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This is a great question. Well considered and practical. I'm sure others here are wondering about this as well. Thanks for asking it. Guru Ji is saying that who you choose to hang out with affects your consciousness. We are kind to all and see all as kindred souls who are all part of the same One. Seeing everyone as soul brings the consciousness of "No one is my enemy, and I am no one's enemy," because all souls are infinite. Even when you relate to everyone's soul, you still have to choose how you want to interact with others. The concept, "Can't we be Gurmukhs and still have friends who are Manmukhs and not allow our consciousness to drop to their level?" implies that people are higher or lower, but that is a trap. "Nanak, utam neech na koi" - no one is higher or lower. We are all just souls who have incarnated together on this spaceship Earth at this time. That said, who do you want to hang out with? What I have found is that the more I learn and evolve in my own Sikhi, the more I want to be with people who have no agendas or judgements, and who are working on themselves spiritually as well. It's a natural process that some "friends" drop away and new ones come.

Discrimination in choosing what to eat and drink, what activities to do or not do and who to hang out with happens naturally as we work on ourselves to peel away the layers of samskars and attachments and allow the things in our life that are not serving us at this time to fall away naturally like a snake shedding its skin.

This is a great question. Well considered and practical. I'm sure others here are wondering about this as well. Thanks for asking it. Guru Ji is saying that who you choose to hang out with affects your consciousness. We are Be kind to all and see all as kindred souls who are all part of the same One. Seeing everyone as soul brings the consciousness of "No one is my enemy, and I am no one's enemy," because all souls are infinite. Even when you relate to everyone's soul, you still have to choose how you want to interact with others. The concept, "Can't we be Gurmukhs and still have friends who are Manmukhs and not allow our consciousness to drop to their level?" implies that people are higher or lower, but that is a trap. "Nanak, utam neech na koi" - no one is higher or lower. We are all just souls who have incarnated together on this spaceship Earth at this time. Everyone we meet is a part of the lessons we incarnated to learn. The universe is a university, so enjoy the curriculum.

That said, who do you want to hang out with? What I have found is that the more I learn and evolve in my own Sikhi, the more I want to be with people who have no agendas or judgements, and who are working on themselves spiritually as well. It's a natural process that some "friends" drop away and new ones come.

Discrimination in choosing what to eat and drink, what activities to do do, or not do do, and who to hang out with happens comes naturally as we work on ourselves to peel away the layers of samskars and attachments and allow the things in our life that are not serving us at this time to fall away naturally like a snake shedding its skin.