Solitary cultivation- Living as a hermit, has anyone experience/info on this?

[Janus]

Edited August 13, 2008 by Janus

[Aetherous]

If you're going way out into the wilderness, it's essential to know how to find food. A good book for the states (especially I think around the Pennsylvania area...don't know where you live) is "Stalking the Wild Asparagus"...talks about foraging for all kinds of different wild foods, and how to prepare them, etc. One of my favorite books.

 

It's good to know how to build a decent shelter, or find one. Caves are good. Pop up campers are the best.

 

Know how to insulate the ground so when you sleep you don't lose all of your energy and heat.

 

There's a lot of basic survival stuff that you should learn if you're doing it that way, so spend a good deal of time in the nature section of Barnes and Noble.

[Sahaj Nath]

Edited July 7, 2008 by Hundun

[Ryan T.]

There's a lot of basic survival stuff that you should learn if you're doing it that way, so spend a good deal of time in the nature section of Barnes and Noble.

 

Also, read and watch "Into the Wild' by Jon Krakauer(film by Sean Penn). It's a good example of what can happen when you think you are prepared for anything but nature proves you wrong.

[.broken.]

Hello,

 

I feel solitary cultivation would be useful as this time for me...

 

I know people do it, so then I know I can do it.

 

How I will do it, is the issue...

 

I can use my imagination here...

 

But I wonder, is it usually done with guidance from another?

 

At the obvious level their doesn't seem to be any information on the net, and I can't see any "Dummies guide to becoming a hermit", so this stuff is real personal. I even question whether it is useless to post this here.

 

Since not many others desire to do this, I feel my wish is to honoured.

 

I caught a post of someone saying they had stayed on some mountain or something.

 

Has anyone done solitary cultivation or met/known a hermit?

 

All experiences are welcome.

 

Just gathering scraps of information together...

 

Let me know! Reply, or PM me, whatever...

 

Cheers,

Janus

 

It depends on the tradition as to whether guidance is involved. Some have guidance from spirit guides, others from fellow humans. I'm reasonably certain that some Buddhist sects have some of their more senior monks leave for solitude under the instruction of the Abbot. In contrast, I know that female shamans in parts of Alaska are called to leave their settlements alone - when they leave they come across their guide who will guide them through the process of realisation.

 

Generally some guidance does come into play.

 

You should be careful that your desire to leave for solitude is not one out of disgust for your fellow beings, rather it should be out of compassion. One is escapism, the other a selfless act.

 

If it is selfless, and if the desire grows up from a deep place within your being, then I would imagine that everything that would take you to solitude will manifest. It's karma.

 

On a practical note be sure that you have taken care of everything on the homefront. You may choose to take a sobatical from employment in which case you'll need to converse with your employers; you may need to cover mortgage payments or pay for storage space while you are away; you will need to find out where your wish to reside, or even choose a nomadic lifestyle; you will need to know how to fend for yourself when in isolation (very much dependent on how you wish to live - could range from collecting water to how to make knots).

 

Concerning your spiritual development you should have a good idea of the practices you wish to do.

 

Think that's about all I can offer. If you do go down this path I'd very much like to hear how you got on I am planning my own solitary period for a number of years from now... much to learn still.

 

Yours humbly,

James

[Taiji Bum]

I am saving for a hermitage. But since I dont want to live on mushrooms, bark and fern sprouts I am building a small but reliable financial system to support me. I have enough money but now I am looking for a small cabin on a lake or river. I might even form my future hermitage into a non-profit to dodge taxes and what the heck.... Taoism is a religion after all.

 

Scotty is actually near where I was looking a few years back. There are a lot of old mines in Northern Michigan that I was thinking of cultivating in. As a Catholic we have a long history of hermits so finding info is pretty easy and you might want to read some of them and see how they did it.

 

Luckily, I grew up on a farm and know how to camp and live off the land. You might want to try camping in a tent for a week with minimal food to see if you like being stinky, hungry and doing tick checks. Living in hermitage sounds romantic until the first tick attaches to your nose in the middle of the night.

[Sahaj Nath]

Living in hermitage sounds romantic until the first tick attaches to your nose in the middle of the night.

 

 

for me it was the ruthless band of mosquitoes!

 

LOL!

[de_paradise]

I am saving for a hermitage. But since I dont want to live on mushrooms, bark and fern sprouts I am building a small but reliable financial system to support me. I have enough money but now I am looking for a small cabin on a lake or river. I might even form my future hermitage into a non-profit to dodge taxes and what the heck.... Taoism is a religion after all.

