Love and Now

The Love Ruler! February 7th 2013.

In Love. Out of Love. In Love. Same same.

It is possible that I should be inventing an ‘app’ (for phones etc) called ‘The Love Ruler’. Instead of measuring dicks it would measure meaning assigned to words based on the context of such words. The measurement might go from 1 to 20, 1 meaning there is very little love to be had in the situation, no matter what words were spoken. 20 might be the kind of love that was completely in service of others, the Mother Theresa’s of the world.

 If you had a relative or friend who chose not to see or communicate with you, but who sent you a birthday text saying “Happy birthday, luv you!”, you could then enter these factors into the app which would draw the conclusion that this is probably Love Factor 2. There’s enough love for her to have thought of you, and she would probably cry at your funeral if you died tomorrow. But there aint enough love for her to have a coffee with you in ‘real life’ because that involves time and effort. At this point you then can indulge in self pity and anger that this person doesn’t Love to your standard. You can then get all cry baby about it and turn it into a drama.

Another example might be when you’re falling ‘in love’  with someone and they say things that lead you to believe this is the person you will grow old with. You key in the phrase/s along with how long you've been seeing them and the app might say “Love Factor 4: this could be love, or infatuation. Beware excessive claims of love that come too quickly. Let actions show you what this person is really feeling.”

This is the kind of shit I think of without even meaning to.

Fortunately I’m continuing to enjoy my re-reading of Eckhart Tolle, and when you’re practising being in the Now and allowing love to flow through you, 'measuring' Love takes a back seat.

I used to think of love as the vehicle to carry me through a hard time, but I get it now: love doesn’t carry you, it must move through you.

There’s this really popular little story called ‘footsteps’ that Christians cream themselves over. I can say that because I used to be a Christian.  In it the person is having a rough time and she looks back to see one set of footprints on the beach  (can’t be that rough, she’s on a nice beach). She gets all cry baby about it and asks god why he has forsaken her (cos god's footprints should be there too!).  Jesus pops up and says  “my child, when you saw only one set of footprints, it is then that I carried you”. Cue the sigh of relief. If you want to make this funnier, imagine Jesus as played by Cartman from Southpark.

I am beloved spider.

I think  ‘Jesus’ is symbolic in this story, but it isn’t necessarily that helpful if you want to get closer to enlightenment. Perhaps it sounded too sexy for Jesus to say “when you saw one set of footprints I was moving inside you like electricity moves through cable”. Even then, that wouldn't be entirely true, because the person is still attributing all the power and love to something else.

‘He’ may have gone on to explain:

“I am not a separate being to be worshipped, I am a symbol of the Love you sought externally and has now been transformed into a core of peace that springs from the eternal. Love moves through you. It is never outside you. It's only when you sat still on the beach feeling sorry for yourself that you eventually took notice of your own connection to 'source' or 'god'."

And now to quote dear Eckie once more on the topic of relationships (could be any relationship, but I’m thinking of my ‘romantic one’).

“So whenever your relationship is not working, whenever it brings out the “madness” in you and in your partner, be glad. What was unconscious is being brought up to the light. It is an opportunity for salvation. Every moment, hold the knowing of that moment, particularly of your inner state. If there is anger, know that there is anger. If there is jealousy, defensiveness, the urge to argue, the need to be right, an inner child demanding love and attention, or emotional pain of any kind – whatever is is, know the reality of that moment and hold the knowing. The relationship then becomes your sadhana, your spiritual practice”.

Page 158, The Power of Now.

Most of us are way too dependent on the idea of Love rather than the actual practice of Love. Babies, no one on earth has a perfect relationship, and we are all going to die. That’s just how it is. And I’m okay with that. For Now.

On a completely different note, I am going through a Slade phase. Yes. That’s correct. The 1970’s glam-pop sensation. This involves playing ‘Coz I Luv You’ and watching all these different live versions of it on Youtoob. I really like the electric violin, and Noddy Holder’s voice is even more amazing than the guitarist’s hair (and that’s really saying something). I realise this comment might appear random after talking Love and Now, but I suppose music really does help me connect into the moment (or it can help indulge in any range of emotions).

So smile. Noddy Holder is.