The Paradox of Love

“…the secret to finding real happiness in life lies not in material achievements or reward, but in expanding our experience of love, growing our capacity to love, and consciously recognizing that we are ‘all One.’”

-John Welshons in One Soul, One Love, One Heart

The Buddha taught that life is suffering. Jesus echoed this teaching, saying there “will be trials and tribulations” in this life. Both of these masters of life revealed the way out of suffering. Having explored and experienced firsthand the breadth and depth of human suffering as well as the depths of human consciousness, they each arrived at the very same answer to what would free us. They taught that only love would liberate us from our suffering.

Love seems so simple - too simple, too ordinary. Our problems seem special, extraordinary, complex, and we are overwhelmed by the heavy burden of neediness. There's not enough of what we need, or so it seems to the mortal mind. We believe and are reminded daily by a surround sound chorus, that getting more stuff will bring us happiness. We believe that if we have enough money or trappings of security, we'll drive the wolves of dissatisfaction away and we'll finally be fulfilled. Or, we look to others to assuage the suffering within our aching hearts. We seek recognition, validation and approval from lovers, bosses, friends, and coworkers hoping to stave off gremlins of self-doubt and deprecation.

Of course, none of these misguided attempts at happiness succeeds. Why not? Because quite simply they are all based on a false premise; a belief that we are broken, lacking, and limited. This belief demands that we get something from outside ourselves to complete us. In this consciousness, we look out at the world, and approach every situation or choice with the question, "What's in it for me?"

Jesus, Buddha, and other enlightened beings discovered that we are much more than our limited appraisal of our self and we have an innate capacity for happiness. Paradoxically we only discover the depth and breadth of our capacity for well-being when we give of ourselves, by expressing what is within us. The mantra for an awakening seeker becomes, "What's in it from me?" Jesus was succinct in this teaching, "What you give so shall you receive." Much like priming a pump, our practices of giving, even in small ways, reveal a deeper reservoir that our withholding only conceals. That reservoir is the love that is our essence. Loves constitutes our true self. When we share generously from the well of love within, we find paradoxically that we are more, not less. Therein lies our way out of suffering.

Each day you and I are remaking ourselves by the quality of the energy that expresses through us. We can seek to take from the world or give from our essence. Each choice creates a legacy that we leave behind. Like heart prints in the sands of consciousness, we either bear witness to need and greed or the bounty of love's reign on earth. We have all witnessed this paradox in those who share love with generosity are those who seem the most joyful. This is how we honor our essential nature which is Love itself by letting it have its way with us, letting it bubble up from the depth of our soul, and spill out through our words and actions. Let us practice this so that when our days on earth are done, we will know that we lived well, for having loved well.

Namaste,

Rev. Larry