“Love comes from eternity and ends in eternity.” – Rabia 

Love: one of the most misused  words we have. Is love too pure to be understood by humans? Is it food for souls and the gods? 

Love is the essence of existence, yet nothing existing can define love. In a way, love is the force behind everything. Why do we water plants, feed our pets, or cook food for family? Because we love them. 

If love is in everything, then why is there suffering? Because one wants a reciprocation of the effort. That’s not love.

What is the art of loving?

Love is giving and it never ends. Love is limitless. It does not exhaust. And that is why love is a misused word, a synonym for affection, fondness, infatuation, lust, passion, and yearning. That’s not love.

When the Sufi saint Rabia was asked, “Do you love God?” her answer was, “Yes.” “Do you hate the devil?” She replied, “No, my love of God leaves me no time to hate the devil.”

Love is divine, pure, holy. We are learning to love.  We do all experience moments of love. These moments become even more precious when we share them. Over time, we learn that love is not an emotion. Love is a state; it is existence. Love is in everything. It does not come from something. It is the foundation of everything.

The highest form of love comes from the divine. We have the possibility to awaken, to become a part of the divine influence that is the creator of everything. Our task is to receive this love with gratitude. It does not mean that we do not need to make efforts. This opportunity requires us to use our existence in a higher way: by transforming suffering, by not expressing negative emotions, by being present to the moment. The best part is we can always share love, without it diminishing.

Plotinus said, “I am making my last effort to return that which is divine in me to that which is divine in the universe.”

There are many ways to share love. We can love by externally considering those around us. We can reciprocate the love from the gods by making the right use of our time on earth. Each moment we choose to be present to what is in front of us expresses our gratitude to higher forces. Every time we do not express a negative emotion, each time we consider another person more than ourselves, we share their love. 

The soul knows what is true and what is right action. We only have to let the love flow and follow the gods to learn the art of loving.

“We are people who love right, know limits, and never forget where men end and the gods begin.” – Euripides

Dhruvi Chavda practices the Fourth Way in India. For other articles of hers, see: https://fourthwaytoday.org/author/dhruvi-chavda/.