Love in the Land of Longing

In the land of duality, which is our current residence, it is absolutely necessary to experience love as and for "Other." Love is the force, the energy, that will move us out of the narrow confines of the self, and propels us upon a journey to the Other which is not one's self (but paradoxically, the root and core of one's Self) This journey outward to the Other, is the quintessential element and primary mode of the Abrahamic story, whose core teaching is: "You shall love the Lord your God and your neighbor as your Self."

On this level of existence, one cannot learn union (or oneness) without duality, otherness, longing, journey and love. They conspire together in a "going-outward" into the expansiveness of our own capablities and potential to love, which is the essense of the "first commandment." This "way of love" is the steady criterion of faith and spiritual growth within the Abrahamic traditions, expressing complete trust in the Beloved. But as Pema Chodron reminds us:

It all starts with loving-kindness for oneself, which in trun becomes loving-kindness for others. As the barriers come down around our hearts, we are less afraid of other people. We are more able to hear what is being said, see what is in front of our eyes, and work in accord with what happens rather than struggle against it (Start Where You Are).

This "spark of knowing" in the darknesses of space-time becomes a steady aweareness rather than merely a sudden shock of infatuation.