Not hurting anyone's feelings
Question
Hi Dhananjay,
I am in a dilemma. Through practicing brahmacharaya, I am cutting off relations with women and worldly minded men. When I am doing so, I think I am hurting their feelings and damaging feelings of friendship. I do not wish to hurt the feelings of other beings (as god resides in those beings and hurting them is equivalent to hurting god), but I want to practice brahamacharaya. What should I do? Kindly help me.
Answer
Who hurts whose feelings? The Atman (self) within you or 'others' as you term them is beyond pain or pleasure, always being in bliss. The Atman is itself the Lord who resides within. That which is susceptible to pain or pleasure is the imaginary Ego and not the Lord/self. It is the cunning thief called the Ego, fed by Maya, which is giving these lame excuses to escape the truth. Simply ignore its lame justifications and hold on to the practice, to realize the self.
ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)