 

Scotty is actually near where I was looking a few years back. There are a lot of old mines in Northern Michigan that I was thinking of cultivating in. As a Catholic we have a long history of hermits so finding info is pretty easy and you might want to read some of them and see how they did it.

 

Luckily, I grew up on a farm and know how to camp and live off the land. You might want to try camping in a tent for a week with minimal food to see if you like being stinky, hungry and doing tick checks. Living in hermitage sounds romantic until the first tick attaches to your nose in the middle of the night.

 

 

The small cabin idea sounds ideal. Living too austerely takes away from meditation time. I muse about this quite often. How about a cabin near a mineshaft, so to be close to do darkness meditations.

[Taiji Bum]

It's crazy but I always plan out a very simple dome cabin but my attached dojo is always so elaborate. I want to go with a dome home cause of cheapness and durability. I might even bury it to make a hobbit hole. (Plus living in dome reminds me of Yoda...... so..... ) A buried dome might have the same characteristics as a cave as far as electromagnetics go.

[Janus]

Edited August 13, 2008 by Janus

[mbanu]

You could become an urban hermit.

 

Move to a city where you don't know anyone.

Live alone in an area with indifferent neighbors.

Change your phone number and don't forward the contact info to friends and relatives.

Get rid of your internet connection.

Get a job where you work alone and don't interact with the public.

Spend your time in places where nobody bothers to linger, or never thinks to look for.

 

Why do you want to become a hermit?

[Janus]

Edited August 13, 2008 by Janus

[Janus]

Edited August 13, 2008 by Janus

[Sahaj Nath]

Edited July 7, 2008 by Hundun

[Aetherous]

Let me lighten the tone, I'm still young.

 

I can relate.

 

I just wish to practice a lot, so I can awaken...

 

What practice do you do?

 

I am living amongst normal people, and gradually disconnecting from them to use what free time I have for something useful: practice.... I can raise my consciousness quite well alone, but feel my consciousness getting pulled down around others...

 

Why can't you pull up their consciousness by raising your own?

 

At least for myself, I've found that sometimes the best spiritual practices are in dealing with others...they test you to the core.

 

I have recieved resistance from my parents for practicing and my friends don't understand. They are rather negative....

 

Yeah I know how that feels. I was really on fire for spiritual stuff and ended up ditching my friends after like 7 pm so I could go do my practices, back in high school...they thought I went nuts. It hurts to hear that from your best friends, to have them not understand and talk behind your back...no matter how spiritual you are, it hurts.

 

I just wondered whether those who did solitary retreats did it purely by intuition, were guided by a master, or whether it just happens naturally when the times right... But I guess the paths are so varied...

 

All of the above...if you feel like you should do it, then I think you should.

[mYTHmAKER]

First I would decide what practices are for me.

 

Next I would search for a place that gave those practice and go on

a retreat for a month or a number of months etc.

There are all sorts of places - silent retreats being one of them.

There are places where they put food under your door once a day and you meditate.

Some you follow a schedule, others you're on your own.

 

There is no need to give everything up or give everything away.

Think of it as a vacation from the world.

One thing you will learn is no matter how hard you try you cannot escape the world.

Where ever you go there you are.

You will be faced with the same issues you tried to escape from.

So I prefer my cultivation in the city in crowds.

 

For some people it can be difficult to get any thing done when they have plenty of time

so you might find yourself in your cabin and not able to do your practices.

Many people accomplish much more when they have a tight schedule.

 

Possibly when we receive resistance from others (parents) we are forcing issues.

In some way, subtly or pushing it in others faces, we project that what we are doing

is better than what they are doing.

 

Just do your thing without pushing it on others - hopefully you will change for the better and they will see the change and gain respect for your path.

Edited July 7, 2008 by mYTHmAKER

[Adam West]

Hey Janus,

 

Perhaps you would like to test run the idea for three weeks to see how you'd really cope and respond. If your in the USA, you might like to arrange time in the Samadhi cave. See below link.

 

http://www.samadhihermitage.org/cave.shtml

 

The thing is, most people in this world are so busy "doing", that when they have nothing to do and they are forced to just be with themselves, it is a nightmare. I know people who go on retreats and all they do is bush-walk or study Sutas. This is because they literally can't spend time with themselves all day long doing nothing - and certainly not meditating. No one can escape their own mind, we must face it sooner or later if want self-realisation. Having nothing to do forces that and a melt-down often follows. If you can't face your own mind at home with others around, there is a good chance you can't do it alone too.

 

However, if you have sufficient maturity to work through it with practices, sleeping and guidance from one who has been there and done that, you will settle in and make good progress and may, if so disciplined and completely let go and dive in, fully awaken within a one year time frame. But who really has that kind of discipline (in letting go)? People are constantly in a defensive mode of grasping, distracting and shifting responsibility. There are very few realised masters for a reason. It is not easy to do. We are our own worst enemies....

