Sunday, May 24, 2009

Universal Love


When many of us speak of love, we are referring to particular relationships. We limit our love to those that we know and appreciate for whatever reasons make them lovable. I can honestly say I was also in that club of selective lovers for most of my life. For the past ten years or so, however, I have been on a journey of learning and experience that has shown me love cannot be confined. True love is universal.

A few days ago I was feeling complete and utter bliss during my prayer and meditation. When I slip below my thoughts to this place of bliss, I feel complete love. My heart is open, I have no judgements or guidelines about who or what qualifies as lovable. I am in a complete state of oneness and love for all (including myself).

I frequently experience this bliss, yet at this particular time, it struck me that in those moments of what I refer to as universal love, there was no room for hate, revenge, jealousy, resentment or guilt. I was in a complete and utter state of joy, love, peace and complete well being. Nothing else mattered. War, disease, financial crisis, or fear of any loss had absolutely no impact on me. All I felt was love...and complete and utter joy.

As I returned to my more alert state of consciousness, I was aware that wars are present in the world. I was aware there was no outward change in the financial crisis and that many are losing many things (including relationships) that they consider to be valuable. I, however, still felt the JOY of universal love.

This ability to feel love to this degree makes me wonder what the world situations would be like if we all felt this love. Would we be killing each other? Would we be competing and manipulating to get ahead of everyone else? Would we even be as hard on ourselves as we often tend to be? I imagine that even if we shifted the slightest bit to being more compassionate and forgiving of ourselves and others we would open the door to allow universal love enter our lives.

What I am realizing is we can not improve our lives and state of well being without love being present. We cannot experience peace without love, nor love without forgiveness. We must look beyond what we call the "reality" of life to what lies within each of us.