Daily Meditation: Friday, April 23, 2010

Love, declaration of - its motives are rarely disin­terested

04/23/2010

'A declaration of love'... A lot could be said about that expression. Men and women are in the habit of declaring their love for each other, unaware that an element of self-interest, of selfishness, creeps in when they act in this way. They want to attract, win over and capture the person they are addressing. They write or speak to them in the most poetic way possible, choosing appropriate gestures, words and tone of voice, in the hope that the person will be charmed, touched and delighted and eventually won over. Too often the love expressed aims to win over and keep the loved one for oneself; from that time on no one else is allowed to come near. So, it is really selfishness and a lack of faith in the power of love that direct human beings. As they don't possess the true love that performs wonders, they are keen to show their love through concrete means - through speaking, writing or gesturing - as a way of imprisoning their beloved. And while they may claim that the strength of their feeling compels them to act in this way, they are in fact admitting to their own weakness. Those inhabited by true love don't express it; it isn't necessary, for such love can be felt - it radiates from them.