The 65st Annual Nirankari Sant Samagam will be held in Delhi from November 3,4, and 5, 2012. In this context, the present article which is based on what the Sant Nirankari Mission seeks to preach, may be read with interest.
Love is the most universal subject. Starting from the inpidual, it takes into its fold the family, the community, the caste, the sect, the religion, the region, the nation and the whole mankind. It has its own subtle influence on groups whether formed for a social, economic, political or any other common cause. Even an ordinary man, whether educated or not is found sometimes sermonizing on the subject. In short, Love finds its way into everybody's life, choosing its own convenient route and the time to enter and the way to express itself.It is rightly said that Love is God. It means that love is a pine quality that can take man to the highest state of equanimity. You look at every human being as the image of God and treat and trust him or her as pure at heart. This is the love that knows no age, sex or status. Perhaps a child has it most, because of his own sublimity and nearness to Nature. It receives everyone as its own and showers its love and joy on them without any kind of discrimination or prejudice. No doubt, as one grows, love too tends to grow. It grows faster, of course, where accompanied by other pine qualities like humility, tolerance, goodwill understanding and respect unto others. But unfortunately, we find in the world of those who are grown up that love gets diluted and polluted by their unwanted negative and destructive instincts of selfishness, ego, jealousy and prejudice, etc. Naturally, blended with such feelings, love does not remain pure, sweet, gentle, pleasant and innocent. An Urdu poet says:
Mere Dil Ke Kisi Kone Mein Ik Maasoom Sa Baccha;
Baron Ki Dekh Kar Duniya Bara Hone Se Darta Hai.
(An innocent child in a safe corner of my heart, fears to grow after watching how the grown up peaple behave).
Let us, therefore, not be a wrong role model for our progeny. Let us teach them how to love and how not to love. Otherwise, we shall only be ignored, if not despised and condemned.
A Natural Feeling
Love is an inner instinct, a natural feeling. It is a heart to heart and soul to soul relationship. It is to be imbibed and lived and not to be experimented or tested. It is at its best when experienced in the inner domain. In thet case manifestation outside will remain as pure as the love within. Even when two bodies hug each other, the real bliss shall come from inside - the soul touching the soul. That is where love is natural - the same from outside and from within. When we give preference to the outward or physical love, it tends to lack sincerity. It is shrouded by artificiality outside and afflicted by selfishness within. Naturally, it is bereft of the pure feelings of the heart. No wonder, true love is a rare variety today. So, if you wish to keep your love true and pure, please begin from within and not from outside. Appearances can be false. All that glitters is not gold.Being Nature's own gift, we must safeguard love from the worldly feelings of negative character. Love is a sacred flame. Save it from the hurricane of the uncherishing and uncharitable world. It is a soothing balm for the wounded and not a weapon to hurt others. It is a subject of compassion and warmth. Don't turn it into a burning affair. Even though love is a source of strength and not a sign of cowardice, it is a trait of the humble, meek and the mild. Those afflicted with ego only spoil this sublime, subtle but a powerful base of life. Their love may be a false game for them. They will only exploit others in the name of love. No doubt they will find their prey easily, but that will make them further proud and bad unto others. Do we approve of such a love? Love begets love; and it must do so. It will do so, so long as it is based on a commonality of purpose. The persons in love with each other should be partners in each other's welfare - physical, mental and material. They must share each other's weal as well as woe. They must help each other to make life happy, prosperous and blissful. The lack of this most essential factor may hamper love from blossoming. Instead of fragrance it may give out the bad smell. This will be an unreal love, a hoax that is bound to die sooner than it is born. And the bitterness that it leaves may continue to tell people how not to love.
No Conditions
“If you judge people, you will have no time to love them”, says Mother Teresa. If you judge people by their caste, religion, profession, status and so on, you will certainly fail to love them. Suppose you love a person for his riches. It means you are in love with the wealth and not the person. Love knows no conditions. Here nobody is a stranger. It is a feeling of universal kinship. Love means you are at peace with all. There is no room for hatred. When you love one, it does not mean that you hate others.Love is a tool that makes it easier to achieve the target i.e., the pleasures of life, provided it is truthful. The spirit of apology as well as forgiveness which is a sign of wisdom is an essential factor for love to prosper. In adversity, one should not blame the other. Instead, both should stand unto it and face it with hard work shoulder to shoulder. Like a seed, it has the potential to grow into a plant and give you the leaves, flowers and the fruits. The sweet smell of its flowers travels all around, even against strong winds. It needs, however, the soil of self-sacrifice watered with generosity. So, let us not defame Love by using it as a tool to promote intolerance, hatred and violence in the name of religion or any other cause. That will be against the Law of Love.Love is a commodity to earn as also to distribute. Let us, therefore, deserve to receive love and be capable to distribute it unto others. It is rightly said: “Love the people who love you, because they find in you something that must be loved, develop it; and love the people who hate you because they find in you something that must be hated – change it”. Moreover, it is better to believe all and be cheated by one than disbelieve all and be cheated by none.Loving people means loving God. Love is an essential constituent of devotion to God. No doubt when we remember God, it is implied that we do it out of love. The best way to express our love towards God is to love and respect His creation i.e. the mankind:
Insaan Hain Insaan Ki Izzat Kiya Karen;
Hum Is Tarah Khuda Ki Ibadat Kiya Karen.
(We are human beings, we must respect the human beings; this too is the way to express our devotion to God).
Hence, those who do not show love unto people with the same faith and belief as is the Almighty's due, shall not be treading the path of true love. And, Love has to be true. Any other variety may be anything else and not love.
The author is a devout
follower of Sant Nirankari Mission