A Four-Letter Word That Can Save Our Souls
Shammi Paranjape
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Love is the sweetest word in the language of all cultures. It inspires, impassions, moves and delights. It is also the highest, noblest, most stirring emotion that one can experience. Philosophers and poets have dwelt lovingly and at great length on this subject, which holds eternal fascination for each one of us. And why not? It is the substratum of existence; it is life itself.From love, creation came forth and by love it is sustained. Indic scriptures declare that it was the desire to experience His own love that made the Formless Divine multiply into multifarious forms ... To love you need `the other' and so God created the maya of duality , wherein love could find a platform for expression.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba says, “I must tell you about the paramount importance of love. Love is God, live in love. God is the embodiment of perfect love. He can be known and realised, reached and won, only through love. You can see the moon only through moonlight. You can see God only through the rays of love.“
To know and reach God, all we have to do is love. Isn't it wonderful? It is not about religion, rituals, penance, nor even knowledge of scriptural texts. It is about opening our hearts to the truth and beauty of love which is always yearning for expression. Half of all the frustration and misery in life is the result of this vital channel getting blocked.
Love redeems everything.That pure moment when love is expressed is the `God moment' of everyone's life. Even the wicked have this spark, only it lies buried under layers of darkness. It is just a question of bringing it forth and giving it expression.
The lotus raises its head and blooms forth even through slush. Love is the lotus bloom of everyone's life. Rather than meeting hate with hate, let's meet hate with love. Love dissolves differences and unites. Love creates bonding and harmony; hate separates. Only love can work miracles of transformation.
It is important to understand the true nature of love. It is not about a passing infatuation or attraction for certain individuals only . It is the truth of your nature. It is the truth of your heart. We tend to limit love to family members and friends, because we feel kinship with them. We have to extend this kinship to humani ty as a whole, because we are all one. We are all interconnected.
Every religion of the world recognises this truth and enjoins followers to love all and serve all. Yet there are those who misinterpret these positive messages and instead, take a negative perspective that leads to misunderstanding and distress.
How to access this treasure, love, which is so rich, expansive and all-embracing? We can get love through the conduit of divine love. Sweeter than the sweetest is this love of the Divine. It is so because it is the reflection of God in us, and it is the purest experience of bliss on earth. Also, when we turn our love to God it spontaneously expands to cover His creation too. By loving God we manifest our highest truth and feel harmonious with ourselves and all others. Our heart centre opens, and we recognise the common thread of divinity binding all hearts, irrespective of caste, colour, creed or nationality.
Baba says, “Embark on this path of love. Regard love as your very lifebreath and the sole purpose of your existence. In doing this, experience pure bliss, that is shoreless, indescribable and everlasting.“
Sri Sathya Sai Baba says, “I must tell you about the paramount importance of love. Love is God, live in love. God is the embodiment of perfect love. He can be known and realised, reached and won, only through love. You can see the moon only through moonlight. You can see God only through the rays of love.“
To know and reach God, all we have to do is love. Isn't it wonderful? It is not about religion, rituals, penance, nor even knowledge of scriptural texts. It is about opening our hearts to the truth and beauty of love which is always yearning for expression. Half of all the frustration and misery in life is the result of this vital channel getting blocked.
Love redeems everything.That pure moment when love is expressed is the `God moment' of everyone's life. Even the wicked have this spark, only it lies buried under layers of darkness. It is just a question of bringing it forth and giving it expression.
The lotus raises its head and blooms forth even through slush. Love is the lotus bloom of everyone's life. Rather than meeting hate with hate, let's meet hate with love. Love dissolves differences and unites. Love creates bonding and harmony; hate separates. Only love can work miracles of transformation.
It is important to understand the true nature of love. It is not about a passing infatuation or attraction for certain individuals only . It is the truth of your nature. It is the truth of your heart. We tend to limit love to family members and friends, because we feel kinship with them. We have to extend this kinship to humani ty as a whole, because we are all one. We are all interconnected.
Every religion of the world recognises this truth and enjoins followers to love all and serve all. Yet there are those who misinterpret these positive messages and instead, take a negative perspective that leads to misunderstanding and distress.
How to access this treasure, love, which is so rich, expansive and all-embracing? We can get love through the conduit of divine love. Sweeter than the sweetest is this love of the Divine. It is so because it is the reflection of God in us, and it is the purest experience of bliss on earth. Also, when we turn our love to God it spontaneously expands to cover His creation too. By loving God we manifest our highest truth and feel harmonious with ourselves and all others. Our heart centre opens, and we recognise the common thread of divinity binding all hearts, irrespective of caste, colour, creed or nationality.
Baba says, “Embark on this path of love. Regard love as your very lifebreath and the sole purpose of your existence. In doing this, experience pure bliss, that is shoreless, indescribable and everlasting.“
