A. In my case, aside from my spiritual Masters, I have no friends. I have a lot of acquaintances. This way, if someone wants to be with me, or if we are apart for long periods of time, I am not affected. With friends, there are too many expectations. When I was a child, friends stopped talking to one another over small things. We would use a third person, a common friend so that we could communicate. I realized then, that, when a friend let’s me down I get hurt. The reason we all suffer from the ups and downs of friendship is that the true meaning of friendship is not understood. My Masters are my true friends, as everything they do is for my benefit, no matter how painful the experience might be. They give unconditional love and do not expect anything from me in return. For others to do that for me is not easy. For the smallest misunderstanding, they like to break the so-called friendship. So, it is easier to keep everyone only as acquaintances, as there is neither a break-up nor a make-up. Just have fun with the relationship while it is convenient for everyone. Then your focus is on the one true friend. If you have that, no other friend can satisfy you. — Satish Daryanani
