Love: Exoteric and Esoteric

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13

Love is harmonious existence and coexistence,... mutual and healthy giving and receiving,... and the thriving of free-will that avoids individual or collective suffering, or moves towards the path of least individual or collective suffering.

Love is the ocean from which positive thoughts, emotions, and actions originate. Compassion, kindness, empathy, sharing, caring, helping, acceptance, patience, gratitude, appreciation, peace, happiness, joy, amazement, truth, honesty, faithfulness, justice, and freedom are examples of qualities rooted in Love.



There are exoteric reasons and superficial methodologies for practicing Love, as well as esoteric and mystical reasons to practice Love.

• Love, through the force of Will.
Coerce yourself to Love, even if you do not want to. You must know that Love improves your situations, relieves your stress, and benefits your life. Remind yourself to be centered in Love through your emotions, thoughts, words, and actions as often as you can. Fight the inner negativity with the mindfulness of Love.

• Love, through conditioning.
By practicing Love, you condition your brain to grow towards Love by the strengthening of neural pathways and connections. Your emotions, thoughts, and actions feel more comfortable in states of Love. You Love and treat others as you wish to be Loved and treated.

• Love, as habit.
Through conditioned practice, Love begins to arise automatically. You are inwardly and outwardly Loving more often.

• Love, through knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
You strive towards Love by the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of how and why Love benefits yourself, along with how and why Love benefits others and the rest of the world. You acknowledge the existential interconnected co-arising of the micro and cosmic.

• Love, through innate nature.
Love arises naturally. You are inwardly and outwardly aligned toward Love.

• Love, through gnosis and experience.
You Love, effortlessly, because you have communed with Higher Self, Universe, Spirit, God, One. You Love, by the gnosis of Self, Life, Spirit, God, One within and around everything. You Love, by the gnosis of unity, wholeness, and oneness. All is an emanation, reflection, and mirror.

• Love, as a state of Being.
You exist as an expression of Love. Love radiates from you. You are anointed with the fragrances of Heaven, Paradise, and Nirvana.




Nothing to lose and everything to gain. Choose Love more often

That was beautiful! Thank you!

Love is an illusion our brains think up with the help of chemicals so that we'll be motivated to cooperate to breed and raise children. It's such a powerful psychochemical addiction that it even spills over to people who can't or don't want to procreate.

Thank you for reminding us of this important lesson. If everyone followed this very simple rule, paradise would be brought to Earth. No war or suffering, everyone working toward the greater good, no hunger or famine, no homelessness, heaven would literally be on Earth.

Unfortunately, there is one thing that gets in the way of this in my opinion: money. It is the main cause of suffering in this world. People love money more than other people, that's the issue with the world today.

Those who believe that a sacrifice is all that matters? You're wrong. Love is greater than faith. Most Christians (and other religions) do not follow the words of their savior that he spoke while alive, instead they follow his death as a way to salvation.

Matthew 6
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Forgiveness (salvation) comes from forgiving others, not a sacrifice. God is love, not sacrifice.

a reply to: Blue Shift

Who cares if it's an illusion? If people practiced it it would manifest in the real world.

Maybe you're thinking of excuses not to love others? No excuse is good enough.

a reply to: Blue Shift

The intimate love of 'eros' is different than the altruistic love of 'agape'.

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
Who cares if it's an illusion? If people practiced it it would manifest in the real world. Maybe you're thinking of excuses not to love others? No excuse is good enough.

That sounds pretty much like how an addict talks about their drug of choice.

originally posted by: Sahabi
The intimate love of 'eros' is different than the altruistic love of 'agape'.

And Eskimos have a hundred different names for snow. It's all pretty much the same stuff. Heightened physiological response intended to keep us cooperating so our DNA can replicate. It works well, that's for sure.

a reply to: Sahabi

Amen, beautifully said. A nice walk through the path of Light.

originally posted by: Blue Shift
Love is an illusion our brains think up with the help of chemicals so that we'll be motivated to cooperate to breed and raise children. It's such a powerful psychochemical addiction that it even spills over to people who can't or don't want to procreate.

The heart's neurons're capable of expressing this love. It's a very real phenomenon that only those who wish to receive it may have.

