“All that we are is a result of what we have thought: we are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy whenever they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.” ~ BuddhaAs Robert Elias Najemi so eloquently states, love is very hard to define, and as with God, peace and other spiritual realities, it can be perceived more easily through the effects it creates. We cannot see the wind, but we can see its effects, such as the leaves moving, branches swaying, or the sound of air rushing. We know wind exists by its various side effects.
Love connects us to all there is, and creates a bond which allows us to wish for others as we wish for ourselves. One of the lessons love teaches us is to expand our connection to other forms of creation beyond ego limitations.
Love, need and control are often confused with one another; as Robert Najemi explains, “needy love” is not the highest form of love. It is love mixed with need, attachment and addiction. If it were pure love, and the other was happier by leaving us or even happier with someone else, we would be happy for him or her, not full of sadness for ourselves.
Loving others means wanting them to be happy, healthy and successful in the ways that they are guided to be.
Love does not create the pain we feel when someone leaves us or rejects us. That pain is generated by our dependency upon that person for our pleasure or affirmation. Needs and attachments create fear, pain and suffering. Love creates happiness, fulfillment and the experience of our True Selves.
Talking to Ode2joy, last night, really opened my eyes to the meaning of true love. As many know, Ode’s husband recently passed away after a long battle with illness, but Ode is not overcome with pain – she is filled with joy knowing that her beloved Henry is finally able to soar above the limitations of a body that wasn’t working well any more.
I had to fight back tears a few times while I listened to her – her deep, boundless love is so powerful and all-encompassing that I could feel its warmth reach all the way to my own heart. In all honesty, I don’t think I’ve ever been more touched and humbled by a phone conversation.
After terminating the call, I just sat back watching my children play, and felt so grateful that toward the end of a beautiful day I was blessed with such a powerful confirmation.
Thank you, Ode2joy – Henry is free and in company of angels right now, but after all, he was blessed with an angel by his side even during his time on earth.
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