Love is the energy that animates the world. God, it is said, is the ocean of love, and as His children, we are beings of love. Our everyday experiences teach us that love and kindness are not luxuries; they are essential virtues without which humanity cannot survive.
However, when we look at the world around us, we see so much lack of love. Wherever there is sorrow, it is an indication of the denial of love.
We can love selflessly only when we are full of love ourselves. In order to love and have regard for others, we first need to feel complete. Otherwise, there are too many selfish motives within, which block the heart. The way to become fulfilled is to love God—the inexhaustible source of power and virtues. God’s cleansing love washes away the stains of old weaknesses and hurts, rejuvenating souls bruised by pain and sorrow.
When we are comforted, healed and redeemed by God’s love, we come to realise that we too need to be benevolent, and that every member of the human family is a part of His creation and deserves compassion.
God shows us how to share love unconditionally — a love unadulterated with attachment or any other affliction, and which seeks not just one’s own good, but the good of others as well. It is such generosity that is enjoined on us by one of the loftiest religious commandments: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Is it possible to love others as we love ourselves? What is it that stops us from doing so?
We forget who we are: spiritual beings, composed of the energies of purity, peace and love. These qualities are innate to us, that is why we find them comforting and enriching. As babies we seem to know this secret, which is why a baby is a bundle of joy.
But as we grow up, we lose connection with this innate truth and start seeking fulfilment outside. We look for love, contentment and respect in people, places and objects, and start believing that we will be happy only when we achieve what we desire. Instead of enjoying the peace, love and happiness we can create with our own thoughts and actions, we start chasing rainbows.
It is an eternal law that we get what we give. Giving love and respect inspires a like response from others. The ancients knew this fact, and that is why the Bible, Quran, and the teachings of Confucius, all contain what is known as the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Everyone likes to have the best for themselves, and when we make our own self the benchmark for how we treat others, we learn to empathise and respect our fellow humans.
However, we are often quick to notice others’ faults and slow to appreciate their good qualities. This pollutes our feelings towards them, and once that happens, we cannot be truly loving. This is what hinders amity between individuals and communities.
Negative feelings act as an invisible barrier that blocks cooperation and harmonious relationships. We may smile and say all the right things to someone, but if we harbour animus towards them, there will be little honesty, trust, or goodwill in the relationship.
It is not selfish ambition or vain conceit that makes us superior, rather it is humility, which enables us to value others, which in turn earns us their esteem. Humility naturally brings patience and tolerance, which encourage a sympathetic understanding of not just other people but all creatures and Mother Nature. This in turn leads to cooperation, which fosters cordial relations.
In essence, a loving relationship with the self, the soul, and God is the key to loving all our neighbours on Planet Earth.
B.K. Brijmohan is Additional Secretary General of the Brahma Kumaris.