Letter to a Friend

I thought of Nagarjuna or Paul the Apostle after I wrote this to a dear friend in need of some advice. I thought it was helpful. May it benefit all beings. Om Mane
Peme Hung. Amen.

Friend,

After seeing you last night I advise you to work on your anger, taking things personally and being upset towards women. You have to learn to see women as beautiful no matter what they do. Treat them all like gold and expect the same from them. If you don't get it, try not to be angry; people are who they are because they suffer too.

You gotta stop being an "asshole", as you say. Being an "asshole" does not get you women. It's a false-hood. It gets you nothing. Only suffering, people being mad at you and not wanting to be around you. Being a "Nice Guy" doesn't work either because you are being nice with the expectation of a return. You are being needy. You are not actually being nice.

Being a "good" man, work on your life, be kind without expectation and will get you what you want. But that doesn't mean that once you get what you want that you will be eternally happy. That's not the way happiness works. True happiness is not material things that change. It also doesn't mean that all people will treat you well because they also suffer.

You don't need to be perfect. You already are good enough. You don't need to be the most handsome guy, the best musician, or have a ton of money. We all need work to remove the illusions. It takes a lot of effort, but it's your only choice if you are tired of the way things are. You have to work like your hair is on fire.

I say these things because I know you can handle them and they have helped me. I don't want to indulge your suffering, I want you to have more happiness.