Love
Hinduism- Ramayana: Alone with Sita
“Sita jumped up, every limb trembling, when she saw him (Rama). She noticed that his face exhibited anguish and disquiet, because when he saw her, he couldn’t help but let his heavy heart show through his features. He couldn’t control the pallor of his face, the lowering of his sweating brow, sadness creeping out of him. When she saw his demeanor, she was seized with deep distress and cried out to him: What, oh Lord has happened to change you so much?
Commentary: When someone knows you
completely, it is impossible to really hide from them. The essence of love is the willingness to see
and be seen.
“(The power of) birth and death destroyed, the world (all things) instructed
in the highest doctrine! He bids the world rejoice in (knowledge of) his law,
and gives to all the benefit of wisdom! Giving complete rest to the world, the
virtuous streams flow forth! His fame known (spread)
throughout the world, shines still with increased splendor! How great his pity
and his love to those who opposed his claims, neither rejoicing in their defeat
nor exulting in his own success.”
Commentary: Joy in the success of
another, working for the success of another, refusing to rejoice in the
misfortune of another, even when you can see the path of act and consequence
clearly…in all of these lie the completion of love.
Zoroastrianism- Zend Avesta: Yasna 37
“And we worship Him under His name as Lord, to Mazda dear, the most beneficent (of names). We worship him with our bones, and with our flesh, (with our bodies and our life). And we worship the Fravashis of the saints, of holy men, and holy women; and Righteousness the Best do we worship, the most beauteous, the Bountiful Immortal and that which is endowed with light in all things good.” Commentary: Love is not an emotion: ‘it is a word’ which intends to express the complete relationship of ones body-mind-spirit complex to both the Divine, the worlds of the Divine, and also to oneself and all others.
Judaism- Nevi’im: Jeremiah 31: 1-3
“At that time, says the Lord, will I be the God of all the
families of
Commentary: Think of your greatest love. God’s love is like that, even bigger.
Christianity- New Testament:
Gospel of John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give to you
that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this all men will know that
you are my disciples, of your love for one another.”
Commentary: Love: the most difficult gospel to understand and fulfill
and the only path to actual salvation.
Islam- Qur’an: Sura of The Land XC (90)
“And what shall make thee know what the steep hard road to climb is? It is freeing captives, or feeding on the day of famine, an orphan who is akin, or a poor man who lies in the dust; and again (it is) to be of these who believe and encourage each other to patience, and encourage each other to mercy,--these are the fellows of the right!”
Commentary: Read carefully. Freeing captives, feeding others when you are
hungry, accepting the orphan and the poverty stricken as family….this is the
completion of the gospel enjoined to us.
It is the toughest road, beyond theory, theology and circumstance.