The Art of Friendship Is Divine
What does it mean to be a friend of the world? In this Q&A, Shunyamurti explores the archetype of God the Friend—known in Christianity as the Comforter, in Buddhism as the Bodhisattva, and throughout the world's wisdom traditions as the compassionate presence that heals, supports, and uplifts all beings. True friendship is not merely kindness or sympathy but the capacity to embody divine serenity, to speak truth without judgment, and to hold others in a field of love that transforms suffering into peace.
Related Teachings
Will Relationships Collapse With the Ego?
Question:
I really want to know Shunyamurti’s opinion: do we have to try to recover men and women’s relationship, or is it going to collapse like any other fractal? The loneliness epidemic seems to destroy most humans.
Shunyamurti’s Reply:
Yes, the energy that moves the ego is the desire of the Other. When that is absent for too long, the ego shuts down its limited creativity, and becomes progressively more hardened and cold. This is the end of the era of the ego. That self-limiting structure of willful ignorance and terror of the infinite is already beginning to disappear, along with its nightmarish world. In those who turn away from the lure of the ego and discover the source of consciousness within, the Infinite Self is directly revealed. This explains the classic zen aphorism: First, there is a world of egos. Then, after attaining satori, there is no world, only the Light of Consciousness free of differences. Then, in the final phase of revelation, there is again a world, but now it is the expression of the perfect love, blissful intelligence, and power of freedom of the Inconceivable Absolute Self.
Namaste,
Shunyamurti
A Father's Task as the Final Days Approach
In this special Father's Day Q&A, Shunyamurti reflects on one of the most sacred responsibilities a father can undertake: preparing children for reality itself. Responding to a father's question about raising children in an age increasingly disconnected from truth, Shunyamurti explores the importance of spiritual education, rites of passage, inner freedom, and the courage to let one's children walk their own path.
The Point of Parenting is to Separate
Question:
Dear Shunyamurti, Thank you for your deep teaching. My son will be 13 this year, and I wonder how to help him go through a rite of passage. I see some narcissistic traits in him, but I guess I’m projecting them or his father is projecting them on to him? I don’t know really but he (my son) is my greatest challenge. Any advice will be helpful.
Shunyamurti’s Reply:
Not having information about the relationship of your son to his father nor the way your son has been raised (whether he has gone to any summer camps, boarding schools, martial arts dojos, or has religious affiliation with any institution that has seminary facilities for teens) makes it difficult to offer any specific suggestions. But I would try to find some reputable and spiritual educational organization that would accept him for training on a live-in basis for at least a few months or perhaps a year, where he would receive outdoor physical training of some kind (like growing food or some sport, etc) as well as intellectual development. He needs to separate from his parents and learn how to adapt to the expectations of the larger social order. Of course, the world being now in growing chaos and dissolution, it may not be easy to find such a safe haven for him. So, if that is not possible, I would at least find him a private tutor in philosophy or meditation, or else a good psychoanalyst or Jungian analyst who specializes in working with adolescents. I hope this has been helpful. Blessings to you both!
Namaste,
Shunyamurti
The Radical Shift from Delusion to the Real
Heartbreak: That’s How the Light Gets In!
Question:
I had many encounters with God through heartbreak. But losing my only daughter at the tender age of 14 almost killed me. It made me very upset with God… She didn’t deserve that. We didn’t deserve that. I failed her…
Shunyamurti’s Reply:
Dear Beloved Soul, The world is a dream in the Mind of God. Death is not a tragedy for the one who leaves this world and returns to the Light and Love of God. Her soul is in joy, serving as an angel of the Lord, and free of all suffering—and all identification with the body she had in her previous life as your daughter. All of us are manifestations of the One Divine Presence. When it is the will of God for the veils to be removed from your Third Eye, then you will know that all is perfect, and that you did not fail as a mother. But now your role is to bring the Love of God into this world and transform it into a heavenly realm where no illusion of suffering appears. This is our collective responsibility. Blessings for freedom from all narratives of the ego mind that have separated our consciousness from union with God.
The Sense of Guilt is Not Warranted
Question:
I feel guilt about my little one. It was a very anxious pregnancy as there was a lot of uncertainty about whether I should have another baby or not. My partner and I were not sure about our relationship, but I had a pregnancy years before that we didn’t go through with as things were turbulent, and I never got over it. He was very wanted by me as I felt I still had all this love to give and had always wanted another child. He is beautiful and amazing, and I love him endlessly, but he’s been a lot of work as he was very unsettled early days, and I didn’t manage to continue to breastfeed. I feel like it broke his heart and mine as well, and I feel a tremendous amount of guilt. He’s much better but still very sensitive and clingy, so a bit unsettled. But my question is: can I ever make it up to him? What can I do other than love him to help him open his heart? All I wanted was to give my love to a child with all the reassurance I never had so he could live a life with a strong foundation and an open heart, knowing how much he is loved. Can I ever make it up to him?
Shunyamurti’s Reply:
Your sense of guilt is not based on reality. You had no choice in the matter. Everything that happens is ordained by God. Your child has his karma as you have yours, so long as you falsely believe you are separate from God. The best gift you can transmit to your child is your own complete acceptance of all that unfolds in life. This will bring you peace. In turn, it will bring peace to the heart of your child. If you feel the delusion of guilt, your child will also feel guilt, for being responsible for making you feel guilty. Why pass on such suffering? Your real function as a mother is to be free of all narratives and to live in unconditional love and joy. Only that will convey permission to your child to be free to realize God. Om Sat Chit Ananda.
Namaste,
Shunyamurti