From Lust To Love – In Gita Verse 16.8 They say that this world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control. They say it is produced of sex desire and has no cause other than lust.
In the sacred text of the Bhagavad Gita, we find a dialogue that illuminates the nature of the human condition – where it is easy to mistake the transient for the eternal, the shadow for the substance, and lust for love. The verse in question speaks of a worldview steeped in illusion, one that denies the divine orchestration behind the cosmos, reducing creation to mere carnal desire. But in the words of Krishna, there is a call to transcend, to see beneath the surface, to recognise the potential for primal energy to evolve into spiritual ecstasy, into samadhi.
When we delve into the myriad expressions of what the world calls love, we uncover layers of misconception. Love, as perceived through the uninitiated gaze, often grapples with ownership and control. It’s marked by a quiet undertone of transactions where the beloved is rendered an object, something to satiate personal hunger. This is the masquerade of lust that parades in the garb of love. To discern one from the other, a simple question arises – are we seeking to extract joy from the other or to bring joy to them? In lust, the core impulse is about personal gratification. Love, in its true form, turns this paradigm on its head; it’s an open-handed gesture of altruism, where the self melts in the light of the other’s happiness.
Consider the dwindling passions often seen in romantic engagements. The initial infatuation, fueled by the allure of the unknown, gradually dulls as novelty wanes and reality’s stark light filters through. What was once an invigorating mystery becomes a habitual routine, often misconstrued as love. This pivotal juncture holds a profound truth – if there was love, it will endure, weathering the storm of monotony and emerging resilient. If there was not, then the connection will wither, allowing space for growth and deeper understanding. Such is the crucible that tests the mettle of what we call love.
As we move along the spectrum of understanding love, we encounter varied manifestations of this enigmatic force. At one end, we find love in its most basic, primal form – a slave to instinct and sensual craving. This is where love is mistaken for mere physicality, where connections are skin-deep and transient.
Rising from this, we arrive at a more enlightened expression of love, where the bond is about equality, a communion of spirits rather than a mere meeting of bodies. It is here that love begins to shed its possessive skin, unfurling into a dance of mutual respect and shared experience. In this space, freedom becomes the motif – the freedom to be oneself and to cherish the other’s uniqueness without the shadow of control.
Yet, there is a realm of love that transcends even these laudable human forms, a realm where love becomes an exalted state, unattached, and unconfined by the material. Here, love is no longer fenced by the parameters of a relationship; it blooms into a way of being. In this exalted state, love does not discriminate nor does it clasp – it simply is. This is the love of the enlightened ones, those rare beings who have transcended the dualities and who radiate love as effortlessly as the sun beams light. It’s a love that is universal, encompassing, and deeply transformative.
As we journey through life’s manifold experiences, it is important to hold the beacon of pure love aloft. This transformative journey from lust to love is as challenging as it is rewarding. While the majority linger in the shadowy realms of desire, a committed few rise, aspiring for the celestial love that Krishna speaks of – a love that completes one’s being, a love that is eternal and indestructible.
In the process of loving – across faces known and unknown, we are offered countless opportunities to practice this generous love, to interlace our existence with its essence. Each moment becomes an open invitation to embody love not just as an emotion or an act but as an enduring presence. For therein lies the art of living – a ceaseless devotion to evolving every shade of affection into the highest form of love. And this love, when honed to its divine acme, showers upon life a sanctity that neither time nor death can tarnish. It is within this sanctuary that the soul finds its ultimate rest and rejoices.
Let your love be a journey of awakening, as Krishna counsels, moving from the shadows of lust to the luminosity of love. This pilgrimage is not confined merely to the euphoria of togetherness, but is enriched by the discernment of the soul, forging a path from transitory pleasures to timeless essence, from the mirage of surface – level attractions to the profundity of absolute truth.
Krishna imparts a vision that elevates us to the apogee of love – unveiling the ultimate quest of existence. While many are bound within the preliminary stages of affection, predominantly guided by primal desires, the journey to the divine is a sacred process of refining base instincts into the highest expression of love. With mindful awareness and deliberate choice, every act of tenderness becomes a stride towards this sovereign state of being – a state of complete and enduring contentment that the finality of death itself cannot diminish.
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