Question: Since entering the spiritual life, I feel I don't want to spend time with my old friends. But I feel sad about not seeing them so often.

Sri Chinmoy: If you have undivine friends, then right now do not mix with them. According to your standard they are undivine, but according to others’ standards they are not undivine. You have entered into the spiritual life, so you know that these people are undivine. Once upon a time you were also, let us say, undivine. That is why they were your friends; that is why you mixed together. Now you have become spiritual, but they are still in that other world. Those people have many friends of their own standard, so do not feel sorry; do not feel that just because you are giving them up, they are totally lost. No, they are perfectly happy. Perhaps they are also equally sad because they think that you are totally lost. They feel some crazy ideas have entered into your mind and they have lost you. In this world it is like that. You will unnecessarily feel sorry for them. They will unnecessarily feel sorry for you. But the world is very vast. They have their own friends. You are not indispensable in their life and they are not indispensable in your life. Only God is indispensable. So when we know where we stand and where others stand, then we do not feel at all sorry. Sometimes you have false attachment, let us say. Attachment is very bad, but sometimes it is false. You say, “What about me? I have so much to offer them.” But you have nothing to offer to them. Only you have to offer whatever you have to God. During your prayer and meditation, if you can give your aspiration, love and devotion to God, then everything will be done for you. Every moment, every day, there will be many to give them joy. Do not feel you are the one person who can be of any use to them. With your own modesty and humility you will see that you will make the fastest progress; and they will also make the fastest progress if each of you follows his own path.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sri Chinmoy speaks, part 6, Agni Press, 1976
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/scs_6