The Power of Love

Todd Drake posted these questions for the Mindful Listening meditation group recently, and I took the time to sit down with them myself. The most profound part was that after thinking about these questions with a clear heart for an evening, I did feel less burdened and more open to the world. Thank you, Todd, for providing the opportunity to explore this topic in more depth.

Here is how he started his practice: Love is the most powerful emotion. There are so many ways to love and to express love for ourselves and for others. There are ways of loving that are harmful and ways of loving that are beneficial. Try to answer the following questions from your heart and not your head.




What does love mean to me?

"The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed." ~Jiddu Krishnamurti

Love means sharing your true heart, your true understanding nature, manifested through action, word, and thought. In its truest form, unconditional love, it can be a transformative power. Unconditional love does not deal in the pleasures of the body or the desires of the ego; rather, it feeds the true spirit in each. Unconditional love is evident through action, word, and thought. When you love and are loved unconditionally, your spirit is transformed so that you open your heart to the world. This type of love is unstoppable.

"We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end." ~Benjamin Disraeli

How do I express love to myself and to others?

I have not always loved myself as I should. I have a very strong inner critic, and she was particularly strong when I was younger. Having my son quieted her, because with his birth I learned how to love unconditionally. His birth transformed my spirit, so that I could love myself and all my flaws. Now, I express love to myself though a willingness to allow myself to make mistakes without opening that door for the critic. She's still there, but we've come to an understanding that she will only visit when I am in need of a balanced opinion, and I think she likes her new job. At this point in my life, I try to love myself for every bit of who I am, and I try to show it by appreciating each day, each success, and by feeling proud of my talents without expecting to receive validation from others.

"To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance."
~Oscar Wilde


I try to show love for others through living with a generous heart. I love deeply and openly. I've always been a giver, to a fault sometimes. I am empathetic by nature, and feelings (my own and those of other people) affect me. Emotions run deep in me. When I feel a connection with people, I open myself to them, offer them comfort, show them love through action, word, and thought. One important lesson that I've learned in regard to loving others is that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is listen with intention and respect. In doing this, you often hear people express concern about the natural chaos of life, and you often want to fix things when you cannot. I have come to realize that, while this is a part of loving thought, this is not always an act of love; it is often one's own need to organize, harness and control the ebb and flow that occurs in life. The most difficult part of loving others is recognizing when your own ego has hijacked your emotions and has convinced you that you are doing something in their best interest.

"Love does not dominate; it cultivates." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe



Do I love enough?

In short, no.

"Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first." ~
The Prophet Muhammad

I was raised in a society that prized individualism, consumerism, conservatism, assigned monetary value to self worth and reliance, was always clamoring up the next step on the economic ladder, and was hypocritical in its practice of faith in relation to true action. I had a very difficult time reconciling these things with the way that I felt the world would best benefit from love. I was being taught that Jesus - a simple, young, idealistic man - loved the beggars, sinners, and "dregs" of society so greatly that he sacrificed his own life as an example of how others might live; yet every day I rode in a nice car to my private school where I attended class with people who lived lives very similar to my own. I knew this was inconsistent with the unconditional love I was being taught, and I could never reconcile these three ideas – the teachings of Jesus, church dogma, and familial practice - so I left the institution, took with me those few teachings of truth that were offered, and found other resources and philosophies to fill in the gaps. As often as relying on other teachings of faith, I rely upon my own instincts about truth and love to guide me.

"Knowledge and ritual without compassion is empty." ~Jesus of Nazareth

To this day, I do not think I love enough. Negative emotions sometimes get in the way of my loving as freely and openly as I might like. I know that I do not do enough for the world as a whole in regard to love. I do not always live as lightly in this world as I might, so that others might feel comfort and joy; however, I am constantly attempting to make changes in my behavior and actions so that I might more closely emulate the truest teachings and practices of unconditional love. I think that is all anyone can do, being human as we are.

"Love your neighbor, but who is your neighbor. Your neighbor is the one who is sent to you from the Divine. Your neighbor can be one who is a total stranger to you from afar. Your neighbor can be someone living close to you. But what is true is that your neighbor is one of the Light who needs your support as much as you need his." ~ Jesus of Nazarath

"Do not consider any act of kindness insignificant, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face." ~ The Prophet Muhammad

What is my daily love practice, if any? (e.g. metta practice, etc.)

I can narrow my daily practice of love down to devotion, loyalty, and care. I love through devotion to my child, family, friends, and profession. That last one might seem odd, but I am in direct contact with 116 young people every day, each with their own raging ego issues, so I attempt to remain devoted to making my work as meaningful as I am possibly able. I love through loyalty each day, because without the trust that develops through loyalty, one cannot truly reach anyone. I love through caring for others, both physically and emotionally, especially in relation to my child and family. Each day, I strive to love with openness and willingness, and to show this through action, word and thought. Above all, patience is required.

"A jug fills drop by drop." ~ Buddha