Friends truly make life a blessing. Whether you have one or one hundred friends makes no difference, as long as you have in your life a direction where you can direct and express the love in your heart. For a child a friend may be a doll or a favorite toy. Though the doll is un-animated and without a soul, it functions as a way for the child to express his or her inner desire to love unconditionally. A child is overflowing with love and yearns to be cradled in loving arms, so much so that she will bestow so much love on her toys. The very act of giving love allows the child to also feel and receive love.
For many a pet acts as a best friend. The two main things a dog desires are food and love. They are such simple and divine creatures! No wonder dog spelled backwards is god. What are the qualities that make a dog so lovable? A dog will love you even when you look and feel your worst. It does not judge you by your clothes, your education, your income, the kind of car you drive, nor the house you live in. A dog is simply content to be your presence…and with a bowl of kibbles nearby. Are these qualities not what we seek in a true friend (minus the kibbles)? Do we possess these qualities ourselves towards our friends?
They say that in your life you if you can count the number of true friends on one hand you are a lucky person. I have been a loner for most of my life but I have also had some wonderful friends…from my teenage years I had my dogs, Scamper and Blackie. I remember coming home from school and they’d see me from a block away and start barking in excitement as I’d approach. I would run with joy just to get there five seconds earlier, not to miss a moment of the happiness and love we felt together.
My guitar and music were (and are) unique friends since almost as long as I can remember. Many times, most times actually, I’d stay home to be with them rather than go out. Parties and socializing never interested me too much. In those atmospheres there is too much heart-detachment. Loud places with intoxicated people are not places where the heart shines. The heart desires intimacy, to know the depths of a person’s soul. Thus my music and I communed in a mystical language, beyond words, through the heart and into the divine.
I am blessed to have sacred human friends, that I have loved and still love. Even if we do not talk or see each other I am with them, and they are with me. I know when they are down, happy, ill, and so on, simply through an energetic connection of love. A few weeks ago I had a vision of a friend. In it she was very thin, frail and not well. I had not been in contact with her for perhaps a year or more so I sent her a concerned email and gently mentioned this vision, though I didn’t want to alarm her. She wrote back saying that I was correct, that she had lost a lot of weight and was quite frail and was losing hair. I believe that just knowing that she was in my energy field helped her feel supported and cared for. And this is the essence of friendship, that we experience each other with profound depth, to make it known by words, thoughts and actions, that we abide with one another in love no matter the distance.
Another point to understand is the friendship we have towards ourselves. This is the most fundamental, for if we cannot love ourselves then loving another is impossible. The amount in which we can love another is directly related to depth of self-love we possess. Of course, this love has nothing to do with ego – a distorted, self-engrossed admiration of our physical beauty or talents. In self-love we can appreciate these things about ourselves, but they do not define us. A friendship with the self is that of compassion and forgiveness. We are not perfect and have erred in the past. But there is a perfect essence within us that is capable of unconditional love, profound wisdom, grace, and amazing acts of kindness. We all possess this essence. As we acknowledgment and remember this divine-self a relationship develops. And as we become more familiar with this divine self’s capabilities and attributes a friendship grows.
This is why many sages of the past of said to “befriend your soul.” Your soul is you at your best and is connected to other souls and ultimately to the universal soul. Living through the heart without any gap or distance from your soul is the Tao; the way to be your own best friend and also to be the kind of friend a friend would like to have.
Blessings,
Johannes / Sevara
Blessings dear Johi y muchas gracias for sharing with us this beautiful meditation on friendships and those we love in our lives ~ I especially love how you share such intimate little personal stories of your experience with this (such as yer doggies, and yer guitarra & music) —same thing w/ me hehehe…(i love mi guitarra!) —- and that awesome vision that actually was true…..such a powerful testimonial to such a divine connection to our hearts ~ and in turn…our heart with another’s ~
For the “heart” is where our love and compassion resides…….