 

I have not done the samadhi cave retreat as I am Australian. But I have done solitary retreats living on my own within society fully withdrawn from social practice. The above is what I found. I almost went all the way during that time, but not quite and so did not affect a permanent level of realisation. Went back to society too soon and lost much of what I achieved - but not all. So will need to do it again...

 

In kind regards,

 

Adam.

 

* Edited for spelling and grammar.

Edited July 7, 2008 by Adam West

[KoHsuan]

Maybe this course would be one for you.. never done it by myself though

 

http://www.damo-qigong.net/program.htm

[thelerner]

On the HTUSA site there are some articles from Michael Winn about spending time in taoist caves. They're a good read.

 

Michael

[shontonga]

Janus, Great topic, Thanks!

Interesting to hear what others experiences are/had been.

Others have shared some great advice,

well worth rereading and seeing what resonates with you.

 

Not sure my own crazy stories have much to offer

but will share some if I can figure out how!

 

I am a hermit by nature. Always have been.

For the Way I go ... am not "allowed" to have A teacher

(ie. all are teachers) .

 

Have to follow spirit.

 

For me my "retreat" into solitude was a matter of perfect timing

Was also young, way back when ... but out of school at that point.

Wouldn't have been able to do such a thing while in school.

Would have liked to though!

That is where a retreat would be a good way to go, maybe?

 

In many ways for me it was a progressive action? Not all of a sudden.

Had already removed myself from many circles of people,

never cared to be around drinking or drugging, usin' and abusin'

so was easy to back off for me ... class song was "Up in smoke".

 

At the point had just left a job and was apprenticing sculpting in metal

out at a farm/artist colony. We had goats. I miss them!

 

Didn't have any "possessions" folks keep talking about! LOL!

had a car but it was ready to be left on the road at any time.

It was two years older than me! Back before they had radios,

or air conditioning, or heat, or seat belts,

or glove boxes for that matter!

The Thing had a shelf.

I kept a box on it that would slide back and forth when i went around corners!

But so did I without the seat belts!

I wasn't "holding" on to it.

(unless i was going around a corner!!!)

 

The farm always had empty places nobody really knew about or cared about.

Was always an empty room and at that point about 87 acres of land : )

Folks got used to seeing me there and just figured I was a crazy artist and left me alone.

I became a mascot of sorts, HaHaHa.

Had worked it out so there was only three people in my life

on a regular basis/in my days.

Not counting my folks but didn't even see them much (regret that part, that was my loss.)

 

Three crazy people, man!

One friend who studied the same things as me,

and I had tried to get rid of her but she just always stuck around anyways!

The man I was aprentincing with and a Tall fellow who worked wood.

I loved the smell of his studio.

Most folks out there had spiritual practices of some sort or another.

Their art shined with it!

and they didn't care about what odd thing i was doing at the time!

It was "normal" out there.

 

For me, I knew I needed to be a hermit for awhile,

felt like I wasn't long for this world otherwise.

Also knew I live in this world so was important for me to stay in this world.

Didn't do it because of awakening, enlightening, blissing my brains out or whatever.

Did have "Risings", call it what you may, it doesn't matter. ( I still step in shit.)

Life had already taught me that I may just not be here tomorrow.

If I am it's an unexpected gift!

 

Am not one that tends to have goals because of that

and it doesn't work so well trying to plan things and following spirit!

Try it! See what happens!

Spirit may just have you spin in a circle, touch your toes,

and go off in some totally other direction!

 

My way of staying in this world was by apprenticing (IE. CHEAP labor!).

For an hour or two during the day I would sit outside the studio texturing metal.

Meant I had to talk to all the folks that walked by

and by nature I also tend to have to teach

So would hand folks a hammer show them how it was done,

always end up in some FAR OUT conversations.

Would do that two or three times a week.

The guy I was doing the work for loved it.

Was like free advertising for him.

Then the rest of the time was spent in meditation or reflection or energy work, etc.

Mostly in the fields or woods.

 

Ended up pretty much living out there.

Working for some of the artists here and there for a little(very little!) cash.

Like I said didn't have more than three people in my life on a regular basis.

Suited my nature well for about two years, like that.

Then realized I would find myself getting depressed.

Wasn't lonely, LOL. or missing people per say.

The number one trigger for me, reason for me to get depressed is

if I'm not learning enough!

 

I needed to have the freedom to talk things over with folks.

Share the experiences & stories, that make folks who they are.

I Love books... any books!

