
Like humanity, world religions have a way of turning a blind eye to their principles so that they can achieve their worldly goals. So, we find many contradictions in the Bible that can only be reconciled by attributing them to myth, metaphor, or corruption. Contradictions exist in Buddhism as well, but they tend to be subtle and only bother Buddhologists.
By Johnathon Lee
John Lennon sang, “Love is the the flower, you’ve gotta let it grow.” Was he right, naive, or both?
Lennon struggled to live up to his own ideals and—like many peace and love icons—was shot dead. It seems like our species hates love. We’d rather turn it into a product that we can control rather than let it be free and common to all.
Greed, paranoia, xenophobia and hostility have written our history books in blood. Only the laws of physics can put a limit on human cruelty, and we’ve pushed the envelope there as well.
It seems like John’s message was naive, but if it was, then so are the fundamental teachings of almost every world religion and ethical philosophy. Big blind love has a long heritage. Agape (Christianity), metta (Buddhism), and jian ai (Mohism) can all be translated as “impartial, universal love.”
Love was, in my opinion, Jesus’ essential teaching.
My favorite passage in the Bible is, “God is love. Those who do not know love do not know God.” Agape is divine love, the boundless love of God that we’re tasked with showing to each other. The New Testament is packed full of teachings inspired by agape.
Metta is an ancient teaching that probably precedes Buddhism, but the Buddha was able to find its practical implications. Metta, or loving-kindness, is a core aspect of living a Buddhaful life. Not only is it something that we cultivate through practice until it radiates boundlessly, it’s also an expression of emptiness.
We’re not separate, so love is our true nature.
Jian ai was developed by the Chinese philosopher Mozi. It’s an impartial love that strives for the benefit of all beings. He believed that a nation should be founded on this love and that all leaders should live true to it. If not, then they shouldn’t lead.
These are just three examples of big, blind love; I’m sure you could find dozens more.
“Love one another” is a timeless message, handed to us by sages from diverse walks of life. You could make a religion where universal love was the only doctrine and it would get at the heart of everything that’s right and wise in other -isms.
Like humanity, world religions have a way of turning a blind eye to their principles so that they can achieve their worldly goals. So, we find many contradictions in the Bible that can only be reconciled by attributing them to myth, metaphor, or corruption. Contradictions exist in Buddhism as well, but they tend to be subtle and only bother Buddhologists.
Icchantikas are one example. Some Buddhists believed that not all beings could be enlightened and that it was even okay to kill them. This was autocorrected by later schools.
I do believe that big, blind love is still essential.
I can’t imagine any other hope for life on Earth. I can’t let that go because—without it—the hate gets into me too. My sociopathic genes have made fighting anger, schadenfreude and power-hunger a lifelong practice. I’m well aware of my shadow, and I won’t lie to anyone about it. People don’t believe It. They can’t see it because I reason with it until it recedes into the light, grateful for its own passing. That’s the work.
I see the shadow in everyone, and I accept it just as I’ve accepted mine. That’s what love does. It shines a light and shows that “yours” and “mine” are illusions created by competitive genes that don’t need to compete anymore. These competitive drives became obsolete the second we learned to farm and breed livestock. Plentitude takes away the cold logic of greed and hate, and don’t be fooled, there’s still plenty to go around.
Love is the most logical way forward. It has been for thousands of years.
Love benefits the lover and the beloved. It’s a means that’s also an end.
That said, it isn’t a pushover. Sometimes life calls you to stand up for yourself or those around you. If someone tries to hurt you, you have every right to strike until they’re on the ground. Yet your inner actions matter here.
Striking out of hatred might look the same as striking out of love, but they’re worlds apart.
If you hate your assailant, then you might relish their pain. You’ll carry the event with you for a long time. It’ll circle in your mind until you start hating people in general. You’ll see enemies everywhere, and then you might stop caring about anyone but yourself. This is samsara mind… this is suffering. With this mindset, you’ll probably go onto cause suffering as well, maybe even becoming the antagonist in another’s story the same way that stranger was in yours.
If you love your assailant, then there’s no pride in their fall. There’s remorse, compassion, and well-wishes. You hope that they ease their suffering somehow. Then, you carry on with the day. No judgments. No circling. No suffering. This is nirvana mind.
Samsara says, “I win.” Nirvana says, “I’m sorry.”
This open love encompasses everything, and it’s what allows us to develop closed love for certain people. The love for a parent, friend or partner are like crates in a warehouse. The warehouse itself is open love.
I’m not a monk or ascetic. I won’t tell you to give up closed love because I think that dispassion is unhealthy. It’s possible to choose both; there’s no contradiction between them. If anything, big love smooths out little love. It allows us to love those close to us even more intimately and courageously.
Love lights the way. Love is the answer. If we must fight, we must do it out of love. Not hate. Not anger. Always turn back to love and you’ll never lose your way.
Photo: Pixabay
Editor: Dana Gornall
Did you like this post? You may also like:
Selfless Giving: The Gift of Dana this Holiday Season (I Love That About You)
Comments
- Words As Locks & Keys - February 10, 2025
- What’s Gained in Loss - December 30, 2024
- Being Thankful During Hard Times - November 26, 2024