JOURNEY OF SELF REALIZATION
How Love Is the Ultimate Gateway to Your Highest Self
From external love to the divine love beating inside you.
I recently came across the quote from Osho,
Real love is not an escape from loneliness, real love is an overflowing aloneness. One is so happy in being alone that one would like to share.
What a beautiful definition of love. Just wow!!
You might argue love is about being with someone with whom you share a special connection.
Yes, it is.
But that fantastic sharing can happen when you are not seeking anything in return. Otherwise, it becomes a transaction.
Love has become one of the most corrupted words.
Recently my friend asked, “What is greater — love or devotion?”
Most think that love is different than devotion because of its romantic involvement.
No doubt it starts like that for most of us.
But most remain stuck in its romanticism.
Nowadays, love has become transactional. You want something from the other. It can be their care, attention, status, security, or anything.
Love is not about romance. It is your inherent sweetness. Love is your inner quality that gets highlighted when you connect with others on a deeper level.
In my spiritual journey, love played many roles. It came as a blessing before turning into a curse. And then turned as a gift.
Before love purifies your soul, it is about romance and heartbreaks.
It came as a blessing…
Because I met an amazing human who knew what exactly I needed. He held my hand and supported me unconditionally.
I felt the heavenly feeling of utmost peace, calmness, and divine love whenever I was within him.
It turned into a curse…
When I tried to hold on to it tightly. I didn’t want to let go of the peace and love I felt because of him.
I ignorantly thought he was the source of my love. Trying to possess him became an obsession and triggered many deep pains.
It turned into a gift…
My devotion to him helped me to go through the fire of love. Possessions, attachments, comparison, jealousy, self-pity, etc dissolved.
Even though, in my mind, he was the enemy of my happiness. But my heart knew it was not true — I was the barrier.
His pure love for me didn’t want me to be his possession. He wanted me to realize the greatest gift of life.
Under his guidance, I was able to go beyond him. When I discovered the love within me, my life transformed.
Then I could feel love despite his absence. It always oozes.
Unconditional love is devotion. Love automatically becomes devotion when it purifies.
The next step of true love is freedom.
Most think the next step of love is marriage.
Yes, you can cohabit. But that says nothing about your love.
When you truly love someone, you give freedom. Love and freedom are a beautiful combination that we all deserve.
Free yourself from that person and make them free of you.
Tough?
Yes, it is.
This freedom can never come from materialistic love. You want to make the other as yours. Possession, attachment, and jealousy come into play.
But if you re-direct the love to you, fully let go of your identity and surrender to the love, its quality shifts.
Love doesn’t demand anything. It takes pleasure in giving. No doubt, receiving also feels great.
But you don’t suffer when you can’t get anything from the other.
It happens because of freedom.
Love frees you from the other.
You are not dependent on the other for your happiness. In fact, you ooze it wherever you go. Your joy, love, and peace become unconditional.
What if the other person is NOT worthy of your love?
Hah! Nobody is.
The ego is always hidden behind what you call love. Your ego and that person’s ego. Ego means identity, beliefs, and conditioning.
The ego can never be perfect. And that is okay.
In truth, love is the most pious spiritual prayer. It burns the ego in its cool fire. It is a journey from ego to awakening.
Love is not a relationship, marriage, or heartbreak.
Love is the quality of sweetness within you. It is how openly you embrace others. It is how you accept yourself and others in all authenticity.
Then there remains no other.
It is the greatest possibility of worldly love that can make you fly (if you purify it.)
But you have a brilliant point: what if the other is not worthy?
I ask you to surrender to that incredible love that erupts within you.
NOT to the person.
The piousness that beats inside your heart is your guru. Listen to it. Follow it.
Beware, following love is not always easy.
Because what your heart says is the opposite of how this world functions. It requires immense courage and madness to follow your heart.
Yes, it will make you miserable. Because your expectations from that person will not be met. And when it happens, turmoils and suffering occur.
This is the great test of love.
Listen to what your heart has to say. It is wise.
Does it say to leave that person? Are you afraid of what will happen after that?
Distinguishing the heart’s voice from the mind takes practice. The more you feed your heart, the more easily you can recognize its voice.
Focus on what your heart truly wants.
Act on it without getting fearful of mental stories.
If you remain authentic in this testing time, your love will purify. You’ll slowly become free from that person and dive within your authentic self.
Your heart is showing you the way always.
People rarely listen to their hearts.
Otherwise, this world would have been heaven for the less fortunate.
It is easy to go in the direction where the masses go. You feel safe like a fish swimming in groups, even if it means going against your heart.
You may have tried following your heart, but it may have brought you great misery and suffering.
That is also heart become a no-go zone for many.
But what many dismiss is that the heart was never creating pain. It is your expectation associated with it that makes you suffer.
The heart is innocent. It does not do things out of greed. It acts with joy.
And the shortest route to a satisfied life is beating inside you already.
External love is temporary and full of conditions. You’ll destroy yourself if you go on chasing love outside of you.
The secret is to — discover the unfathomable source of love within you.
The agony ends when you find that joyous, unlimited source. Your lover is the first step toward your soul.
If you remain truthful towards yourself and become conscious, you unfold your highest self.
You then don’t need anyone to make you complete. You are complete. You become joy and love.
And when you share love from this non-needy space, you give joyfully and without inhibitions.
It does not matter if the other is worthy or not. It does not matter if you will gain anything in return.
You then become grateful that the other accepted your love.
Why?
Because then you have an unlimited supply of love exuding from your heart. You go on hugging trees, animals, or plants. Tears would come while looking at a baby or sunset. A talk with anyone becomes about them, not you.
Living with unconditional love is the highest state of human life. And you can live like that. You deserve it.
The only condition — Your authenticity.
Do you want to get closer to your highest self? Download my FREE guided meditation and get weekly reminders and tips to become more conscious in your daily life.
