Love Yourself Bunk

To love others you must first love yourself.

April 3, 2012
Recently, someone said to me that loving yourself seems narcissistic. ‘Why look into the mirror, and always be adoring yourself? That doesn’t seem very spiritual?’ Apparently some folks think that’s what is meant by loving yourself. In the ‘spiritual-conscious sense’ it means to be enough unto yourself, and seeing yourself as you would want in a partner to be. Feeling a deep love for who or the spirit that occupies your body is loving yourself. Being free to be in love with who you are inside that is ageless, and seems to be ever growing in the depths of love.

Everyone has the opportunity to nourish the seed of love within even if it wasn’t given adequate nurturing as a child. Many have little or no idea what love is, or even feels like as they have had little experience or reinforcement. Life becomes a mental exercise without adequate love nourishment. The ‘mental’ is very powerful, and is capable of even creating great out word success, but not without inner demons and turmoil. The heart of loving feeling sprinkles joy, bliss, compassion, excitement, reverence, etc., that the mind alone can’t do.  They need each other in full positive working relationship to provide balance and a life of superconsciousness.

Down the ages just the opposite has been taught to you. The focus has been on loving others with little attention to loving yourself. As food is to the body, love is to the nourishment of the soul. With little food the body is weak, without love, the soul is weak, and hence easily manipulated by those with a self serving agenda. Love gives you insight into things, so that no one can deceive, exploit or oppress you.

The leaders of religions, politicians, and those looking to serve their needs selfishly can take advantage of your weakness. If you can’t love yourself, you can’t love anyone else either. The ‘users’, in whatever mask they wear, may encourage you to love god, others, your wife, husband, children, parents, nature, but not yourself. ‘Loving yourself’ is often referred to as egotistical and narcissistic by those who ironically think of themselves as superior. These ‘false motivators of love’ claim to love others, their ideals, God, family, etc.  Their’s is all false, mental love without any roots within themselves. Peddlers of false love are of an epidemic level including those often who claim to love you. Real love begins in that first step in loving yourself.

Never be afraid of loving yourself. Meditation means being with yourself, in other words touching the love within. Meditation is to be in resonance with your inner quiet where love is. For most, love must be earned by letting go of the negatives, and that can happen in a state of meditation. Know how to let go of the mind for love to come in!
Arhata