Spiritual practice is resting in your true nature
September 23, 2025
The Higher Love
Wounds, trauma, and injuries manifest in various forms—physical, emotional, and egoistic. How we manage these experiences is entirely within our control. We can choose to be overwhelmed by them, or we can use them as catalysts for cultivating resilience, strength, and a clear sense of purpose.
The Law of Polarity suggests that everything has an opposite of equal measure. Just as injuries can cause destruction, they can also facilitate profound growth. The depth of our pain is often mirrored by our capacity to feel truly alive and well. As we heal, we learn to love and heal others.
During your most painful moments, I invite you to ask yourself: "What am I learning about myself from this experience? What positive spiritual teaching is right in front of me?" Often, these insights are not easily revealed unless we actively seek them. Ultimately, all of life prepares us for love.
Love is the highest form of intelligence and beauty from your soul. It is a fundamental and transformative force that gives life meaning and strength through its profound depth and commitment. Unconditional love has the power to unite all living beings by connecting them to what is deepest within them. As Lao Tzu wisely said, "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
Unconditional love is the essence of God; it transcends mere attachment and romantic love. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry noted that "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction."
A love attitude that is confused, guilt-ridden, or obsessive indicates disorder and can become an illness, especially when we view life solely through the lens of short-term practical gains. To participate in a long-term solution and allow forgiveness and love to flow freely, we must adopt a clear-headed approach and cast aside all cynicism. This requires us to stop counting, weighing, measuring, and focusing on deserving. Unconditional love cannot be earned or lost; it is not subject to any process of distribution. When we remain in a mindset of earning and losing, we perpetuate resentment, envy, or a constant struggle for more. Love cannot function by calculation without losing its essence, foundation, and source. We cannot simultaneously exist in a world of infinite grace and generosity while meticulously counting and measuring with a defensive, finite mind. Wholeness understands nothing of addition. The reign of holiness is a worldview of abundance, lifting us from scarcity to infinity. Remember, every part of infinity remains infinite, and unconditioned love is nothing less than infinite.
Bhakti Yoga outlines aspects or limbs (anga) that illustrate this profound devotion:
Shravana: Listening as if words are sacred.
Kirtana: Singing praise and devotion.
Smarana: Remembering the divine qualities of the beloved.
Pada-sevana: Service at the feet.
Arcana: Ritual offerings, service, and worship.
Vandana: Prostration before the image of the beloved.
Dasya: Serving.
Sakhya: Friendship.
Atma-nivedana: Self-offering.
