Love as Universal Force
Then we have love as a universal force, the ocean we are swimming in, awareness itself.
Albert Einstein wrote to his daughter
"There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal explanation to. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us.
This universal force is LOVE.
... Love is God and God is Love."[2]
Love is beyond loving someone or something. Love becomes another name for the universal field of energy, the boundless ocean of awareness.
"When your whole organism is in harmony on all its levels, there is no conflict.
The expression and radiance of that harmony is love." A.H. Almas
Rumi says,
"Love is the bridge between you and everything."
"Some say there is a door that opens from one to another.
But if there is no wall, there is no need for door or window."
We are all swimming in the ocean of love.
A Brief Encounter
Awhile back I wrote about a meeting with Mary J, an itinerant poet. She created a lovely poem on the spot, weaving together the connection to the earth, grass, flowers, and sky, the solitude in the midst of the city. Then she said, "I don't take donations -- long pause -- over $1,000.00." Of course, I gave her some money.
In this brief exchange, there was a meeting beyond words. The essence of the meeting was a dropping away of all the pretenses and obstacles to allow two people who have never met and who may never meet again to have a moment of connection, peace, and a reminder of what is at the core of our being.
It is simple when it all takes place within five minutes, no melodramas surrounding it, and there is no clinging to make it stay or return. It is simple and clean.
Being in Love
All there is to do is to find and dissolve the barriers that keep us from realizing that we are swimming in an ocean of love. Dissolve the barriers and become a beacon of unconditional love.
Of course, relationships are complex. We are not always present in the realization of love. The barriers have yet to be dissolved. Psychological conditioning kicks in. You need to protect yourself from being taken advantage of. You want the spark of love to last forever. You want your lover to change, to be more perfect. Jealousy and fear arise.
In that moment, with the wise intention to stay open, bring mindfulness to bear. Let the barriers dissolve. Return to awareness, to the ocean of love. Relational love and the search for unconditional love merge.
When we experience the indescribable spark of love, our hearts open. There is no longer any need to hide, protect, control, or get anything. Opening the heart means to fearlessly face reality, to experience the fullness of a relationship. Mindful awareness transforms the drama of interpersonal relationships into opportunities for dropping away from the obstacles to heart-opening. The relationship becomes the crucible for the perfection of the lover's wisdom and compassion, unconditional love. You are in love and in the ocean of love.
