Acharya Prashant explains that the value of a secluded or monastic life depends entirely on the individual's intent. He warns that seclusion is often misused as a means to escape critics, well-wishers, or a Guru who points out one's flaws. True seclusion is not about physical distance from people but about turning the mind away from its tendency to wander and directing it toward the ultimate truth. He clarifies that one can be in a crowd and still be in a state of solitude if the mind is free from external influences and focused on the One. Conversely, a person sitting alone in a car or a room might be surrounded by an internal crowd of thoughts, which is the end of true seclusion. He emphasizes that seclusion is an internal state rather than a physical location. Regarding monasteries, he notes that being in a monastery does not guarantee spiritual solitude, and if one is fixated on the location itself, it becomes a matter of tourism rather than spirituality. The ultimate goal should be liberation, not merely residing in a specific institution.
