What is beyond Love?
Victor Kannan
Once Daaji asked this question to a few
people. What is beyond love?
I have written on love and care, for love
expresses itself in care. Love is what love does. Love cannot be just empty words or insecure
expressions or daily reminders to the family and friends. Love too must evolve.
The answer to this question came as I was
looking at Babuji Maharaj in one of the pictures where he seems give everything
away happily and attentively.
Love takes different shapes for different
situations. For children it is in attention and time spent by the parents. For
spouses it is support, partnership and companionship. Over time, ideal spouses
grow and progress not only in worldly ways, with possessions and accomplishments,
but also intellectually and emotionally.
They complement each other with their strengths, making a bigger whole
than what is possible by the sum of two. It should be a synergistic way of living
that creates much better future for all in their circle of influence.
For students, it is the love of education
that makes them take interest, observe, learn and persevere. We know that a true teacher produces students
who take what they have learnt beyond the teachers grasp. The real teacher is
proud of such students. When a teacher makes it possible for a student to an
extraordinary accomplishment how do the students relate to their teachers and
guides?
I still remember the high school teacher
and college professor who made a profound impact on my self confidence when
they believed in my ability to perform better than I thought was possible. This
has permanently elevated my respect for these two teachers. I respect them in a
manner it has the characteristic of adoration and admiration of them as a
teacher, in fact more than a teacher to a guide.
This is truer in a spiritual system where
the Guru is simple beyond measure, as significant as God Himself, totally
unseen and unfathomable, yet whose actions are palpably visible. In such a
system the spiritual aspirant begins to benefit and then to appreciate the
system. Then they look for who is behind such an effective system, and then
develop gratitude to the Guide. When the gratitude overflows, it begets love
and devotion.
The proximity and freedom that come with
love and devotion must now transform into reverence. An awe inspired connection
to the Guide, Guru or the Master is the state of piety, which is filled with
adoration, admiration, cooperation and interiorization.
We must give ourselves such an opportunity.
Let us ponder over this, as Daaji would say!
