Loneliness and No Friends

When there's no one to call and no one to lean on, the quiet can feel heavier than anyone around you might guess. If you've been carrying that for a while, it makes sense that you're worn out. You don't have to explain it away here. Zen offers a couple of gentle ways of looking at this. One is that even when we feel completely alone, we're held by countless quiet connections: the farmer who grew your food, the stranger who paved the street you walked down, the air you're breathing right now. Another is that feelings, loneliness included, are a bit like weather. They shift, even when it seems they never will. For this moment, it might be enough just to notice one breath, and then another. On this page, you'll find questions from people who have felt this same loneliness, along with HOTOKE AI's responses. Feel free to read at your own pace.