"Love is not a thing to understand.
Love is not a thing to feel.
Love is not a thing to give and receive.
Love is a thing only to become
And eternally be. " - Sri Chinmoy
Love, an emotion which causes an upsurge in energy levels, an emotion which gives surreal strength, an emotion which defeats and defies intelligence, an emotion which symbolizes immortality, an emotion which incapacitates us to define. A mysterious force which powers us and bestows enough strength to take on the world single handedly. It can be safely assumed that “Love” is one of the most frequently used word in the history of literature.
Let us try to understand love by putting it on the canvas called life and savour its beauty with changing background colours called situations.
Manifestations of love are various and occurs in myriad forms. But the most predominant and the most celebrated form is the love between the valour and vanity, bounty and beauty, physical might and inner strength, masculine and feminine.
The love between a man and a woman sustains only if it is beyond carnal attraction. This love is yet another unsolved mystery posed by the providence for the mankind to comprehend. Love is such a powerful feeling that it paralyses the brain and defies all logic.
The phrase ‘Love is blind’ seems to be true in every sense of it. But the main haunting question is what is love? Is it a feeling or is it an invisible external mysterious force acting on mankind ? A very tough question indeed. Feeling and thinking have a very thin line drawn in the realm of human consciousness. But they both belong to two completely different domains. It is like a cat and a dog living together. It is not impossible for a cat and a dog to live in harmony, but feeling and thinking doesn’t live harmoniously. Each tries to enter the other domain and try to influence the thought process. Man is famous in interchanging these two in the wrong circumstances. We normally tend to think when we are required to feel and we normally succumb to emotions when we have to think and act. Thoughts should precede action at the human level. It is only in the primitive reptilian level that action precedes thought. But we tend to experience that kind of process happening amongst us as well.
Love is infact a metaphysical subject which yields no result regardless f the length and depth of discussion. No one has been able to churn a universal definition. So, I feel it is something which can assume any form. It can be our purpose in life, it can be our way of life, it can be a characteristic feature of us, it can serve as an inspiration to live, it can be the motive power which drives our life. Love is all about an unknown hidden entity which acts as a medium carrying gaiety. It makes us feel delirious, renews and rejuvenates our body and mind.
Now, let us try to unravel love as to how it can act as an motive power. Imagine you had a tiring and a long day at work, you come home and it happens to be your wedding anniversary. Don’t you stretch yourself and try to make your spouse happy. Would you be equally energetic on an otherwise normal day? What drove you on that day?
How many disagree to the statement that young lovers are the most adventurous and full of energy trying to prove their love by attempting the extremes? What drives them to do so? People risk their life for their beloved. What gives them such courage? Is it not love that is behind all these. Is it not the motive power which motivates the man to transform from existentiality to living life. Love is the most powerful source of energy known to man. The only point is it can be harnessed at our will and not otherwise.
Any attempt to dissect love to find its nature will be like searching a lost ring under the light which was lost elsewhere in dark. Practical and materialistic thinking will never succeed in understanding love and philosophical thinking will never succeed in defining love. It is one such wonderful entity in this creation which we can experience only if we stop thinking.
Experience love to feel and express the feeling of love. Love to love and hate to Hate!!!
Thirumal Rao R
