Oracle of Consciousness
#40 - What is Love?
"Oh-oh-oh what's
love got to do,
got to do
with it?"
The late and great Tina Turner
What is this sometimes 'illusive' thing called love?
It might be easier to start with what it is not!
Conditional Love
A few examples and you will know many more.
Love with conditions is not love. It is a rejection of what is there, while trying to manipulate someone into being something or someone else.
When a person 'loves' another to make themselves look better, more important, wealthier, acceptable, or for any
personal gain, that is not real love.
When a person 'loves' another to run away from or avoid loneliness, pain or trauma, that too
is not love.
When there is a wide disparity between a couple's personal core values, real love cannot prevail.
When the threat of leaving is present in a relationship, that is not love.
If one or both are totally dependent on each other, that is dependency, not love.
Where disrespect, dishonouring, violence, unfaithfulness, a lack of integrity or dishonesty are present in a relationship, that is not love.
What then is unconditional love?
Simply put: Love with no conditions attached; zero, nada, none whatsoever!
How to recognise and
practice true love.
When you express any one or more of these Heart Virtues
towards yourself or others, it is an act of love.
Source: Adapted from the materials of James Mahu
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
Appreciation
When you are sincerely grateful and appreciative for who and what you are, your life, and towards others for your experiences, places you have been, meals you have eaten, in fact everything and everyone in your life - this is an act of love
Photo by Zuzana Ruttkay on Unsplash
Photo by Zuzana Ruttkay on Unsplash
Understanding
Understanding is the ability to comprehend oneself, others, situations and life.
Understanding is derived from engaging in a subject, studying it, and gleaning
comprehension as to its meaning.
Photo by Susan Q Yin on Unsplash
Photo by Susan Q Yin on Unsplash
Forgiveness
Forgiveness releases us from the grip of the ego, which wants us back in time, regurgitating
our pain, indignation or displeasure.
In essence it is the combination of
understanding and compassion which
brings us into present time.
Photo by Patrick Schneider on Unsplash
Photo by Patrick Schneider on Unsplash
Humility
Being humble is an act of courage.
Humility leaves you with a feeling of expansiveness, that we are connected to something that is much grander and yet
here we are in this little physical body,
on this little blue planet.
Photo by Loic Leray on Unsplash
Photo by Loic Leray on Unsplash
Bravery and Courage
To be able to speak our honest and authentic truth, to step up to the plate, be seen, be heard, and be egoless, are acts of bravery and courage.
At this juncture of humanity's conscious evolution, it is time for all of us to be
brave and courageous,
Love
The understanding, embodiment and diligent practice of these heart virtues can result in a profound love for oneself, others, all things, every circumstances and situations.
This is no mean feat, but you may be pleasantly surprised by the results of applying these upon yourself and others.
Self-mastery and self-empowerment are some of the gains
you can enjoy along the way.
You determine when to apply the heart virtues to a particular life scenario; which one(s) to apply and how to express the virtue(s) into any given situation.
Love and consciousness are synonyms
Practicing these heart virtues leads to wiser, more
intelligent behaviours
Parting Thought
"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us“Universe,” a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons
nearest to us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all
living creatures and the whole
of nature in its beauty.
Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation
and a foundation for inner security."
Albert Einstein
Free yourself from fear,
live from the place
of LOVE
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