the #orld or sol!e ts

problems+ the ans#er s+ frst+ that t s part of the #ay to help the #orld+ se$ond+ t puts

one nearer the sour$e of nspraton+ of $reat!ty+ so that one sees better ho# to sol!e

those problems+ and thrd+ the solaton s temporary any#ay and #th ea$h return to

so$ety one s a better person&

16

Those #ho es$ape from the #orld do not thereby es$ape from ther #orldly thoughts&

The ad!antages of o$$asonal temporary retreat from the #orld for study+ refle$ton+ or

medtaton are manyA the ad!antages of permanently hdng from the #orld are fe#&

11

Phlosophy asks no one to turn a#ay from the #orld+ for n ts !e# the d!ne sprt s

not absent from the #orld& But t $ounsels all asprants to get a#ay from the #orld from

tme to tme+ and espe$ally at $ertan phases of ther nner lfe&

1'

/hen he s #eary of hs o#n ego+ of the futlty and frustraton t leads hm nto+ he $an

turn #th relef to ths pre$ous retreat&

13

To retre and do nothng #hle others #ork and do somethng s not ne$essarly a sn& It

may be so n the $ase of the young+ the healthy+ or of those #th oblgatons: t s

$ertanly not so n the $ase of the asprant #ho has rea$hed a $rss #here he needs to

get a#ay for a tme to g!e all hs thought+ all hs energy+ to the nner sear$h for 9od&

1,

Not all those persons #hom our modern psy$hatrsts pronoun$e malad5usted to ther

en!ronment+ or es$apsts from t+ are blame#orthy& /hy should they ad5ust tamely+ or

$onform tmdly+ to the #orld as t s+ to ts many e!ls and sprtual gnoran$e; /hy

should they $ompromse and $ome to terms #th somethng #h$h $an only degrade

them; /ho are the real $o#ards+ the many #ho smugly a$$ept su$h a #orld or the fe#

#ho fathfully st$k to the Ideal; It $alls for $ourage to break #th a famlaren!ronment and to seek a ne# one that offers the $han$e to rse hgher or+ f remanng+

to try to $hange t for the better&


20/22

1-

If su$h retreat s to be most useful+ t should be spent alone and #th Nature&

1.

/hen #e #alk under the groned ar$hes of a $athedral #e do not usually feel the same

emotons as #hen #e step out of the lft nto the bargan basement of a department

store& Ths s #hat I mean #hen I say that e!ery pla$e has ts mental atmosphere+formed from thousands of thoughts bred n tA and ths s #hy I suggest that retreat no#

and then nto a se$luded pla$e for sprtual self)de!elopment s somethng #orth#hle

for the asprant #ho s $ompelled to l!e amd the tumults of a modern $ty&

10

It #as a good pra$t$e+ that #h$h #as formerly done and s stll ha!ng a ftful

$hangeful exsten$e n some pla$es of Burma+ Chna+ Eapan+ orea+ and Getnam+

#hereby for a day or t#o any layman $ould go to a monastery and l!e there lke the

monks durng the short perod+ and $ould repeat hs !st e!ery #eek or e!ery month or

e!ery fe# months 5ust as he #shed& There #ould al#ays be a pla$e for hm #here he

$ould pra$tse medtaton or study or $onsult or merely asso$ate #th the monks& Thsga!e hm a useful $hange of atmosphere&

1

fe n a monastery $an ne!er $onsttute a satsfa$tory or honourable end n tself& /e

may use these retreats for temporary refreshment of heart and rene#al of mnd+ only to

thro# oursel!es more po#erfully nto the #orld)struggle agan&

14

*n nd!dual #ho has #orked !ery hard all hs lfe and feels an nner need to take some

tme off should do so& * rest of ths sort lets the $ontemplat!e sde of hs nature $ome to

the surfa$e& (e must keep #orry and anxety out of hs thoughts durng ths tme&


21/22

143

7nly after one has been a#ay from $!l?aton for long stret$hes at a tme+ $an one truly

appre$ate ts phys$al and ntelle$tual delghts as #ell as really penetrate ts

hypo$rt$al shams and out#orn rel$s+ ts stupd snobbshness and fr!olous

amlessness& Then t s that one real?es that to lead an ndependent exsten$e s the only

#ay&

14,

The strfe and opposton of the #orld g!e you the opportunty of testng progress+ an

opportunty #h$h the monk does not get& Retreat+ retrement+ and soltude are $ertanly

ne$essary+ but only temporarly and not for a lfetme& Retreat for a lmted tme+ for a

#eek+ for a day or for an hour+ and then go+ return to the deserted arena& Retreat for a

month+ or for sx months or a year+ f you feel the ne$essty of t+ but go ba$k and

as$ertan #hat you ha!e really attaned& @oreo!er+ hold the rhythm of soltude n the

mdst of a$t!ty&

14-

Thus retreat be$omes o$$asonal rather than permanent+ a means to an end rather thanan alternat!e end n tself& It s !aluable to those #ho ha!e be$ome mpatent #th+ and

refuse to lose themsel!es $ompletely n+ the surfa$e lfe of our frustratng+ tumultuous

tmes&

14.


22/22

plant begnnng to gro# #thn hm s to sur!!e&

'6'

The perod of #thdra#al s to be g!en o!er to ntensfed study and+ more espe$ally+

to ntensfed pra$t$e of medtaton exer$ses& They are to be days of re$olle$ton&

'63*nythng that g!es a man su$h un$ommon po#er for l!ng $annot rghtly be labelled

as an es$ape&

#as made&

'6,

They are playng the truant from the #orld+ true+ but ths does not ne$essarly mean that

they are playng the truant from lfe&

'6-

/e may not lke the thought but t #ll bear the deepest analyss: a man has the rght to

#thdra# hmself from so$ety+ f he $hooses to&

'6.

(e does not $ome here to es$ape responsblty but to reexamne t+ to see #hether t be

#orth#hle and to #hat extent&

'60

In these "uet soltary retreats he may gan a sold bass and a serene balan$e for all hs

future lfe& But ths #ll be true only f he uses them #sely&

'6

@ore and more a pla$e s beng found for sprtual retreats #thn oneself+ #hether t be

pra$tsed at home or n a relgous $ommunty house+ #hether n the $ty or the rural

$ountrysde+ #hether for an hour or a day&

The Notebooksare $opyrght H 14,)144+ The Paul Brunton Phlosoph$ oundaton&
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1-take intermittent pauses.odt

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