True Love

What is love? Who knows? Love as the world knows it is not really true love. So many images and expectations pop up at the mere mention of this word. For the majority love may mean peace, roses, chocolate, romance, marriage, security, beauty, trials, heartache, disappointment, hope, fear and many miscellaneous emotions, depending on their personal experience of love or lack of it.

For a handful, this word is synonymous with God. Yet for others if doesn't ring a bell. Love for that matter is a very individual concept.

"Of all things, the greatest is love". The Supreme Being is the greatest, so this means that God is love. But what is love? Do we really know how to love? Or does love just happen?

For me love happens. It happens in the presence of great scenic beauty. The sense of wonderment and ambiance created by natural forces has a profound impact on the human consciousness. On rare occasions, while being present in the midst of a calm, turquoise blue ocean, surrounded by swaying lush vegetation, a shift in consciousness occurs. This happens very rarely, but when it does, all else becomes irrelevant. The heart overflows with such a deep sense of gratitude and the senses are mesmerized by a mysterious presence. The attention is withdrawn from the immediate self. This emotion is like an enormous wave that sweeps one off the feet. One is beside the self and becomes aware of another force. It is as if the self has dissolved and become nonexistent. This overwhelming state takes over. Such a state cannot be forced or controlled in any way. It comes of its own accord. This experience of awe and ecstasy one can't quite express in words for it is beyond the normal state of mind.

There are no thoughts, only tears. Sometimes there are a few tears and at other times, there is a flood of them. Unlike words and emotions tears are spontaneous and clear. They cannot be stopped or forced. They can't be explained. Is this love for God? I don't really know what love is or how to love God but this is how the body-mind organism reacts when in awe of the Creator. For those few moments the 'I' is forgotten and the stream of thoughts is interrupted.

Could this be true love?

Daasan Daasi