Dimensions of Love

There is no real love in the world except mother’s love to her infant child. Even this love continues till the child becomes grown up and independent. I have seen a hen showing courage and guts to fight with a great animal like bull to save its small chicks. I have also seen mothers who hate their sons after the sons are married. Love of mother gradually wanes as the child grows up and walks the steps of independence.

All other instances of love are not of real loves. The so called love of a lover and beloved in youth is simply a biological, physiological natural attraction for the other sex generated by the hormones in the body. This is need-based love. Really it is a bargain, a business- You help satisfy my needs; I help you satisfy your needs!

Even the love of the friends is also need-based love. But it is not biological but ‘vyavaharic’, based on the principle of symbiosis, a mutual co-operation.

Love for the God, Bhakti for the God is also not real love towards God. That is also need based love. That also evidences only the bargain, the business attitude. Man knows his limits. He finds that something is there which cannot be understood, which cannot be perceived by senses but which must exist. He fears for the unknown, fears about his destiny. He finds that few things happen in his life which cannot be explained by any reason, logic or even science. Then he wants some protection, an assurance, some solace from the unknown power. He starts praying God, worshipping God, spending hours in worshipping Gods and doing lots of rituals. This he does not out of love for the God, but out of fear for the God. It is really appeasing almighty so that the man would be secure in his worldly life and also in after-death life if it exists.

People are shy to accept these naked facts. They put a false layer and cover of ‘love’ to their business deal consciously or unconsciously struck between two parties. We all put masks. Our real faces are different. And sometimes by chance or otherwise this reality is revealed to the other party; and it becomes very difficult to accept and face the stark reality of a human being!