My meetings with Tila happened at various times and locations, depending on when our schedules crossed. On this occasion, I met him at the entrance of the meditation centre, where he was staying. Tila was standing near the centre’s gate, quite excited. “Today I am going to tell you about a good friend of yours who you have not met for a long while!”
I tried to guess who this mystery friend could be, but no names came to mind. “I cannot even begin to imagine who this could be. Are you sure it is a friend of mine?”
“Of course, I am sure. In fact, this particular friend is very important. However, I suspect that you have been ignoring this friend for quite a while. The friend that I am referring to is actually your ‘mind’. Your mind is a very important friend you need to know well if you are to find happiness. I suspect that you have not really paid attention to your mind over the years, and perhaps your friendship with it has grown quite cold. However, in the coming days, as we discuss how to find happiness, you will better understand your mind, and your friendship with it will be reestablished. So, in the days ahead, when you come to see me, don’t forget to bring your friend along as well. Without your mind, we won’t make much progress towards finding happiness.