Friends, today’s reflection is dedicated to those who experience betrayal in love, whose love remains unfulfilled, or who find their relationships—of any kind—becoming increasingly strained. Such struggles often lead to mental unrest, giving rise to misguided thoughts and illnesses.
Friends, love is a profoundly spiritual term, one that ultimately blossoms into the path of devotion, or bhakti-yoga, initiating a journey where love pervades all. Yet today, love has descended to its lowest ebb. The love we recognize today is shallow and limited by our narrow definitions. Since we are here, let us first address this form of love.
Modern love is often not love at all but attraction—a compromise. A boy sees a girl, finds her appealing, and becomes drawn to her. He yearns to meet her, speak to her, and will go to any lengths, finding excuses or breaking barriers, to win her. While attraction to another is natural, the overwhelming desire to possess someone is not. However, societal influences have normalized even this abnormality. Popular media and superficial literature promote such notions, inspiring the younger generation to stray from true love. This desire to “possess” is the root of all discord.
From childhood, we are taught to dream and to summon the courage to realize those dreams. We learn that ambition brings success. Once, the saying was, “Stretch your legs according to your blanket.” But times have changed; parents now urge their children to dream big, set lofty goals, and achieve them at any cost. This shift is fueled by evolving mindsets and external factors, such as growing populations and dwindling opportunities, intensifying competition at every stage of life. Children are thrust into an unrelenting race early on, and many spend their lives trapped in it.
Even young children today demand specific things; the seeds of ambition are sown in their earliest years. The same mindset that drives academic and professional success eventually seeps into relationships. Tragically, instead of guiding this generation, we scold and criticize them, forgetting that we are the architects of this situation.
We have blurred the line between attraction and love. Friends, love deepens over time, while attraction fades. This confusion extends beyond relationships to everything we encounter. We buy what we desire today, only to discard it tomorrow when something newer and shinier arrives. This cycle of endless consumption has desensitized us to the difference between objects and relationships.
It is not love that betrays; it is we who misunderstand love and act hastily. We enter relationships without truly knowing our partners, mistaking fleeting attraction for genuine connection. Love is about the happiness of the beloved, not self-gratification. Yet, we impose our desires on others, attempting to confine them within our definitions of love. True love does not need coercion. If love is genuine, it will draw the beloved naturally. If not, no force can rewrite destiny. Love is not an exam to be aced through effort; it is a spiritual energy that draws its power from sincerity and positivity.
Consider the sacrifices made for India’s freedom. Thousands gave their lives, and heroes like Bhagat Singh embraced the gallows with a smile. Their love for their motherland was so profound that it transcended the desire for personal gain. True love gives freely, expecting nothing in return. It thrives in freedom, not captivity. Confinement belongs to prisoners, not lovers. Even a caged bird, though fed and cared for, yearns to fly. Set it free, and if it truly loves you, it will return. Such is the nature of love.
Do not attempt to imprison your beloved within the confines of love. They have their own thoughts, soul, and spirit, and they, too, deserve freedom. Ensnaring them will only lead to suffocation and eventual escape. Today, every relationship bears traces of such captivity. We act as wardens, wielding authority like a ringmaster cracking a whip. Such behavior reduces love to obedience, destroying its essence.
Love is devotion, and devotion holds immense power. When divine love can draw God Himself, how can mere humans resist? Awaken the strength of love and devotion within you. When love flows purely, it transforms your vision, surrounding you with a world brimming with love, where even your beloved stands revealed.
This world desperately needs such lovers. Many of today’s struggles stem from the absence of love. At the root of physical and mental illnesses lies this lack of love.
The global pandemic has brought one truth to light: the solution lies within our immune systems. Yoga has long taught that physical and mental strength, including immunity, can be cultivated through practice. Yet we had been chasing external beauty and quick fixes like gyms and protein supplements. Nature, however, has steered us back to the path of inner balance—towards yoga. Similarly, spirituality has always urged us to dive into the ocean of love for true peace and happiness. The source of love lies within you; you only need to uncover and awaken it. Once love flows, stress, sorrow, and negativity will dissolve. There will be no need to strive for positivity; the awakened love within you will make it inevitable.
Friends, love and joy are already within you. You simply need to awaken them. Once awakened, you will realize that everything you sought in the world was always present within. The search outside was futile. Whenever you awaken, it is morning. Just as a seed contains the potential of a tree, you carry the seed of love. Nurture it. When it blooms, it will bear countless fruits, inspiring and uplifting others with its message of love. The world awaits this transformation—begin the journey within.
