Friends, Love is Not Just a Word

Love is infinite, like the vast sky. Yet, we often attempt to confine this infinity within the bounds of relationships or the cage of our ego. In this attempt to contain love, we end up hurting ourselves. Just as we cannot halt the flow of a river, we cannot stop the flow of love. The moment this flow is obstructed, problems arise. And when problems surface, we begin to blame love or the beloved, while we should instead examine the root cause—the problem itself. We should question our own thoughts. But we don’t. Because deep within us lies a belief that we can never be wrong. If there is fault, it must belong to someone or something else, whether it be a reason or a person.

What happens when the flow of love stops? We will explore this in the next section. But before that, let us seek to understand the nature of infinite love. Only by grasping this can we truly comprehend the flow of love.

Infinite Love Surrounds Us

In this world, love flows endlessly all around us. Like the sky, love on this Earth is infinite and manifests in countless forms. Yet, we limit love to relationships or romantic attachments. We try to imprison love instead of experiencing it as a state of being. We fail to see love for what it truly is.

Throughout this universe, love alone pervades. But we have become so blind, so burdened by the weight of our own limitations, that we cannot perceive the love scattered all around us. Can you see the love inherent in the Divine, the love that flows through nature? Likely not. You may see the thorns on a rosebush instead of its flowers. Our habit of finding fault has grown so ingrained that our eyes no longer notice the beauty of goodness.

The Role of Worship in Connecting with Love

Have you ever wondered why temples, idols, or places of worship were created? They were designed to help us establish a connection with the Divine because the creators understood that humans can only form relationships with what they can perceive. The practice began to remind us of the love within us that we had forgotten.

But instead of recognizing this symbolism, we turned these idols into the sole embodiment of divinity, visiting them daily as though God could only reside in one place. This misplaced devotion created negativity within us. Now, we see God only in idols, not in nature, humanity, or other beings.

This distortion of perception has led to a transactional view of love. We claim to be in the “Kaliyuga,” the age of strife, and blame it for the decline of love. But who commercialized love? We are all responsible. And yet, we falsely absolve ourselves, blaming the age we live in while pretending to remain pure and untainted.

Just as we have confined God to idols, temples, and scriptures, we have also imprisoned love. We respect our own mothers, sisters, and daughters, yet fail to extend the same respect to others’. We may not honor our own wives or partners but eagerly dishonor others’. When a loved one of ours faces misfortune, we blame society. But how often do we genuinely support others?

We forget that society is made by us—it does not create us. These are the reasons why, despite countless efforts, society fails to rise. External solutions cannot fix this; we must first elevate ourselves. Love cannot be imprisoned. Love is a flowing river—it must be allowed to flow freely.

Is True Love Extinct?

Some say true love no longer exists. This is utterly false. Love is alive, vibrant, and omnipresent, yet we fail to see it. Even love for wealth, status, or ego is a form of love, albeit distorted. For those who love money, nothing else matters. They lose friendships, relationships, health, and even their own inner peace, yet their love for money continues to grow. The same holds true for those infatuated with power, prestige, or ego.

Though these are distorted forms of love, they still contain the essence of true love. Do they not prove that love, in its many forms, is very much alive?

Take Vasco da Gama, the inventors, explorers, and scientists of the past three centuries. Were they not true lovers in their own way? Their devotion to discovery and innovation was an expression of pure, undying love.

The Nature of True Love

Love is not something we do—it is something that happens. And when it happens, it grows endlessly. One unique quality of love is that it is always one-sided. Whether the other reciprocates or not, it does not matter to the lover. Such a lover shares their love not only with their beloved but with the entire universe.

Why does this happen? Because love has always existed within us. When this inner love finds direction, it bursts forth like a spring. Examples include Buddha, Meera, and Nanak, whose love for the Divine overflowed into the world as boundless compassion.

Dig a well in the right place, and you will descend deeper and deeper until you reach a hidden spring. Soon, the well will overflow, always full of water. No matter how much water is drawn, the spring never dries. Love is just the same. As you delve deeper, you encounter the source of love within yourself. Once overflowing with love, no matter how much you share, the source remains inexhaustible. Such a lover loses themselves, but their love becomes immortal, a beacon for generations.

Distorted Love

Those who love wealth, status, or ego are also lovers, but their love is confined. They too lose everything, but unlike true lovers, no spring flows within them. Their love remains selfish and limited, unable to enrich others.

However, even these distorted lovers possess the qualities of true love; they simply lack direction. With the right guidance, such lovers could bring about societal transformation. But sadly, most awaken only on their deathbeds, realizing the futility of their pursuits. Their final words often carry deep regret: “I was wrong. I lost everything in this blind race, and what I gained holds no value in this moment.”

The Legacy of True Lovers

Vasco da Gama loved exploration. Though he lost much, his discoveries became a wellspring for future generations. Similarly, inventors and researchers, consumed by their love for discovery, lost themselves yet gifted the world with treasures of knowledge. Their devotion was also a form of love—a pure, undying passion for their pursuits.

Love is Alive

These examples prove that love is alive, though it manifests in various forms. Friends, direct your love toward a noble purpose. Let us uplift this sinking society through the boundless power of love.

Love is infinite. Allow it to flow freely, and it will transform the world.