Our Theme is Solitude in the Crowd. That is, in all of our outer activities we remain inwardly free, we learn not to identify with anything, whatsoever. We do our retreat within the crowd and the commerce of life – as best we can. During a hectic business day, we may not be able to, or our efforts are partial and that is fine. Pick it up when you can. This is not all or nothing.
This is also called retirement in company – we develop the ability to detach from and distance oneself from external noise, disturbance and confusion when in company, and remain tranquil, perhaps with the aid of our circle of sensation. Also being able to re-attach one’s attention to the outward when necessary.
The Sufis say – ‘Though outwardly the Sufi is in the world, inwardly he or she is with God’. That when we go through our daily life we have a portion of our attention on our inner work; our sensation, inner presence, Being, collected state. Set the first note of this early in the day if you can.