|
Both are the same. I have already explained this:
a dwelling acquires a name based on its size and the material position of the person residing in it.
-the dwelling place of a poor person is called a hut,
-a bigger house accommodating a middle class person is called an apartment,
-a luxurious house is called a bungalow.
-the accommodation of a king is called a palace.
-the place where God resides is known as a temple.
-if it is the abode of Jesus, it is called a Church,
-of Allah, it is called a Mosque.
Similarly, a relationship based on love is given a particular nomenclature.
-the love between a mother and child is called affection.
-the love between two equals is called friendship.
-the love for an elder is termed respect.
-the love for God is understood as devotion.
When you attain a magnitude of love that has no boundaries, then it is Love.
Love of God is the Ultimate Love.
The emotion is the same, the name is different but that does not make any difference to the underlying
feeling. Love is not limited to loving, even hate stems from love. A motive for X murdering Y could be that
Y misbehaved with X's wife whom X loves. The basic feeling is love here, isn't it? So love motivates love as well as hatred.
-Love expressed towards God is commonly known as devotion. But the highest form of devotion is love.
It is like when you love someone so deeply, your thoughts are constantly of him or her, regardless of whatever work you are
doing. Nothing else is on your mind. Reflections of every single word he or she uttered, the tenderness shared are uppermost on your mind always.
Your mind is in a constant state of elation.
The same thing happens when you love God to such a distraction, that despite
whatever be the nature of work you are in, your thoughts are on God always.
Good and bad originate from you only. Love and hate originate from you only.
It is the mind that conjures all relationships. And love takes on different names based on the emotional undercurrent at that moment.
Love is the summit of devotion - - like the state of rapture in which Andal and Meera and the various Azhwars and Nayanmars found themselves.
|
