Let Life Be Your Friend-1

Let Life Be Your Friend-1

Friendliness is the highest form of love. In love, some lust is bound to be there; in friendship, all lust disappears. In friendship, nothing gross remains; it becomes absolutely subtle.

A Matter of Sharing-It is not a question of using the other, not even a question of needing the other, but it is a question of sharing. You have too much and you would like to share. And whosoever is ready to share your joy with you, your dance, your song, you will be grateful to him, you will feel obliged.

Not that he is obliged to you, not that he should feel thankful to you because you have given so much to him.

A friend never thinks that way. A friend always feels grateful to those people who allow him to love them, to give them whatsoever he has got.

Love is greed. You will be surprised to know that the English word ‘love’ comes from a Sanskrit word lobha लोभ; lobha लोभ means greed. How lobha लोभ became love is a strange story. In Sanskrit it is greed; the original root means greed. And love as we know it is really nothing but greed masquerading as love — it is hidden greed.

Making friendships with the idea of using people is taking a wrong step from the very beginning. Friendship has to be a sharing. If you have something, share it — and whosoever is ready to share with you is a friend. It is not a question of need.

It is not a question that when you are in danger, the friend has to come to your aid. That is irrelevant — he may come, he may not come. If he comes, you are grateful, but if he does not come, it’s perfectly okay. It is his decision to come or not to come. You don’t want to manipulate him; you don’t want to make him feel guilty. You will not have any grudge. You will not say to him that, “When I was in need you didn’t turn up — what kind of friend are you?”