True love need not have the expectation of reciprocation . Where there is an expectation of reciprocation, there cannot be love. It is rather a business transaction, in which love is bartered for other things – favour, recognition, attention, or even mere acknowledgement. The question is, “Would I love a person even when I have nothing to gain from him or even when he is sure to harm me?”
Love, I believe, is not an act of volition. You cannot love selectively. Love is that serene emotion that naturally overflows in all directions, when you are completely filled with it. When a flower blooms, it cannot stop its fragrance from spreading irrespective of anyone’s presence around. A nightingale’s singing is not directed to anyone in particular. Clouds don’t select houses to pour their contents on. They are simply helpless in controlling the overflow of what is filled inside them.
It’s more important than ever in today’s climate of random hatred coupled with self-obsession to encourage people to think of others and to love without demanding reciprocity. But, this is possible only when we have first filled our own hearts with ‘love’. It should begin with a total acceptance of oneself. When you accept yourself as you are, you begin to accept others also as they are. There is no more need to imitate or compete with anyone else, as each one of us is a unique creation of the nature. Realising and revealing your own original potential should become the life’s goal. Ever increasing joy is the reward on this journey and self-less love is an unavoidable result. No rose wants to be lily. And, the world is beautiful because of the variety.
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