‘In Love’… ‘Like’…
and ‘LOVE’
There are different kinds of ‘love’ and ‘liking’…
We can love our child… our sexual partner… our friend… our partner… our pet… our favorite desert… and others we have never met… These are most likely all different energies… some attached to wants or needs … and others more detached… some shallow… some as deep as Life itself…
A. ‘Familial love’
How easy is it to say to your child, “I love you”??
For most people, this is the easiest expression of ‘love’ since the connections and attachments are usually both obvious and genuine. There is a ‘belonging’ and sense of ‘blood’ or familial affection. There is a connection… a sense of responsibility and stewardship… This is the connection of the tribe and perhaps even of the larger community or culture and ethnic identity. It is the belongingness and protectiveness…
For those interested in energetic connections, this storge (‘store-gay’; Greek) form of ‘love’ is a connection through root, solar plexus, and heart chakras. The amount of trust and positive self-esteem a person develops in childhood is largely dependent upon the ability and level of care provided by parents, family, and early caregivers.
While this form of ‘love’ is critical and real, it is perhaps the easiest to understand and to provide. As always, issues arise as the ego or pain-bodies of caregivers want or need the family member attachment to feed their own wants or personally perceived inadequacies.
B. Desire Nature ‘love’ – Attraction, Lust
The desire nature is a natural part of our existence as human beings. In its broadest sense it is the combination of the instinct for survival, self interest, and the energy to want or take things in. With a dense ‘pain-body,’ needs are exaggerated into greed, selfishness, and other more negative energies.
In the more specific area of relationships it is the sexual and sensual pleasures looking for fulfillment. The strong energies of the sexual hormones look for expression. For those interested in energy areas the ‘epithumia’ (Greek) form of attraction, passion, or lust is the sacral and creativity energy center in the reproductive area of the body.
C. Romantic ‘love’ – Longing – Being ‘In Love’
Drawing out the best in another whether it is beautiful creativity or passionate sensuality is a characteristic of romantic Love. The personal ego falls “in love” as it connects with partners with complementary and common societal and personal energies, needs, and wants. Younger partners may take into consideration such things as physical attraction, common interests and ideals, projected parenting abilities, similar lifestyle goals, etc.
The energy of ‘eros’ or romance often provides for the meeting of complementary needs and wants, whether conscious or unconscious. This form of being ‘in love’ may include most of the first 5 chakras that include the all the tribal and familial connections (1, 2, 3) as well as heart (4), mind (6), expression, and mutual decision-making (5).
D. Cherishing ‘love’ – Friendship – ‘Like’
This energy type cares about one another as a best friend, team-mate, bunker-buddy, and while usually not at an erotic level, may flow into eros or other forms either intentionally, sporadically, or spontaneously.
As an example, ‘Philadelphia’ means the “City of Brotherly Love” (phile). In this form, there is heart and mind bonding and people are generally considered “attached at the hip” or in a “platonic relationship”… often in a group there is camaraderie and common goals and ideas. It can be a positive aspect if people who decide to live together also ‘like’ each other in this form of ego-attachment love.
We have used the terms: ego, egoic mind, survival personality, and pain-body to describe various aspects of personal attachments. These are natural and common to all human beings. This aspect of describing personal development is intended to help understand a more inclusive view of Life that shows the distinction between exclusive (ego) and inclusive (spiritual) approaches to awareness or consciousness.
E. Spiritual ‘LOVE’ as Being-State of Awareness
The Greek term ‘agape’ has often been used to express the spacious or spiritual quality of unconditional love. While it has also been used by many to describe more secular forms of openness, the term does imply a quality we wish to share. The sense of ‘Divine LOVE’ transcends the needs of ego and personal attachments. It can be misunderstood by the personality or pain-body of others as detached or cold since the personal ego has nothing to attach to … no ‘buttons’ to push.
There is an open and nature acceptance of others and Life since one needs to be present in the moment to be in a ‘state of LOVE.’ This form of LOVE is really beyond form and can be channeled as presence and acceptance. It can be said to be egoless since it does not need or want anything. This LOVE is Life itself… the eternal Source of the Present Moment. In this sense, it is timeless and selfless.
There must be an openness of heart (4), intuition (6), and crown (7) energy centers with a likelihood of all energy wheels being freely open… or “running on all cylinders.”
I have used some classical definitions from the Greek and do not pretend to be an expert, but share this as a way to stimulate some discussion and awareness of the differences in energies. It is also to help differentiate ego attachment ‘love energies’ from what I will call “Spiritual Love.” From a perspective of larger or expanded consciousness and awareness, we can always truly express our ‘LOVE” for anyone at anytime. There is also a caution that most of you may know already. The thought-form “love” will be interpreted by your personal egoic mind according to what it may want. This can often lead to a confusion of levels and a misunderstanding between people if not clarified.
It always a possible option to stand in a ‘state of LOVE’ and Presence, without saying anything. It is most likely my ego speaking if I need to announce ‘my’ “spiritual love” toward another person… If indeed we stand in LOVE, it will be felt without announcements.
After-thought
Life is a journey of lessons and self-discovery until we find our way home to the present moment again and again. Our intention, once awake is to stay awake. Most of us go back to sleep from time to time… but always with the memory of wakefulness, LOVE, Peace, and Joy in Present Moment awareness.
Let us do our best to stay alert in the moment, to learn where our pain-body gets activated, to continue to heal and clear our energy system, to forgive ourselves, others, the past, and to continually find the ‘Now-Gate’ back to being here!
LOVE and Blessings,
John
