YOU and I matter to each other

YOU AND I MATTER TO EACH OTHER

When you and I matter to each other, the love is unconditional. Love does not guarantee happiness. Love also does not mean to control. The very act of loving is its own reward. This is atma rati. When you feel fulfilled in just loving without expecting love in return.

The more we observe the other person without judgment, the more we see ourselves mirrored in them.

Q. Why is it so difficult to have an unconditional and a non judgmental kind of love?

A. Because we are trapped in a world where there is conflict between my playing field and your playing field. I compare what I have with what you have, and this leads to conflict, and competition.

Q. How to overcome this?

A. Darshan (seeing myself in others), begins when I look at you (as you are)… when I see YOU with your fears and desires that make up your identity, and thereby discover myself (as I am), discover my fears and desires that make up MY identity. Only then do we discover the same essence/ soul (atma) that permeates all beings and things.

In my experience as a spiritual seeker while being a householder (a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend..) the relationships matter to me, and I matter to the people around me.

I am not a monk who has withdrawn from the world.

A householder/spiritual seeker (depending upon their evolution), lives in the world without attachment or detachment, without running towards or running away from things, people or situations.

He lives IN the world , and yet OUT of the world. He experiences Atma-rati, the joy of the immortal within.

A monk shuts his eyes and contemplates (dhyana). A householder opens the eyes and sees God in the temple/church, and sees God in everyone (darshan).

For a monk the focus is on the inner journey. For a spiritual householder the inner journey is meant to help the outer journey.

A monk/hermit’s journey begins by withdrawing from the other. A spiritual householder’s journey begins by withdrawing, leads to the understanding of seeing yourself in others, then ends by RETURNING TO THE OTHERS WITH EVEN MORE LOVE. There is a deeper connection, but without any attachment to satisfy your own ego or needs.

In this kind of loving, you can be different, you can be apart, you can disagree with each other. All this makes no difference…cuz you and the other is always IN EACH OTHER. In this love, distances and differences collapse. That’s when in a complete sense, YOU AND I MATTER TO EACH OTHER.