HH KKS: We do need social interaction with devotees, that can satisfy. If we are associating with devotees that is inspiring. It is said that devotees are true friends, one of the twenty-six qualities of the devotee is..(sanskrit).. which means friendship. A devotee is a friend, a true friend. It says that a friendship of a devotee is different than the friendship of a mundane
friendship because the frienship of a devotee is perfect because it's well wishing all the way, it's not exploitive. See other types of frienship are a business deal. "I'm your friend because you have a nice boat"
"I'm your friend because your friend has a nice sister."
"I'm your friend because you have so many good qualities, you're so powerful...that I
can hide behind you and in this way I gain something."So generally speaking mundane fruiendship is always mixed with personal advantage...so it's actually a pact, it's a pact it's a business deal! Some pact like two countries are friends, just like we have the NATO ......"For the sake of protection we are in the NATO". So countries make these.... alliances, kind of pact. Alliances which are born of necessity, not born out of love so this is mundane relationship: Born out of necessity, but not born out of selfless giving.
Our main problem is that we are still contaminated with this material selfishness, that we think about ourselves: "What am I getting?" instead of "What am I giving?" This is the point. In Krishna Consciosness the essence is to give.
Nectar of Devotion class 05/2002