You leave much to reflect and ponder upon Seva…..for myself, i deeply reflect on this topic about friendships ~ throughout my life i’ve seen friends come and go…..and some remain…..even from the ethers of eternity ~ from a very young age i’ve experienced such friendships of the heart — I would hug my favorite little teddy bear (which i still have today and even named him..lol!) and keep him close as a friend whenever i needed some comfort and company ~ I would also (and still to this day) make friends with the creatures of nature….whether it’s a fish, a bird or a beautiful butterfly — heck even a flower! ~ being the curious soul full of child-like wonder and awe…… I would somehow connect in a very deep level……and I could feel the “love” return to me as i felt it in my own heart….a tender comforting feeling ~
I still havent let go of that innocence of the heart…..even as i grew older….I remember I also would have a hard time connecting with others, especially social events and parties…..as i tended to stay within myself and my close “circle” — i just wasn’t so interested in them, as you say the loud environments and “detached hearts” ~ still today…im not much of a party-goer, (esp. now w/ my condition…the overstimulation which can easily bother me) — but time to time….i might go to an outing (my folks say it’s good for me to go out more often…hehe) — and while i might see sitting in a chair by myself, i still somehow would find a way connect with the atmosphere….the people….and all around me….and live in the moment ~ where in that instant…..it feels like i am friends with everyone ~ quite a pleasant feeling ~ (afterall….we are all the same – humanity)
I also, never had many friends (i wasnt the “popular” dude in grade school days) — but the few friendships i do have…..i treasure with all my heart ~ for it’s not how much friends you have….it’s the quality of the friendships you have — and if they are positive friendships ~ (for there are those that are so-called “friends”….but can be toxic) ~
I still keep my heart open for new friends to enter my life as well….to this day I feel very grateful and blessed to have found much beautiful souls….(i even have my new siamese betta fishie here! – a new little friend) ~ i somehow always had that gift of friendship and somehow connecting with others even without saying a word ~
I remember….a very moving moment — during my high school graduation in 02′ (a very emotional and transitional period in my life) — when the principal called me up to receive my diploma….as soon as he mentioned my name — I noticed a huge “cheer” from the stands……they were my former classmates….all from different grades ….some who i never got the chance to meet personally…or make friends….and even some who were bullies……but somehow they connected to my presence ~ and in the end….they all gave me the huge fanfare, shouting “YA-NA-KEE!” —- i was so touched…..i guess maybe in reflection….i kind of was the “popular” dude….in a very quiet modest kind of way, i hadnt even realized it! :O
(the “Beatles” song, “In My Life” — which was playing during my graduation…makes me reflect so much upon that)
— And yes, “befriending our soul” is definitely a must, so we can project our love out to others ~
Namaste amigo! – seva – blessings ~
OO! – just wanted to add that came to my mind, as we enter into a new age for humanity…..it is vital for us all to grow within that compassion and love in our hearts ~ to create positive connections with others and befriend mother nature — and hopefully….have more harmony on this planet ~ the more we understand each other and ourselves…the more we can begin to learn to love ~
I love this discourse on friendship that touches my heart and soul ~ What a gift of friendship you give, Serva, to share these intimate life experiences ~ At the same time your experiences strike a deep cord relating to our lives as well .. as you can see in Yannaki’s reply .. and your insight Seva brings out many sensitive and fond memories for me as well ~
I have always been very introspective and at the same time do let friends in and have been fortunate to have some extraordinary friends along my life path ~ But perhaps my interest in art came about in part from the hours of solitude that I have always embraced ~ (A time of meditation, reflection, healing, creativity, discovery and more ~)
Your story of your dogs tug at my heart ~ The pets in my life have been indescribable and taught me the meaning of pure unconditional love ~ I truly believe certain pets in my life were spiritual blessings with deeper meaning and souls ~
What an amazing life, Seva, and a great loss to us all if you had followed the party crowd instead of your own path of heart, creativity and soul ~
Om Shanti Divine Love ~ Coralina ~
Beautifully expressed, Sevara! 🙂 I am totally in agreement with you. Our true friends – of all types – are the greatest blessings we will ever have in Life, for it is the Love we share with them that continues with us lifetime after lifetime. Only Love is abiding. The more we give and accept unconditional Love, the more we elevate our consciousness in the image of the Divine. Eventually, unconditional Love becomes who and what we are – lifetime after lifetime.
It is interesting that you chose a photograph of two naked babies. It is a wonderful expression of the way we should live our lives. To be “naked” in our Truth is to simply be who and what we are with no excuses, no shame, no coverings. When we shroud ourselves through the use of our egos or personas, or even with possessions, we are not living our Truth. If we are not in our state of Truth, we cannot Love in Truth. If we cannot Love in Truth, then we are in a state of Illusion. We can be a friend to no one – not even ourselves – in a state of Illusion.
Thank you for sharing a bit of yourself here. I can appreciate your living Life as a loner. I have always been and will ever be a loner myself. I, too, had dogs as my best friends as a child, as well as horses. For a short while, I had a “rescued” tribe of turtles who mysteriously escaped my “rescue facilities” one night! 😉 Once I tried to befriend a family of orphaned baby opossums, only to find that their mother wasn’t really dead, she was just “playin’ ‘possum”! :O Mother Nature and those who dwell with her have always proven to be the most wonderful and Trusted of friends for me. They always Love unconditionally and in Truth.
I did not have a guitar growing up, but I did have music – and books. I found great comfort, Joy, and companionship in both. I have never had any appreciation for the social “circuits” and party scenes either. I had serious things to deal with in my Life very early. So, I am far older than my earthly years. (Just ask my children………..they’ll tell you I am “ancient”!!! 🙂 lol)
My circle of human friends is very, very small. I consider myself abundantly lucky to have the true friends that I do. I treasure each of them as the gifts of Life that they are. My family and I are blessed to have you as a special friend, Sevara. I thank you for that. I believe in saying thank you and sharing other thoughts of the Heart with my friends. I have learned that it is always better to say in this lifetime that which you do not want to have to wait until another to say. 🙂 Why hold a seed in hibernation when it can bloom into a beautiful flower today? 🙂
I wish your friend many blessings of Healing.
I wish you good health, true friendships, and all the blessings of Life.
Namaste’
Mia
Yannaki, I truly appreciate your comment. I think you are a great person. It is good that you have kept your innocence of Heart. 🙂 I am happy to be getting to know you as a friend. Life is better when we have spiritually oriented friends to share it with. 🙂
Blessings,
Mia
Coralina, I think you are a very special person, too. 🙂 I am glad that I have you as a friend to share with, especially here within the family that Divine Earth is. 🙂 You make Life better, too! 🙂
Blessings,
Mia
Sevara/Johannes,
Thanks for giving us all such a special place to find new friends and explore new friendships. 🙂
Blessings,
Mia