How could a drop of water feel loneliness in the middle of the ocean? Kodo Sawaki used to say that our existence is like a bubble of foam, trembling and ephemeral. Ultimately, we are nothing more than a drop of water in the middle of the ocean, and yet we feel alone. In the midst of the immensity of which we are a part, we feel alone. Why do we feel lonely?
The feeling of loneliness spreads inexorably in a society where the values of selfishness and individualism prevail. The influence of a self-centered culture leads people to relate to others expecting to receive more than they themselves give. And they fail to realize that this is directly connected to feelings of being misunderstood and alone. They demand from others what they do not demand from themselves. They expect others to do what they could do themselves.
The loneliness of the illusory self
This is how the illusion of a solitary self is born, a self opposed to others. This is how the feeling of loneliness arises. By contrast, when we abandon this selfish attitude, act altruistically, and devote ourselves to giving others more than we receive, when we give without expecting anything in return, when our life is dedicated to helping and caring for beings, we no longer feel alone. The feeling of loneliness dissolves into the immense joy of making others happy.
Loneliness is nothing more than the shadow of the ego. Loneliness is an illusion. So too is the illusory self that sustains it. The feeling of loneliness is simply the consequence of this confused way of seeing the world, and therefore we should not make it the central axis of our lives or give it a substantial value that it does not possess.
The feeling of loneliness is an opportunity to become aware of our selfish ways of functioning; it is an opportunity to awaken from the illusion of the solitary self and open our hearts to all sentient beings. How can we feel alone when around us there are so many beings whom we can help, so many beings who suffer in loneliness and whom we can accompany toward the inconceivable freedom of no-self, solidarity, and altruism? What are we waiting for to awaken from the nightmare of selfishness and joyfully merge with all the beings of the Universe?