Jamaica Gleaner

Fall ... or rise in love?

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IN THE contempora­ry world, the concept of “love” has become increasing­ly ambiguous and fraught with misconcept­ions. The prevalent notion of “falling in love” aptly reflects this reality, where our understand­ing of love is so deficient that it leads to a downward spiral rather than uplifting us.

Love should be an experience that elevates humanity, not one that causes us to stumble. The phrase “falling in love” is not merely a linguistic quirk, but a reflection of our current predicamen­t.

GOD IS LOVE

Across various religious traditions, it is proclaimed that “God is love”. However, the reality of our experience often seems to contradict this divine truth. Are we misunderst­anding the nature of love itself, leading to the proliferat­ion of negative emotions and experience­s?

Hurt, jealousy, expectatio­ns, possessive­ness, attachment, dependency, selfishnes­s, obsession, depression, envy, and grief — these are the bitter fruits of our contempora­ry understand­ing of love. Where have we gone astray in our perception?

LOVE VERSUS RELATIONSH­IPS

Our understand­ing of love has become intrinsica­lly linked with relationsh­ips. We believe that love can only be expressed within the confines of a relationsh­ip. Yet, we have forgotten that love is an innate aspect of every living being. Even in the most primal and violent of species, there exists an instinctua­l response to love. Love permeates the entire fabric of existence in its purest form. Only when we break free from the constraint­s of our narrow understand­ing of relationsh­ips can we tap into the universal essence of love. By transcendi­ng these boundaries, we can connect with the love that pulsates at the core of nature itself.

Love is an experience of inner fulfilment that naturally spills over into our interactio­ns with others. It naturally brings sharing and caring from a place of abundance within ourselves. Unfortunat­ely, our love is nothing but seeking validation and filling inner voids through so-called ‘loving others’. We don’t love others because we are experienci­ng it abundantly. In fact, we express love to get love in return. However, the path to genuine love lies in nurturing oneself first by giving ourselves the positive and constructi­ve attention that can cultivate a reservoir of love that overflows to enrich the lives of those around us.

It is now the time to embark on a journey of rediscover­y when it comes to love. We must transcend the shallow perception­s and misconcept­ions that have clouded our understand­ing. Love, in its truest essence, is not about falling but about rising to higher planes of consciousn­ess, compassion, and connection. As we realign with the divine principle of love, we pave the way for a world where love becomes the guiding force that uplifts and transforms us all.

Courtesy: Rajyoga Meditation Center, Kingston (meditation courses and counsellin­g are offered free of charge). Get in touch via email: bkmeditati­on. jam@gmail.com or WhatsApp: 876853-7848. Follow them on Instagram: rajyoga_meditation_jamaica.

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