The Path of Love

The only path that is truly your own is a path of love. It’s the only one that’s yours. 

Let me explain. Despite my explanation, the path of love remains inexplicable. It articulates a winding path through the Mystery. 

By explaining, I wish to facilitate a glimpse into the heart of existence, which has made sense of my own path and continues to do so. 

A lofty aim here, surely. 

So, suppose you’re interested in personal growth work, spirituality, psychology. Why are you interested in this? 

Isn’t it because you’re wishing for something? And if so, I imagine you’re wishing for something better, something good for yourself. 

So, doesn’t that mean that you care about yourself? 

And if you care about yourself, doesn’t that mean that you love yourself? 

Let’s begin with something less high-minded than personal growth and spirituality. Let’s start with something supposedly more mundane.

Suppose you want something, like new clothes. Perhaps you dream of travelling to a beautiful and exotic location. Perhaps you wish for the lifestyle that suits you. Perhaps you pine for a beloved person to cherish, to share your life with. 

Isn’t this because you care about yourself? And doesn’t this mean – that you love?

Now, suppose you lash out at someone, even though you wish you hadn’t. Perhaps your anger becomes destructive. At other times, you’re anxious and closed off, fearful.

Doesn’t all this happen because there is something vulnerable or that seems worth defending? And whatever that is, isn’t that something you are trying to protect – something that you love?

So, doesn’t your so-called negativity arise from love, no matter how confused and painful its expression may be? 

I have a friend who co-authored a best-selling book on meditation, complete with charts, illustrations and brain science. Supposedly, with practice – over a period of years – you can quiet your mind. 

Why?

What would motivate someone to invest years in such a practice, let alone write such a book? 

Isn’t love the force behind that? I can’t see what else it would be.

Something has to get the ball rolling, doesn’t it? That’s passion. 

But we overlook what sets us in motion because it is not visible to the eye. It is the source behind appearances.

Traditionally, people speak of devotion as one path among many, whereas it turns out to be the only path – if I’m not mistaken. 

When I was younger, I sought the truth, but overlooked myself. 

Let me explain. A philosopher I greatly admired declared that the universe is cold, lifeless and indifferent.

In the name of truth, he argued so passionately for this point of view.

Yet wasn’t he part of the universe? And if so, why did he overlook himself when he decided the universe was indifferent and not passionate? He was so overwhelmingly passionate, driven to find the truth at the heart of things and to make lofty proclamations about it to all the world. Did not his pursuit of truth correspond to his unique desire, his love?

For me, this argumentation isn’t just sleight of hand. 

I noticed the passion at the heart of existence, and it was like a cosmic joke, full of kindness. 

I was surprised by tears. 

But let’s get back to everyday things – the plane of existence where real change occurs. 

While engaged in inner work, we tap into the transformative power of love when we inquire into our intentions. In doing so, we take responsibility for our growth while at the same time entrusting ourselves to a greater source, love. 

We entrust ourselves to the passion that guides us. 

There may be no great fanfare. Perhaps we have become tired of the squabbles in our relationship, of not taking care of ourselves, of avoiding what’s really important. Perhaps we just want to feel better, more relaxed, more alive. 

When we’re working with self-created limitations, with the patterns that divide us from our heart’s desire, we can tap into the momentum that is already present within us – the love, the intention that is already there, leading us. 

This is not necessarily a grand process. It means working humbly with reality. Acknowledging what is real, what is true, what we love.

It means paying attention to what’s already here, the ordinary conditions of existence. We do not look beyond where we are, we look here. 

We begin by recognizing ourselves and what we love. 

At any given moment, this love is expressed individually, here and now. 

Your life is this love taking form. Your inner work is guided by its expression.

Following this love is the only path, the path of love. 

It is the great Mystery and it is yours.