Living in Love Award: My Question & It’s Answer
As part of her prize, MindMindful has shared this post with us. It appears only on my blog, but her’s is definitely worth a visit! There is even a unique post of mine that will appear there tomorrow (also part of the prize for the Living in Love Award).
When I first began my determined efforts at Waking Up, & liberating my inherent Awakened Self, I would get so discouraged, & I sometimes still do. The goal is so far away, being Buddha ……….. it will take lifetimes of effort, or what seems like the efforts of many lives. But I know one thing for sure: somehow it means Love.
Now, there are Teachings galore, giving guidance toward training one’s mind, toward changing one’s ways of being so that the clouded Buddha self can begin to shine. The Dharma is rich & varied, & presented in many ways, so that all personalities, & all levels of growth can find it useful. But the Teachings don’t tell each of us how to live love in our personal lives; we have to figure the particulars out ourselves. And with the goal so distant, I asked: Wah! What am I supposed to do in the meantime?!? If I’m not yet that Buddha-to-be, or — more accurately: manifesting the Buddha-that-I-am — what do I do with myself until then??
I seriously want to know, for I don’t want to waste any more time. (Well, let’s be honest here: I don’t want to waste all of my time, but I’m likely to waste some of it, lol) Here I am though in what is probably just the middle of a very long life, & the old ways of being don’t satisfy anymore. I mean, those ways & days of just pleasing myself, just doing what an external authority imposes upon me, just going through life haphazardly …….. they are not enough. I want to make a difference, yet I am so small, certainly no Aung San Suu Kyi, no Emmeline Pankhurst, no Martin Luther King, Jr. I think the grand gestures that some can accomplish are beyond what I can do; at least it feels that way now. But it does feel right to live in Love, somehow.
Wondering what Living Love means, I asked these questions in my dreams, in my prayers, in my meditations, asking & fretting because my long-time habit is to be easily discouraged, & to give up. I queried: How do I DO this? How can my frail efforts add up enough to be progress toward my Buddha Goal? How would I be worthy of it until I can reach it?? And one day, suddenly I knew! I knew the answer to my question: “What do I do until I’m Enlightened??” Make the world more bearable for someone else.
And this is what I believe Living Love IS. It is bringing some relief to another’s suffering, lightening their load, helping them be a little happier. Small efforts? Maybe. Worthy efforts? Oh, for sure, because here’s what I realize as I write this (ding! ding! ding!): No matter what the effort is, or how small, if it is loving, if it is an act of Love, then it is Living Love, & there’s no waste in that.
i agree x
Dear Daring I am not buddhist but I do agree with your statement of “bringing some relief to another’s suffering, lightening their load, helping them be a little happier”. If we can do that in the tiniest of ways what a big difference this world would be. I always say,” A little bit shared becomes a whole lot to someone.” especially if it is Love.
This post was written by MindMindful. I do not consider myself a Buddhist either, yet I feel all religions have a certain truth contained in them. Perhaps it is because all of humanity is united in their search for Love.
Perhaps and if we would do just that and love others as we do ourselves-but alas I do believe that is mostly the problem-We don’t love who we really are because the ‘who’ we think we are gets in the way and stops us from finding that love we are seaching for in us and in others. (Just my opinion)
I agree w/ byheavenslight: The who we think we are DEFinitely gets in the way of who we ACTUALLY are ……………. causes lots of troubles!
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