Today Gurudeva explains the difference between a friend and an acquaintance, and why we should seek out true friends rather than rely on acquaintances.

Unedited Transcript:

Today at Kauai Aadheenam. It is March 18.

We are starting a five-day phase of service to Siva. We had a two-day retreat reflecting on what we are going to do in the next five days. They are going to be wonderful, dynamic days. We are looking forward to each and every one of them. We are all geared up here at Kauai Aadheenam to be with you in our Cyberspace Ashram, and do a lot of good work in reaching out to the world from our little, mystical Garden Island.

The question has come up about friends and acquaintances. "What is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance?"

This is kind-of mixed up in most peoples' minds. When we go to school, we go to study but we make friends and we also have acquaintances.

A friend is someone who stands by you in the good times and the bad times. A friend is someone who you can talk to and share your secrets with and they won't tell anyone. A friend is with you spiritually, socially, culturally and is interested in what you are interested in.

An acquaintance may just want you for your body. An acquaintance may just want to be around you because you happen to be there. An acquaintance may be interested in what you are interested in but not interested in your religion or your inner beliefs. Shall we say an acquaintance is a part-time friend? In the good times, they will be with you and in the bad times they disappear.

You want to surround yourself with beautiful things. People are shopping today for automobiles. People are shopping on the internet. People are surrounding themselves with beautiful things but often surround themselves with acquaintances which they mistake to be friends and then get disappointed and get their feelings hurt.

Well, we should take more time testing our acquaintances before we take them into our life as friends and in doing so, we surround ourselves with just the right people. People who are loyal, trustworthy, kindly, who understand us and we understand them spiritually, inwardly, have the same philosophy, speak the same inner language and the same outer language and have the same interests. That is a friend.

Well, think this over. Look at your list of friends and acquaintances. Check off the ones you can call "real friends" and maybe slowly distance yourself from some of the others and let them go their way.

Well, our Cyberspace Ashram has its doors open tomorrow, the next day, and the next day. We hope you will come back and back and back and please do send in your questions.

Aum Namah Sivaya. We'll be seeing you.