Friends and Foes

Of the discourses recorded last year and uploaded on YouTube, there were two I completely forgot about. Buried under the list of videos, I spotted them the other day. Here is one of them on frenemies of your introspection. I will go live with the other in a couple of days. The following is an excerpt from the opening lines of the video discourse entitled Friends and Foes.

A perspective for introspection

In a social system, most people have friends. Some people have true friends, many have many friends but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are true friends. In an external world, it is not so hard to make out who your friends are. When you always have somebody who wants to listen to you, it seems you have a friend. When you have somebody who always supports you, it would appear that he or she is your friend. You may also want to read the essence of friendship.

Introspection on your inner world, your thoughts, your mind.

When you have someone who can help you when needed, you may promptly call that person your friend. Who is your enemy? Those who don’t want you to succeed? Those who are working against you? Those who pull you down? Friends foster and grow in a harmonious environment. Your enemies automatically diminish in that environment. You would only really know who your friends are when you are helped by them in the hour of need.

But my focus is not your friends and enemies in the external world…

Peace.
Swami