Baba says, “Children, become introverted; do not say anything. When you follow this shrimat, you will easily be able to go beyond sound.“

We live in an extroverted world, to put it mildly and if you are not an extrovert, it’s hard if not impossible to fit in. “Collaboration’, ‘group work’, ‘workshop’, ‘discussion’, ‘brainstorming’- these are all the buzzwords in the workplace. In schools too, children are encouraged to sit in groups to study, do their assignments together etc. There is hardly any mention, let alone, importance given to solitude or quiet time or ‘introversion’. In fact, if I am a lover of solitude, if I’m the kind that would rather just go off and read a book in my spare time, I might be looked upon as ‘anti-social’ or a ‘loner’ or ‘reserved’ or ‘aloof’. In other words- I’m no one’s favorite person, more of an outcast. I’m coached in my annual assessments to ‘reach out more’ or ‘participate more in team events’ or ‘network more’. And so many of us feel compelled to change our very nature to become more extroverted even if it feels like we are dying inside. We learn to laugh loudly, engage in small talk or even gossip just so we can please our friends or colleagues.

But here’s the thing- this is not just a disservice to the self but also to the world.

A look at history and there is ample evidence that many of the greats were introverts – Abe Lincoln, Gandhi, Van Gogh, W.B Yeats, Chopin, Wozniak….and the list goes on. This should really be no surprise because ideas and revelations come in solitude. Creation happens in solitude. This is why anyone who is creating anything – whether it is writing a story or a poem, or developing a dance or the notes of a new soundtrack happens in solitude. Even scientists need solitude and introversion to invent. They go underground, so to speak, where they experiment with their idea, tweak it until it’s perfect and only then do they come out into the world to share their invention with everyone. And that is what introversion is. It doesn’t mean that I reject the world or become a recluse, no. “You are a Raj Rishi“, teaches Baba. Introversion means that, like a Rishi, I access my quiet place often, I experiment with new ideas in my inner lab and then come out to share my invention with the world, as a Raja. In the old days, Rishis, in fact, advised kings on how to rule or what to do in certain situations. The kings then owned and executed on those ideas. Introversion is a problem only when I stay in the lab forever.

Each day, I receive new teachings, new points from the Supreme Teacher. How can I apply a specific point in my life, to my situations? When I churn on this, this is going underground into my lab. Then, when I think I’ve understood the point and how to apply it, I come out and use it in my interactions, in my situations and see how it works- this is experimenting. Maybe it misfires or doesn’t work quite as expected the first couple times, no problem. I go back to my lab and rework what to do differently next time. This is introversion. Many think being in solitude requires a continuous stretch of time which they don’t have due to various activities going on. But no, solitude can be accessed throughout the day as I go about my activities. My hands might be busy but my intellect is in the lab. “Amritvela is very good.“, says Baba, “Wake up at that time, sit down, be introverted and stabilize yourself in your original religion.” When I churn in the morning, then I get to experiment with the ideas/thoughts I come up with throughout the day. Another tool that Baba recommends is traffic control. “This too is a discipline that must be followed“, He points out. As I go through the day, these few minutes allow me the opportunity to step into my quiet space, recharge or reconnect and then step back out again.

There’s been a lot of talking since the copper age. People have heard a lot of lectures and speeches, attended plenty of workshops and conferences. Now, they are tired, points out Baba. They crave an experience. I will only be able to enable them to have an experience when I myself am an embodiment first. If they crave peace, then I have to have accumulated the power of peace within me. If it is love they crave, then I have to first be the embodiment of true, soul-conscious love. Baba says, “Children, become introverted; don’t say anything. The more you stay in remembrance and spin the discus of self-realization, the more income you will accumulate.” Unless I go into my lab and experiment, it is not possible to become an embodiment of the virtues or give others the experience they need. This is why introverts are some of the best leaders- they are able to really listen to others, not just hear them. It’s one thing to hear the words someone says to me and a different thing to be able to sense what is going on behind the words. What are they feeling, wanting…really asking for? If I can understand the true need, I can then fulfill that need. This is called being ‘raazyukt‘ and the foundation for this too is introversion. The foundation for the powers to discern and judge is introversion.

Those limited creators used introversion and solitude to bring to life limited creations; I am engaged in bringing to life an unlimited creation – a whole new world! and I’m doing it alongside the Creator Himself! Each day, as I apply His teachings in my life, I become a new person and my transformation inspires others to transform. But the foundation to bring about transformation is introversion.