But the knowledge in a book is often dead(sorry.).

It has often already happened.

Creation/Life is a continuous sort of thing always evolving, growing!

I was needing that exchange that allows knowledge to continue.

The energy that spurs it on, and wasn't able to generate it for myself.

At that point I got myself slowly back into being around more people.

And most of my practices seemed to slow down again then.

Which for me was a good thing at the time.

 

I Loved it!

Made some mistakes, had crazy experiences, Learned a lot.

like others have said ... also had problems out there with ticks, misquotes,

and I'll throw one more in, spiders.

And the COLD, though i realize it more now than I did then.

The buildings out there were renovated chicken coops.

The wind blew through.

I thought it was heaven!

I was young.

 

 

Of all the advice I see so far on here, the things I wish I had heard,

is about saving up some cash so you can survive easier.

I wasn't working at that point.

Would get $25 bucks a week or so from the guy I apprenticed for.

That went into car insurance, $5. gas, and forget about food.

Was living mostly on apples from a orchard near by.

Would get some bread, an ice tea that I would continually add ginger to

and distilled water once a week.

Was working with heavy metals that is the reason

for the apples and distilled water.

Found If I ate a full meal (veg./starch/meat or protein)

once every three days I could function and feel fine.

That's just crazy and probably the worst thing I've ever done for my body!!!

take care of yourself. Eat well !!!

... I was young! foolish ... though i did know better?

 

So Save up some cash before venturing off

into the wilderness of your psyche!

 

Also know your reasons and be honest with yourself always, if you can.

That will keep you safer than anything anyone else could ever tell you.

Listen to yourself.

Don't judge yourself by what others have done or are doing.

It's your life, Enjoy it!

 

Sorry this got so freakin' long so fast!

 

Stay well, have fun with what ever you find yourself doing!

 

Shonton Ga

 

Hey,Might be fun?

Read Kahlil Gibrans' bit about the hermit.

May be interesting?

Think it is called the tempest.

It's short. Maybe a dozen pages if that, and they are a fast read!

Check it out !

 

Sorry this life's story is so long!

Tried to make it short!

 

Peace!

[hagar]

Jeez.

There is so much romanticism around the whole " withdraw from the dust of the world" issue.

 

From those I have talked to, and my own experience, youth is not the time to go on retreat alone. If you feel compelled to do that in your twenties, search out a real sangha and hang out there.

 

If not, your practice is worthless if you cannot merge it with real life in the midts of a city. Only after some years and profound transformation is retreat from society beneficial. Before that, your're only cultivating spiritual materialism. Retreat happens almost naturally, meaning the only thing LEFT to do. AFTER all other carmic, societal, economic and inter-personal issues have been worked through. Read "Understanding Reality" by Chang Po Tuan, and you'll see constant reference to an alchemical training manual insisting in connection with mundane life.

 

BUT, if you still want to go on retreat whatever it takes, here's what I have learned:

 

1. Camouflage it. Meaning don't call it a reatreat, and make it look like something else. Personally, I went on a "climbingtrip". Other times I've gone off to "Work as a skiinstructor", to learn foreign languages etc.

Why? It helps both you and your next of kin, your future employers and your CV to better deal with your needs.

 

2. Use about 3 weeks before you start intense practice. After that time starts to slow down, and work differently on your system. And you have gone through the first period of boredom.

 

3. Find a way to keep your attention on something NOT your practice: Have a woodshop, do some hiking, have a job, ditch your mat and only sit in a chair, learn a sport.

 

4. Choose a very pleasing spot/location. And I mean VERY pleasing. If you can do it in a resort town, overlooking the pacific, DO IT.

Why? You'll thank me when your inner demons start to do their work.

 

my 2 kr.

 

h

[dao zhen]

Generally I think a lot of planning has to go in to do this properly.

 

I also think money is the most important factor to consider.

 

This is just a reality of our modern times.

 

With money you may buy a piece of land, build a proper house, and have money to buy the needed suplies and food for the long term practice.

 

You may also be able to make the house in some manner that has the basic comforts, so there is not a lot of worry in daily living.

 

It is also important from my study to not go off too soon.

 

First you should learn from living in the secular world, and cultivate in society.

 

After making some progress in cultivation, and learning to feel peaceful and in harmony with society, deal with your desires and attachments, then it is a fine time to go off alone, or with a practice partner to cultivate in isolation.

 

So work on cultivation and self mastery while in society, and at the same time save money for the future expense of the retreat practice.

 

Perhaps another very important thing to consider is the gaining of a proper or true method of practice.

 

Without knowing how to practice for the long term, and what dangers to avoid; some trouble could arise.

