LOVE

So much has been written on love, with so many potential facets of expression. From the passion of lovers, to a mother’s protection of her child, or a martyr’s love for a cause that places his life below that glorified cause. All of these are expressions of the energy of love through the distortions of “maya”, the illusion of life. These are expressions of love wrapped up in need, lack, fear, attachments, and ignorance.

Love must be experienced from one’s own connection to our divine self. Love is a state of being beyond the cravings of the mind. Only out of the fullness and completeness of our own being can we truly be in a state of love.

When there are no needs, then we can give freely, just for the joy that it will create in others. No recognition required, no strings attached. A gift is just a gift, it can not be a binding contract between the giver and the receiver. Love begins with the direct experience of loving ourselves, accepting all aspects of our complicated being, and knowing we are an expression of divine light. Once we know that in ourselves, we are then able to see it in others. Acceptance and compassion for our fellow man is just a natural extension of this awareness.

Through our spiritual practices, we are able to clear out the distortions in our perception of needs and separation, and come to a place of becoming our own best friend. To know that we are whole and complete in our own being. That each moment, contains within itself, all we actually need and that our wants are simply a non-acceptance of the perfection of each moment. We have the pattern of remaining with the thoughts of our minds, instead of exploring the fullness of the present moment. Once we train ourselves to make that shift, we connect to the source that sustains the Universe and a profound level of peace, stillness, and love emerges. From this place we are able to know love, to share fully, to be open completely to life.

We are surrounded by love, yet we don’t tend to take the time to perceive it. Every breath, every flower, every tree, every raindrop, every ray of sunlight is an act of love. Fully engaging in what is happening in each moment is the gateway to a state of being connected to divine reality, being in love. Until we have experienced contentment with our own being, all of our relationships will be conditional in nature. If we look for someone to complete us, we are entering a co-dependent, need based arrangement.

Once we are contented from within, we are in place to fully share, fully give, and fully engage just for the joy of it. We are able to love someone as they are, with their perfect imperfections. We give our partners the freedom to be themselves. We give ourselves the freedom to engage in ways that are life affirming, and to walk away with out judgments, from energies/situations that don’t feel right for us. No one has to be right or wrong, it is just a matter of whether we would like to have that experience or not.

Inherent in love is a respect for the unique in all of us, an ability to listen for the sake of understanding a different perspective than ours. A taking of responsibility for our own well-being. An understanding and respect for the choices others are making.

Love is the opposite of fear. Once we are contented, non-fearful, non-needy, we can truly be in the energy of pure Love.