If you have read the book “the road less travelled”, you must have read the chapter on love by Scott Peck. His definition of love is very beautiful. What does love mean according to him?
Love is not a feeling; it is an activity and an investment. Love is the will or desire to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another person’s growth (spiritual growth).
The term spiritual growth encompasses many aspects of the growth of a person. Truly, love starts with oneself. When a person truly loves oneself, the person can love another person meaningfully.
There are many notions of the love that we find in our daily loves. One of that is also romantic love. A person finds another person of opposite gender very attractive either because of the person’s style or appearance and falls in love. Such a love can be constructive and can also be destructive.
Sometimes the love arises out of admiring qualities of a person. For example, we may like another person if the person appears to be wise or highly educated or a great orator or possess skills in fine art. This love, though, is a step ahead from mere physical attraction, yet it arises out of ego and mind and is very capable of fizzling out in time.
The highest order of love expresses itself as compassion and non-injury to everyone. This love not only nourishes the self but also provides immense opportunities to the recipient person for growth & learning.
Each and everyone of us have felt & experienced or expressed love in one of the three levels. Spiritual teachers are the real compassionate ones who have nothing but our welfare in their minds. They care about our spiritual growth and there by are the most loving of all. One such a teacher is Sai-Baba who has always cared for its devotees and continues to do so. The real intent behind all that care is to make us aware of our true nature, help us trudge along on the path of dharma & righteousness.
Do you agree? Do you have more to contribute to the definition of love? Please feel free to post your thoughts and we will publish them all. You can also comment below if you like.
With Love, Light & Peace to you all.
