Love: The Engine of Life

The Masters of Bhakti urge us to rediscover the meaning of living in our daily actions and warn us against everything that hinders our quest, even against the so-called “knowledge”, when it is only as an end in itself and not functional to our evolution; we must not seek that kind of knowledge making us supercilious, rather the knowledge that liberates and helps us detach ourselves from conditionings, attachments and sufferings. The true knowledge helps us distinguish between eros and love, and between Love and love, because even love can be realized on different levels. Humanitarian love exists and yes, it is virtuous, but it is like a firefly in relation to the sun, representing the love for God; a feeling that becomes supreme and ineffable sweetness, when God begins to play with His devoted lover.

In the spiritual path of Bhakti (Bhakti-marga, Bhakti-Yoga) the devotee realizes God as Supreme Personality, in an intimate relationship that brings total fulfillment; in such communion, the relationship with God appears to be exclusive. Actually, the Supreme Lord has a privileged and unique relationship with each being: the completeness and perfection of divine Love are manifested endlessly, in infinite forms that transcend every human conception.
God is not only energy. Energy is certainly precious, but we cannot fall in love with it. Falling in love requires people to have relationships. A personal relationship is indispensable to let love arise, to let love be manifested, shared and reciprocated.

Bhakti is far beyond abstract knowledge, which nevertheless falls prey to the doubt calling on reason; it is far beyond an arid impersonalistic conception of the Divine and also beyond the dogmas of religion, in which the human being - bound by prohibitions and restrictions - can feel almost subjugated in his/her relationship with the Supreme Lord. Bhakti gives us wings. We can fly over all dogmas and imposed rules and discover our intimate and authentic nature. We realize the freedom of being ourselves, loving truly and spontaneously: the freedom of pure love. Bhakti transcends religious canons, which are helpful for beginners to start their spiritual quest and to eradicate their conditionings, generated by the worldly attachments.

Then, and only then will the vast earth and attachments to the things of this world appear merely trivial matters, of no interest not being connected to the sense of existence. It represents that crucial stage during the journey of the human-being, which also Dante describes in the first Canto of Purgatory: 

For better waters now the little bark
of my indwelling powers raises her sails,
and leaves behind that sea so cruel and dark.

Now shall I sing that second kingdom given
the soul of man wherein to purge its guilt
and so grow worthy to ascend to Heaven.

We must understand what is the purpose of life very conscientiously, without any further hesitation or disorientation, rather with sobriety and determination, once we are finally aware about the treasure we are searching, as our ultimate goal worth living for. Thus, we will realize that the Supreme Lord exists and intervenes in hard times, filling us with precious gifts such as the inspiration to act in spirit of service, from which originates the awareness of eternity, wisdom, joy and Love.

Marco Ferrini