31 August 2010

Love and Darkness

Love for Arts
Image via Wikipedia
When I am in love then nothing hurts me. I become impervious to greed, lust, anger. But when I am out of love each of these impulses becomes a true enemy – strong, powerful, opposing, and almost unbeatable.
To try to beat these enemies is like fighting with darkness. Darkness cannot be beaten away, cannot be defeated by any amount of fighting but even a tiniest of lamps is sufficient to dispel ages of it.
Such is also the case with these enemies. They are nothing by themselves but are a mere indication of absence of love. A heart touched by love’s light is immediately rid of these dark shadows no matter how long they have inhabited its corners.
But how to awaken love and can love be awakened? How to know what kills love and how to act upon this knowledge? What do I love? Who do I love – anyone, anything? And why does love lose its magic touch by withering away or becoming an obsession when it goes un-reciprocated? And then, is it really love or is it another manifestation of its absence? Is it possible to hold on to love or is the very attempt to hold on one of the many ways to lose it? Is love a practice, an acquisition or a gift of grace?