Solitude is extremely important, especially for calm abiding or shamatha meditation. […] But actually, outer solitude is not as important as inner solitude, since all disturbances come from within. Therefore, it is more difficult to find inner solitude. We create our own crowd of thoughts that jostle our mind. Since they are within us, these distractions are not easily banished. Though difficult to find, inner solitude is the most important thing; outer solitude alone is not enough. Please try to find real solitude.

17th Karmapa

from the book Traveling the Path of Compassion: A Commentary on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva

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Further quotes from the book Traveling the Path of Compassion:

• Why the Dharma is so important
• Discipline
• The true test of meditation
• Teaching what is really useful
• Seeing what Dharma practice actually is
• Why we need to give up our worldly concerns
• The Greatest Satisfaction
• Giving and Receiving
• Taking advantage of opportunities
• Our Actual Enemy
• Joyful discipline
• Taming Our Mind
• Avoiding criticism
• Putting ourselves in someone else’s place
• Seeing clearly what is genuine and what is false
• Remembering the Lama