Solitary Reaper : An article by Saranya Ray

To be human is to be lonely. It is one of the deepest and most profound experiences we have. It reveals that our most radical need is to love and be loved. But despite its universality most of us are reluctant to admit our loneliness, even to ourselves and even when we do admit that we are lonely; it is with a feeling of shame and weakness. The cost of this self-deception is very high. But loneliness can also be a very creative and humanizing force. If it is accepted, it can make us compassionate, sympathetic, and understanding and move us towards a greater depth of openness to others and help us to lead a more fulfilling life.

Loneliness is not just being alone. It has to do with feeling lonely, the absence of a meaningful human relationship. The fact that loneliness has something to do with feeling lonely suggests one thing. Our feelings are neither moral nor immoral. Therefore, we can acknowledge them and talk through them instead of keeping them bottled up within. Our feelings change quickly and constantly. It is our faith that is constant. Thus we should live by our faith and not by our feelings.

As creatures, we are essentially dependent on the Creator. To experience this transcendent neediness is to experience loneliness. From the moment the umbilical cord is cut, I am a separate person, I am alone. I stand alone even in a crowd. The experience of loneliness also comes from our uniqueness. No two persons are alike not even identical twins. No one experiences the world as I do. Therefore, no other person can truly understand me. But we all have the need to be accepted the way we are.

Besides being very painful, loneliness can be a very dangerous experience. It can even make the most gifted feel inferior and inadequate. It can lead to depression, discouragement and loss of perspective. When we are lonely we can begin to waver in our commitment and fall prey to the temptation of giving up. The general reaction to loneliness is to think that something is wrong with me. But if we learn to recognize it, accept it with humility and equanimity and learn to cope with it, loneliness can be a very beneficial experience.

We could reap even greater benefits from our essential loneliness if each day we set aside a few minutes of quiet time, stop the treadmill, get out of the ‘rat race’ that is essentially life and spend some time in silence and solitude in mystical silence. We all need some alone time to find some meaning to our human existence and for the fulfillment of the insatiable desires of our heart.

“Language has created the word ‘loneliness’ to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word ‘solitude’ to exhibit the glory of being alone.” – Paul Tillich, philosopher

Saranya Ray is a student of Funlish, Class X.