 

I think it is fine to cultivate without a teacher if you have already spent enough time with a teacher to gain an intermediate level, and a good understanding of all the practice methods, theory, and how to avoid trouble in the practice.

 

There are also internal teachrs that will arrive on the scene at a certain stage.

 

It is viewed in Taoism theory to have one or two practice partners or companions with you is also a good idea.

 

This serves a few purposes.

 

You can support each other over the long term with any sickness, emotional trouble, or doubt that may arise.

 

So it is something to consider to get a partner, and go off together for a retreat.

 

In the old days there was also a practice of the 3 year retreat in Taoism.

 

The student would go into the room for 3 years and not come out.

 

The teacher and companions would visit to take out waste, or bring foods, but the room design was a special door that has only the bottom half to open so the student would not view any faces or body, just pass the waste and receive the food in this way.

 

This was to be done for 3 years.

 

In the old days, this was a precondition for being considered a teacher or having some ranking.

 

I do not think many take part in such retreat training now, and as we can see, many freely term themselves, "Taoist Teachers" now.

 

I hope to take part in isolated retreat training for the long term in the near future.

[Janus]

Edited August 13, 2008 by Janus

[Vajrasattva]

On the HTUSA site there are some articles from Michael Winn about spending time in taoist caves. They're a good read.

 

Michael

 

 

Indeed. One of my students just got back from China with Winn and had a blast.

 

 

 

 

In this day in age its not needed to leave society. Infact its more important to be in society and cultivate.

 

I would recommend if you are going to live in the wilde go seek out http://members.aol.com/trackerinc/

 

He is the best in the US for that sort of thing.

 

Otherwise just be a master of your URBAN CONCRETE JUNGLE.

 

 

You can schedule yourself where you have one day a week in solitary retreat. Or just learn methods to do RETREAT with your Astra & Spiritual Bodies there is a technique very useful for that sort of thing called "DAMO's CAVE" that Glenn Morris taught. Works very well. Cause then you can retreat anytime you wish with out having to leave the confines of your on home.

 

I would recommend you do a mini retreat 20 to 40 min 2 xs a day in your house or area. And then maybe once a week or month or every few months do a 1 day retreat to 3 day intensive retreat in your home.

 

Be safe & be practical. The world doesn't need another asethic that only seeks enlightenemnt for him or her self but does nothing towards the bettering of humanity and society.

 

I look at being in society as if having a weight vest on. when you take it off you are that much better stronger and resilient.

 

The real masters walk among everybody they do not Exclude the world or its people.

 

Peace,

 

Santiago

Edited July 7, 2008 by Vajrasattva

[SFJane]

yes I have experience with this

 

From 1996-2005 I lived like that intermittently.

 

I was of the Urban hermit variety.

 

At various times I was laid off from my blue collar job for a few months. I had to live extremely frugally but I was able to live more or less like an urban recluse.

 

I had an apartment to myself in an apartment complex in Rancho Cordova California. Every day I got up at 4 am and rode my mountain bike down to the American River Park. From 4 am to noon ish, all I did was sitting, standing and moving meditation practices. Then I took a break, lunch, read some books etc. Around 3-4 pm, I went back into the park to begin again from late afternoon to late night. I would stay past sunset and sit until I was ready to leave. Sometimes I found myself leaving the park long after it was officially closed at 10 pm. Sometimes I was there past midnight or even later. Sometimes, when I got really into sitting, I found myself at the river's edge at dawn.

 

I started living like that at the age of 22 and I maintained that lifestyle, off an on until I was 29. I had to take breaks from living that lifestyle in order to do temp work to get a few pay checks to pay for rent or food for a few more months before I could go back to full time practice again.

 

I made two moves. One to Rochester NY for a bit and then to San Francisco. Once in SF i had to find a place to live, something to do for money but once I had that, I was back to the same lifestyle only now in the Golden Gate Park or even on Ocean Beach.

 

There were times when I had:

 

no car,

no bike

no phone

no internet

no playstation

no tv

no sex

no parties

no job

no social time

no recreation cash or shopping

no recreational substances

not even a surplus of healthy food

 

I literally wore the same two outfits, all black and grey and blue, for years without variation. I could not afford a closet full of clothes. I had no pretty things, no cute shoes, just hiking boots and a flannel.

 

Whenever I worked it was to save up for more Energy Arts classes.

 

Once I obtained a *critical level* of knowledge about nei gung and chi gung,

 

there was only so much more I would get from more and more classes

 

at some point you have to take the skill sets from your teacher and go train, train, train on your own for long sustained periods of time so you can actualize those trainings and own them for yourself

 

I became quite happy being poor and alone. I loved it.