Love & Bliss

When was the last time you used the word “love”? It was likely within recent memory – within a day, an hour or possibly even moments before reading this.
 
We say: “I love my wife/husband/partner/child;” “I love that book;” “I love those shoes;” “I love that mountain;” “I love feeling ____;” “I love God;” “I love that show;” “I love this country;” and so on and so on. We use the word love liberally and often without much thought.
 
We think we know what it means, but do we? If we can use it in reference to such a wide array of people and things, can we really mean it? What do we mean by it?
 
The truth is, we likely don’t love a television show as much as we love our spouse or partner (and least one would hope not), but we use the word in both contexts. The reality is, is that the word “love” has become loaded, generalized, and corrupted. Sometimes we cultivate, nourish and cherish it, and mean it in our hearts when we speak it. But other times we push it around and twist it to suit our speech, and use it without any true meaning behind it.
 
So then, what is love, truly? And is there only one kind of love?
 
Human love - between two beings or a being and a thing - is full of pleasure, and joy but also competition, jealousy, desire to possess, and control.
 
Divine love on the other hand is pure, beautiful, untouched, and uncorrupted.
 
But can we divide love into Human and Divine? Or is there only love? Is love personal or impersonal? Moral or immoral? Family or non-family? Is love a sentiment? Or is love an emotion?
 
To go into the question of what love is we must first free it and put away all ideals and ideologies of what it should or should not be. We must remove our personal beliefs and experiences of love so that we can see it for what it is.
 
For thought cannot possibly cultivate love – love is not a thought or a belief. It is.

It is experienced, felt and seen. Love is always active present. It is not ‘I will love’ or ‘I have loved’ (though you can have memories and experiences in which you felt or experienced love). It simply, is.
 
 When we can learn to see what love truly is, we can begin to experience it and share it in new, meaningful ways that bring us closer to the Divine.
 
We invite you to join us at our final Monthly Meditation for 2019, we join together to discuss what love is, and how we can experience it and true joy in our lives as we head into the new year.
 
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We all lead busy lives, and meditation can help us relax and renew. We will share, learn, and practice together. Group meditations has many advantages that can reinforce our desires of daily practice that inspires us and others.
 
At the Happyness center our main aim is to help you develop mindfulness and deeper awareness of your inner self. When we can learn to see ourselves in silent observation and enquiry rather than act from the noisy activity outside, we are able to find true happiness and stillness.