Meditations on Love
The ancient Greeks had many words for it, while we have only one. We send it in emails, and at the end of messages, without a thought. We may long for another person, and yet we use that same word, with great intensity. We may use it to describe our feelings for a place, a pastime, a possession, a country, a meal. Everyone understands it, yet we seldom allow ourselves to taste the full significance of it.
The word of course is love. Love is not just desire, though it can be that. It’s not just affection or affinity, patriotism; though it can be all of those things.
One of the best definitions of love I’ve ever heard, a Buddhist one perhaps, is that love is the celebration of another. In particular, it is love as a the unconditional celebration of another. We become conscious of that other (person … or thing) as a unique expression of life, of the universe — rare, one of a kind, marvelous, miraculous in ways it would be hard to fully comprehend.
How simple! Yet how often are we interrupted in our celebration by judgments and by our own predisposition? How often are we interrupted in our appreciation and celebration of ourselves and our own lives by the harsh judgments we make on ourselves?
So, love is also forgiveness. Love in the Buddhist conception of it — metta or maitri — is understood to be both boundless and innate. In other words there is no end to the degree to which we can experience or express our love, and that the boundlessness of it is something we are already born with, a capacity that extends our reach to the stars.
I can’t honestly say that I understand fully what this might mean. I only understand that at those moment when I am able to surrender to the immaculate moment, the pleasure of celebrating my own life and the life of others around me is inexpressibly exquisitely sweet.
The good news is that there are some specific meditations which help you learn to cultivate and develop these qualities of Love.
We have a three day retreat in February in which we focus exclusively on these meditations.
http://www.manzanitavillage.org/meditation-retreats-california-information/2010/#Quick_Links_2
Dear Caitriona,
The word LOVE has gotten to be the most overused and abused word in our lexicon. We’ve over-exercised the word to the point where it has become nearly meaningless. For example: I love ice cream. I love the Chargers. I love to take naps. I love you…
How do you feel… now that you know I feel the same way about you as I do ice cream, naps, and the Chargers?
I just “love” that definition of the word love that you gave us: “celebration of another.”
I celebrate you!
doug
What an inspirational goal to share; “the UNCONDITIONAL celebration of another…” Thank you for that wonderful thought for the day.
My time at the moment is consumed by organizing and managing family assets after my parents passing. Friends are extremely impressed at how I’ve been copeing with an extremely full plate of responsibilities. Above all, I treasure the love I receive from them. It will survive well beyond when my health and body fail.
When the window arises I do wish to meet you, perhaps when you visit San Francisco.
Warmest blessing and metta,
Russell