Receiving Love from God is the best way to find it. HE WHO CAUSES TO BE, GOD'S A WHO NOT A WHAT.

a reply to: Night Star
a reply to: Isurrender73

Thank you. I'm happy you enjoyed the op





a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

I agree, the solution to the vast majority of mankind's problems is Love. If we imagine a problem facing ourselves, society, a nation, and mankind at large, whether it be ethical, social, moral, financial, economic, diplomatic, political, or environmental, etc., we can think and reason deeply to realize how a lack of Love caused the problem, and how acts of Love can fix it.

I also agree that money plays a role in many of our problems. However, I do not think that 'money', in and of itself, is the problem. Money is a great medium for trade and barter, much easier than trying to trade my homegrown tomatoes for a furnace filter. Rather, the system, mechanisms, and schisms that create, control, regulate, influence, and manipulate modern money is a root of the problems.

Money is only the physical manifestation of our hearts. How we go about getting money, what we will do or sacrifice for it, and how we spend it, fundamentally, stems from our inner character.

If we are selfish, egotistical, greedy, dishonest, apathetic, or immoral, it will show in our acquirement and use of money. If we are loving, caring, compassionate, honest, and empathetic, it will show in our gain and use of money.

Money or its financial system can never be fixed without FIRST addressing personal character. The root of evil is an unmindful heart.





a reply to: Blue Shift

Love is an illusion you say. I tell you, the greatest illusion of all is "Separation". Not one thing came into being, exists, nor is sustained absolutely isolated and sovereign. All things arise as a result of other things and depend on other things. All things are ensnared by infinite webs of relationships, connections, interconnections, and Cause-and-Effect.

Love is cohesive to the wholeness, unity, and oneness of existence,... while a falling away from Love is rooted in illusionary separation.

Love is more than a physical bond. It's a mental/spirtual bond, promoting friendliness and kindness.

Hatred is an illusion which motivates violence so that humanity destroys itself. The devil was a liar and murderer from the beginning.

"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." - 1 John 2:9-11

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8

Love is The Light that shines from within us, and The Kingdom of God is within.

a reply to: Blissful

You're absolutely right. Love, as well as its associated qualities, has physical effects on our neurons and bodies. This positively effects our emotions, thoughts, words, actions, and greater world.





a reply to: arpgme

Wonderful reply. Love is definitely beyond physicality.

You know, it is a really nice word to think about, and I think that the problem is that there are a myriad of pleasant experiences that we could call "love" - for example:

Happiness
Joy
Kindness
Warmth
Sincerity
Togetherness
Humility
Forgiveness
Selflessness
Pleasure
Gratitude
Sympathy
Friendship
Honour
Prosperity

So, I do know what the above words mean, however, this "love" is difficult perhaps because it might just be an umbrella term, something quite vague, however, I will attempt to define it:

Love is the bridge between the selfless that do not expect reward, and those that they cherish.

To reiterate, compassionate self-sacrifice pending a hopeful return.

Where Is the Love?
- The Black Eyed Peas

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Now, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all


People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt can you hear them cryin'?
Can you practice what you preach?
And would you turn the other cheek?
Father, Father, Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love? (Love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love?
The love, the love


It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane?
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With the ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I can ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all( come on yeah)


People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father, Father, Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (the love)
Where is the love (the love)
Where is the love
The love, the love


I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images, it's the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids want to act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found now ask yourself


(One world one world)
We only got (one world one world)
That's all we got (one world one world)
And somethings wrong with it (yeah)
And somethings wrong with it (yeah)
And somethings wrong with the w-w-world yeah
We only got (one world one world)
That's all we got (one world one world)

a reply to: Sahabi

In the title of your post, you missed the other big " E" (as in Erotic).

I am pretty much blazé of all the "love" clichés. I have had enough of the "Love is Everything"; "God is Love"; "love is power" and all the rest .

Love that you are describing is a very low manifestation of something really powerful. It would be more useful for people to understand the source. Then they would realise why and how there is power behind what manifests as love in the lowest plane.

a reply to: crowdedskies

"low manifestation" you say? The thread is short, did you happen to make it to the last two points?:

• Love, through gnosis and experience.
You Love, effortlessly, because you have communed with Higher Self, Universe, Spirit, God, One. You Love, by the gnosis of Self, Life, Spirit, God, One within and around everything. You Love, by the gnosis of unity, wholeness, and oneness. All is an emanation, reflection, and mirror.

• Love, as a state of Being.
You exist as an expression of Love. Love radiates from you. You are anointed with the fragrances of Heaven, Paradise, and Nirvana.



Would you please tell us what is so "very low" about these last two points, and what is a higher manifestation than this?