There is one thing that is extremely important for everyone, no matter whether his/her characteristics are human or animal like, satanic or divine, whether he is a child or a grandfather or whether or not his is a Yogi--everyone needs someone, in distress. We say, " I need a shoulder to lean on, a shoulder to cry on". Inner loneliness is very hard to bear, and humanity is suffering intensely from it in our times. We are disappointed so frequently, we need at least a hope. I have said more than once where there is hope and faith there is life and guidance. There must be someone to whom we can always turn, someone who will always accept us no matter what we have done. What should we do when someone who has made a mistake come crying to us? The highest wisdom is to say nothing. If we start scolding and reproaching we are commiting a worse mistake. True love and geniune compassion are shown by responding with: "That can happen to everyone. Don't worry: we will figure out something." Words like these give the person courage again, and the confidence to do it better next time. Reproaches and knowing better after the fact do not help at all. Real help means having patience and giving the kind of advice that points away out of the difficulty and salvages whatever there is to save from the situation.
The path of consciousness
by Sri Swami Maheshwarananda
