Dear Yong Peng,
I think there are different types of solitude:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/sn21-010.html
the Blessed One said to him, "Is it true, Elder, that you live
alone and extol the virtues of living alone?" ... "Yes,
lord." ... "But how do you live alone and extol the virtues of
living alone?" ... "Lord, alone I enter the village for alms, alone
I return, alone I sit
withdrawn, alone I do walking meditation. That is how I
live alone and extol the virtues of living alone." ...

BUDDHA:"There is
that way of living alone, Elder. I don't say that there isn't.
Still,
listen well to you how your living alone is perfected in its
details,
and pay close attention. I will speak." ... "As you say, lord,"
Ven. Elder responded. ... The Blessed One said: "And how is living
alone perfected in its details? There is the case where whatever is
past is abandoned, whatever is future is relinquished, and any
passion & desire with regard to states of being attained in the
present is well subdued. That is how living alone is perfected in
its
details."
Robertk


In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Ong Yong Peng" <yongpeng.ong@...> wrote:

> Dear friends,
>
> thanks to Michael Olds, below is a nice little passage which he
> offers me offline, and I would like to share with everyone. This
> passage speaks of the value of solitude as a cherished Buddhist
> tradition:
>
>
> It is not brilliant, Ananda,
> for a beggar to resort to association,
> to resort to taking pleasure from association,
> to be intent on the pleasure of resorting with associates,
> to resort to gatherings,
> to resort to taking pleasure from gatherings,
> to enjoy gatherings.
>
>