The power of love!

 In love abides all knowledge. It is mankind's love and interest in things that in time reveals their secret, and then man knows how to develop, control, and utilize them. No one can know anybody, however much he may profess to know, except the lover, because in the absence of love the inner eyes are blind. Only the outer eyes are open, which are merely the spectacles of the inner eyes. If the sight is not keen, of what use are the spectacles? It is for this reason that we admire all those whom we love, and are blind to the good qualities of those whom we do not love. It is not always that these deserve our neglect, but our eyes, without love, cannot see their goodness.

Those whom we love may have bad points too, but as love sees beauty, so we see that alone in them. Intelligence itself in its next step towards manifestation is love. When the light of love has been lit, the heart becomes transparent, so that the intelligence of the soul can see through it. But until the heart is kindled by the flame of love, the intelligence, which is constantly yearning to experience life on the surface, is groping in the dark.

Love is above law, and law is beneath love. There is no comparison between them. One is from heaven and the other from earth. Where love dies law begins. Therefore law can never find a place for love, nor can love ever limit itself within law, one being limited, the other being as unlimited as life. The lover can give no reason why he loves a certain one, for there is a reason for everything except love.

Time and space are in the hands of love. A journey of miles will become a few yards in the presence of the beloved, and yards become miles in his absence. A day of separation in love is equal to a thousand years, and a thousand years of the beloved's presence are not even as long as a day.

If there is any protecting influence in the world, it is no other than love. In all aspects of life, wherever we find protection, its motive is always love, and no one can have trust in any protection, however great, except the protection that love offers. If a giant were to frighten a child, the child would say, 'I will tell my mother.' The strength and power of any man is too small in comparison with love's protection which the mother affords her child.

 The Simple Life~~

The older I get, the more I value the beauty of simplicity. Life for me is not about constantly acquiring more, but instead letting go of things that no longer serve me. The pursuit of materialism is a never-ending endeavour. The more you have, the more you want and the more you have to lose.

There is a beauty in appreciating the finer things in life, without needing constant external distraction. I am usually at my most spiritually balanced when I am able to sit in total uninterrupted silence, without the involvement of the mind and without feelings of restlessness or boredom.

If I get impatient with the present moment and let my mind wander towards what I could be doing instead which is ‘more stimulating’, then I know that there is something internally that is not being addressed.

The more external stimulation we seek, the more likely it is that we are trying to run away from ourselves. We should be able to live as animals do, completely at one with our external environment, without any expectations or attachment. This does not mean that we stay passive, apathetic or uninvolved; it simply means that we know when the right time is to take action and when the right time is to surrender and let go. This is how we balance or inner masculine and feminine.

As soon as we start thinking that ‘I will be happier when I’ve got this or that’ then we have already lost. Gratitude is the key. What we appreciate, appreciates. This may sound like just another spiritual platitude, but there is a raw truth embedded within this, which I have discovered to be true through personal experience.

Gratitude is truly the gateway towards happiness. One only needs to look at children in third world countries. Despite living in abject poverty, often struggling to put food or water on the table, living in cramped and unsanitary conditions, rife with disease; they still know how to smile, to sing, to dance, to fill themselves with joy and happiness. We can learn a lot from this.

In the more ‘developed’ western nations, we have been so accustomed to a life of convenience and luxury, that we have forgotten how to strip back to the basics. Our attention span and desire for immediate gratification has rendered us largely incapable of enjoying things which don’t require money, pleasure, instant hits of dopamine or even people.

Even the most seemingly ‘mundane’ tasks (cooking, cleaning, walking, gardening) can be enjoyed when met with total presence and appreciation. By slowing down and bringing awareness to each act, we can bathe in the joy of simply being alive.

Most people see ‘nature’ as a place to go to, perhaps if it’s sunny enough or dry enough or close enough. Labelling nature as if it is something that is separate from us, epitomises our disconnection from both the wider ecosystem and ourselves (the two are intrinsically connected). Where technology was once a temporary escape from the outside world, the outside world has now become an escape from technology. Offline has become the new luxury.

When we step outside the Matrix bubble and immerse ourselves deeply back into the natural world, we can find a raw beauty, humility and peace that is almost impossible to match in the fast-paced, synthetic and superficial city life.

By becoming intimate again with the natural elements and paying attention to the finer details, we will quickly realise that nature provides everything we need. There is so much diversity and complexity in the plant and animal kingdom that we couldn’t possibly get bored if we truly knew how to connect.

Take a walk out in nature by yourself and you will discover that you are not truly alone. Magic is all around us, patiently waiting to be discovered. The world reveals its secrets only to those with the eyes to see and hearts to feel.

Be content with less. Don’t be a slave to your money or possessions. Stop comparing yourself with others. Embrace solitude. Stop striving for perfection. Focus on what is good and not how things can be better. These simple, yet profound lessons will get you further than any amount of material wealth can.~