LOVE

Love has probably been written about more than any other word in any language. It is represented as the best solution to almost all problems and since it is as old as the human species itself, a considerable amount of experience has been gathered about it. Although one aspect of it has been irrevocably bound to the to the perpetuation of the species, its complete function and potential power seem to remain little understood. It is for this reason that i dare to add yet another commentary on love. I do not expect to add anything new, for there is nothing new, for there is nothing new on the subject, but i hope at least to focus attention on certain aspects of the subject with the aim that perhaps i can increase awareness of it within us.

Undoubtedly, the most understood or, rather, most recognized aspect of love is that which is expressed in the magnetic physical attraction between  two people. This mysterious attraction has been made intense in nature as an ardent appetite for the purpose of assuring the uniting of the two polarities for reproduction, regardless of any distraction or discouragements. For this, as with food, water and air, nature has deliberately made us aggressive and self-preserving. So many tragic situations today are the result of the willful or ignorant attitude that this aspect, sex, is the total sum and substance of love. It is a vital and important part of love but it alone cannot bring the world to peace, happiness and universal brotherhood. What then is missing?

Despite the vast accumulation of literature on the subject, love is usually describe as sacrificial, as in mother's love, as unquenchable fire, or even as an incurable disease. Much is written to show that under the spell of love, one sets aside all reason. Although these are all expressions of the effects of the various aspects of love, it is more difficult to find a comprehensive definition of love. It is generally agreed that love is an emotion, just as hate is an emotion. An emotion is a strong surge of feeling marked by an impulse toward outward expression; letting oneself go in the direction of a certain  impulse or attitude. The most important aspect of love is that it is outgoing. Love primarily seeks to give, not receive.

Love assumes an attitude of inner contentment, peace and stability, and it seeks to share that attitude with others outside of self. It is as though love conceives within a surplus of positive charge that it seeks to share with all others whom it conceive as short of positive charge and therefore negative. From this viewpoint, love is an equalizer. Compatible with all natural law, love seeks not only equalization but also rest or tranquility. Oddly enough, the eternal law of change is part of this natural flow toward tranquility and stability. This state of rest is the potential goal of nature and left to itself, all things work toward that goal. It is unenlightened people who so often work against this natural state, thereby creating their own difficulties and discomforts.

Strange as it may seem, we can love others only if we first love ourselves; this is how i recognize love. Then the "golden rule" comes into play. We love others as we would have them love us. We identify with others;we love them as we love ourselves. When we strive conscientiously to improve and refine ourselves, according to the highest ethical and moral standards to exemplify the best ideals to which we subscribe, we should love ourselves, for we are all that we love most. This should not be confused with egotism or self-promotion.

Egotism describe those who are filled with inflated vanity and conceit. They overestimate their abilities, qualities and worth while taking undue pride in their possessions or attributes. Egotists do not give, they take! They do not love others, for they identify themselves in others. They believe others cannot be compared with themselves for they are superior to all others. Their love for themselves is not that of self esteem or self-respect. Theirs is rather self-glorification, or narcissism . Those who promote self or are egotistical, conceive of themselves as apart from the remainder of humanity. They have no understanding of the unity of humanity, the common sharing of Soul and the state of attunement that exist potentially between each of us. And so they are insensitive to the feelings of others. They are unable to identify themselves with others. They feel no emotional response when they find their neighbor either suffering or sorrowing .

On the other hand, when you love others you love yourself, you identify with all of the joys and sorrows you behold in them. When you know that someone is suffering, you are moved to sympathy and sometimes even to suffering; for what you witness in another, you feel in yourself. When those about you experience happiness and joy, you are happy, for you are sharing their happiness. You become happy for them. There is no selfishness in love. When we love, we wish to share all that we have or are, for we seek on advantage over those we love. What we have is theirs for we are they in a mystical sense.

Until we can understand the mystical unity of humanity, love may be difficult for us to express. Without it, we tend to be possessive and jealous. Jealousy reveals a complete absence of love. It  conceives all persons and  things as separate entities and what is worse, it seeks to control or possess that which it knows and wants. It is utter selfishness to feel jealousy, for then we want whatever others have but we will not share anything that we have. Jealousy over another persons is worse, for then we not only refuse to share with others what we like about the person every freedom and seek to own them. This is the epitome of selfishness. Jealousy should never be acceptable as evidence of love; jealousy and love are not compatible.

From a mystical viewpoint, we seek to give and to spread love wherever we go and to whomever we meet. We accept others as we find them, respecting and admiring those who may have more, do more, or are more than ourselves, and overlooking the shortcomings of those who may have less, do less and are less than us. With self-respect, as well as respect for that mystical part of us which is in our neighbor, we must strive never to be vindictive in our human relations.By learning to control our emotions, we can practice patience, tolerance and sympathetic understanding even in our occasionally necessary negative relationships.

If we would like to experience continual peace and happiness, if we would like the world and our peers to be in accordance with our highest ideals, if we would like the world to be a Mystic or enlightened world, let us think love, practice love and give love .