Dealing with Loneliness

How does one overcome loneliness?

Any negative emotion cannot be overcome by passivity. Putting out energy is vital, even if it is to begin making friends with yourself. To achieve a calm mind and calmness within oneself, the first thing needed is to get rid of distractions. Making a habit of television is a terrible thing.

A meditation technique to help bringing calmness is to watch one's breath with the bija mantra Hong Sau. A mantra is a word of power which has effect in the physical world. (The Hong Sau technique is explained). In the Western world, the word Amen can be taken as a mantra.

Among hurtful emotions is anger. How do we overcome it? If we learn to relax when we are tense or angry. In relaxation is acceptance. How to overcome hatred against someone who has caused you hurt? Accepting that it is and surrendering to that. This can happen if we realize that in the greater law of karma everything balances out. Learn to accept and not lash out. Anything you hate draws you to it. Love and hate both have an attraction. So learn to accept life and people.

To conquer any negative emotion, we must have energy. Meditation techniques can be very helpful, and Swami Kriyananda discusses how to meditate, as well as the use of mantras.

Questions include:

• You mentioned a way of dealing with loneliness which was to go out and be really alone — to confront your loneliness with energy. Could you talk more about that?
• Could you share a mantra or meditation technique that would help one to become calm?
• Are there mantras in any Western tradition that you know of?
• When we say that we are not a sinner, it doesn't mean that we haven't sinned, it just means...?
• What could a person do about other negative emotions, like anger?