Love Transforms
The whole of Buddhist philosophy can be summed up in to two parts: compassion and wisdom. They are essential to one another on the path toward enlightenment. Compassion is the wish that others be freed from suffering and wisdom is understanding the true nature of reality.
Buddhist philosophy is exhausting for a scholarly adept. There are details upon details, and details about the details. Why wouldn't there be? Just look at the working of the human brain. There are trillions of neurons that are essential to storing data (memory) and creating connections in order to have perceptions of things. We study how the mind works and what a mind actually is. The depth of knowledge on our reality is found in many texts, including the Abhidharmakosha. But, every student of Buddha worth his salt will tell you that it goes far beyond the texts, the Sutras, the commentaries, etc. It goes into Western science, medicine. It goes into the other religious ideologies and philosophies. The expanse of knowledge is vast, and understanding the true nature of reality is complex to say the very least.
But, from my twenty years of experience, I can tell you the heart of Buddhist philosophy is proving that we are all interconnected and that LOVE is the most important aspect of being. Wisdom comes from deepening our love to ourselves and to others. Any parent can tell you the transformation that loving their only child does to their heart, soul, and mind. If love can do that to a family, it should be extended to the community.
Often, the idea of love that we have is selfishly based. The media exploits it, Hollywood romanticizes it. The love we feel for that one special person seems to be true love, deep love. Our every thought and action is dedicated to that person. But, if that person comes to us and tells us that they don't want to be in a relationship anymore, or they tell us that they'd be happier without us, what we once called "love" changes. Or does it? If we truly want someone else to be happy and we are committed deeply to their happiness, why would we suddenly no longer feel love toward them because they want to go somewhere without us? This is evidence that we never really had LOVE to begin with. We had a type of sentimental addiction. They were nothing more than a living breathing "thing" upon which we could attach the label "mine." LOVE, true love does not fade, and it does not fail. And thus, friends, I have to tell you that the greatest love you can experience is to love LOVE itself.
This is a divine kind of love (pardon me for that word). It radiates in every direction, holds no grudges, sees no wrongs in the other, forgives before forgiving is needed. It requires no object to which it sends its love. It is totally and completely selfless. When someone we love hurts us or leaves us, the pain we feel is personal. That pain is the ego. The ego, or the "self" identity always asserts itself when there is suffering. But, when we examine this "self" we find that it truly does not exist. Sure, you are an observer observing . . . but where is this "observer"? And what is it that is having the experience?
We are a network of thousands upon thousands of transient parts, all momentarily rendering an experiencer that continues to change as the parts change. There can be no lasting happiness in a temporary being like this. Likewise, looking for lasting happiness and joy in another being who is a network of thousands upon thousands of changing parts is futile. These parts are all also made up of parts. We are just a collection of "stuff" ready to get spilled in every direction! We are temporary things, and we all contracted a terminal disease at birth called "life". All composite things will eventually cease.
That may sound morbid to some, but we are dying in every minute and being reborn into the next. We have to let the past die and slip away in order to move into the future's moments awaiting us. Living in this present moment, full of love is where true joy resides. Loving others simply to love them fills us with joy. They don't feel what we feel. They can't experience that which is within us. They can choose to love us and experience love themselves. If everyone radiated toward all beings the kind of love a mother has for her only child every problem in the world would end.
Compassion and wisdom are necessary for those seeking lasting joy, freedom from rebirth and suffering, to reach the summit of highest enlightenment. Understanding emptiness, the true nature of reality finishes the trip. It's a huge mountain to climb and it may take lifetimes, but rather than seeking love in a specific other being upon who you can lay the claim "mine", why not spend a few months meditating on love, loving kindness, practice sharing and generosity to see others feeling good? Why not spend more time on others and less time on self and all the accompanying illusions "self" creates? That right there is what is meant by changing the world by changing yourself.
Instead of going out in the world and taking as much as you can, this delusion of self-aggrandizement that we've been hypnotized into, why not try giving back to the world more than you take? Why not live simpler lives, reduce our demands, create stronger relationships through true interest in one another, not be distracted with temporary material things less? Why not learn to love LOVE itself? Rejoice and feel appreciation every time you see someone feel good! Rejoice when you see others enjoying life, or getting the jobs they seek, or finding the lover they hope for, or laughing at a joke? Why not rejoice more in every way you see positive emotions occurring in the world? Why not love LOVE in every way that it presents itself?
We can change the world, from our own hearts. We can have everything we ever wished for if we know how to let go of ourselves just enough to get it. Everything we need as beings on this planet will happen if we foster love and compassion and the wisdom that sees all this love to be the true nature of our existence.
