This article by John-Roger was first published in The Movement Newspaper, July 1983. The quality of “love” has been called many things. It is the essence which will move us beyond our beliefs, considerations, conditions and prejudices. It is the quality we would like to have more of for it will bring harmony and balance into our lives and remove the obstacles which may keep us from knowing more fully who we are.
When I talk about love, I’m not talking about an emotional feeling. Love might be identified that way and most people are familiar with that type of love because it is much easier to identify and understand. Love is found inside yourself and not necessarily through someone else. You can love someone through the emotions, knowing that it is yourself you love first. Sometimes, because of the human factor, it becomes easy to “forget” these higher forms of love. By being able to identify the “lower” forms of love, it can be easier to move out of them.
The possessive type of love expresses with statements like “I want it, I don’t want anyone else to have it and not only that I don’t want anyone else to look at it either.” This possessive love is an emotional type of love–one that will not fulfill the emotions. It is a “love” which holds things to itself. It’s like a one-way street which only goes in one direction. There is no give and take, only take. Possessive love will bring you something or someone and you’ll think it belongs to you.
Lust is part of possessive love. In our desire to possess something, we lust after it. It’s a good thing we don’t get everything we lust after or desire. Can you imagine owning all things or people you really wanted five years ago–or ten?
Another form of lust would be seeing a really beautiful painting hanging in a gallery and thinking, “Oh, I would really like to be able to do that.” That’s a form of lust. You are lusting after someone else’s talent. There’s no need to have those feelings because the artist already knows how to do the things which produce those paintings. You do not have to enter into jealousy or a desire to be like that artist. You can just enjoy what is present for you and acknowledge your own gifts. At this point, a form of “neutral love” can enter and you can love and appreciate those paintings or the artist’s talents without wanting to possess them.
Once we get an idea of the divine nature of our own beingness and the choices of the type of love we would like to experience, we stand up inside of our own consciousness and declare our divine loving nature. Not to say, “Hey, I’m greater than you,” but rather, “I stood up, and you can stand up also.” Once we start standing up in our loving, maybe we can get the rest of this planet also moving in the direction of unfoldment.
We are now in a time when that loving quality is becoming more and more present in our daily lives and in the lives of the people around us. It is an essence we are experiencing inside ourselves and bringing out into the open more and more. Once we have found it in ourselves, we want to experience it in everyone else too and that’s when the lifting quality of love becomes a greater part of everyone’s lives.
Sometimes, because of our humanness, we tend to forget the higher qualities of love. However, there are some key factors to remember which will remind us when love is present. First of all, where there is love there is harmony and balance. Also, the presence of love will have the quality of support. That support will continue whether you are present with someone or not. It is not dependent on possessing the attention, thoughts or emotions of another person. Some people love you as long as you’re in the room, and when you walk out they talk about you. This is not support.
During this dispensation, one of the highest forms of love and support can be experienced through the group consciousness. In the group you will still know who you are and your individuality will be maintained. But now the individual will go to the group and say, “What can we do?”
That becomes a tremendous question to ask ourselves on every level of unfoldment–”What can we do?” By joining with others in a “unity of purpose,” more can be accomplished. If you maintain the absolute dignity of individuality, it will create a feeling of separation and become the cross you carry. That can be very painful. But when you can turn to another individual for support, you are in group consciousness. The “me” becomes the “we.” Remember also that even when two are gathered in a single purpose, a group consciousness is formed.
If the group is experiencing discord or fighting, separation still exists. It becomes important that a sense of humility exists in which the individual ego will be sacrificed or submerged for the highest good of the group. When we sacrifice the narcissistic self-love and just BE the love we are, then we have overcome all things.
It is very important we understand the mind so we can sacrifice that, the emotions so we can sacrifice them, and also be willing to sacrifice the body, if necessary. Sacrifice those things which are not working for you. Then you can find the ultimate reality of your own beingness and merge into the consciousness of pure Spirit. Be in that state which will not only sacrifice but will also overcome all the hurdles inside yourself to bring yourself present in the group to add to and lift the energy instead of taking from it. Sacrifice the possessive love, the emotional love and move to neutral love and in the loving of your beingness, bring the best of you forward to enhance those around you. If we all had that sense of sacrifice, we would be progressing along the path of self-fulfillment and responsibility.
Another frontier is to overcome the base desires that drive us up the wall, through the door and down the street. When we overcome these base desires there is no room for possessive love, desire for others’ approval or wanting to do everything our own way. Be directed from the spiritual consciousness by fulfilling this moment and not being compelled to have this, that or the other thing or to run down the street to see what you might be missing. Declare to yourself, “I am not being driven by my base urges anymore.” Look at the opportunities as they appear, change your habit patterns, sacrifice the individual ego and be careful about the things you put into motion by being careful about what you desire.
Start doing good things everyday. Pretty soon the good habits will start taking over the bad habits. Even though the body, mind and emotions have a tendency to misrepresent you, continue to do good. You will be amazed that if your inner intent has been one of goodness, graciousness and loving, it will start writing itself in your eyes, your face and your body. You won’t be able to hide it from anyone. That loving quality which you have always wanted to receive will be reflected out of you and others will know it and want to participate in it. You will be able to tell a joke or get mad at someone and it won’t matter because it’s all the same thing.
Love is the highest action–defining love, expressing love and being love. When we love we all come to the same level. Laugh with people through the inner relationship. Work with people in the consciousness of love. Serve others through the willingness to put aside personal considerations and be open to receive the abundance of Spirit. Nothing can be denied to you if you ask in love. It is integrity.
Baruch Bashan.
John-Roger
