Love yoga

Yes, I'm in love.  In love in almost every conventional way - enjoying my career, crazy about my family, and daydreaming about my childhood sweetheart, my soon-to-be wife.  But then, I'm also quite madly in love with the feeling of love.

I think love is one of the most beautiful manifestations of karma yoga.  True love is unconditional and infinite - you care for your loved ones no matter what they do or become - you regardless keep working to protect them, keep praying for their health and happiness.  What is this but nishkaam karma?


God did not give us the iPhone and Xbox as part of our birth package.  He gave us our family and nature for entertainment.  Nature that is full of resources and variety, giving us abundant scope to learn, relax, and care.  And family that will go to any extent to ensure our well-being.  Somewhere along the way, he also gave us an interesting sensation that makes us (even nutjobs like Gaddafi) love these people close to us, without even having the thought of expecting returns for this love.  As we grow up, we get into increasingly transactional relationships, initially dilute with friends and teachers, but clearer as we make lab partners, colleagues, suppliers, customers, etc.  For many, even their marriage is an agreement with implicit terms & conditions.  And yet, we get another reminder of this unconditional love - when we have kids, and when we feel no achievement, no wealth, no property in the world matters more than their health and happiness.

This instinct of true love is our innate quality as mammals.  It resides deep inside us, something we may try to ignore in our worldly pursuits, but yet keeps us incomplete and dissatisfied when we do so.  It is equally present in the rich and the poor, the educated and the innocent.  It is immensely powerful - it can drive us to take actions beyond our own expectations of ourselves, achieve feats that seem to defy the laws of physics and biology.

It is in recognition and ultimate surrender to this spirit that we can find true joy in life.  Like I have mentioned in my earlier posts, nothing gives us more pleasure than the effort to make others happy.  We can always find ways to love our kids, spouse, parents, siblings, friends, etc.  As we realize this joy, we will feel like expanding this circle of love, applying the karma yoga of love on everyone around us and all creations of nature.  I find role models all around me - from Gandhiji and Vivekananda and Mother Teresa and Pope Francis to people close to me, like Fr. Hector and my teachers and parents.

Love empowers us to rise above our temptations and weaknesses, and experience heaven right here on earth.  Love was our first gift from God, love is what he continually showers upon us directly and indirectly, every day, every moment.  Offering our love to him and his creations seems the easiest and most natural route (yoga) to unite with him.