Compassion {Karuna} more essential than Love {Prem}
A beautiful example of the difference between love and compassion can be seen in the relationship of parents and their daughter who is wanting to marry a guy they dont quiet approve because of financial status and position. So they set boundaries and proclaim their love by giving it names of wealth, security, stability, future etc. Making it difficult for the girl to rebel, walk out or leave. Thats love for you when you put some one at a cross road where decisions involve a lot of risk and emotional turbulence, resulting to leave one with a choice /option scenario. Love is selfish, expecting, possessive, jealous, conditional, transactional, anger, insecure, impermanent. It is like this candle in the dark hours which is lit up for a need satiating phenomenon. A feeling tha comes to fore when needed or is kept under warps till them. Whereas if compassion was the basis of the relationship then it would be a different ball game as it would lend the situation flexibility, adaptability and sharing in the emotional roller coaster ride....feeling not just through an external and superficial layer but an emotion deep inside which brings about a change in perspectives, a shift , an awakening an enlightenment.
2 comments:
Hi Shalvi,
My view on this is little different...its the kind of love we practice that makes the difference. Everything is love..every virtue is actually an expression of the universal love. Be it kindness, compassion, Patience, gratitude all are love in different forms. I would not compare Love to any other quality or virtue of Human nature for true Love transcends anything that we we can comprehend with our physical experiences.
Even in lower qualities or negative expressions its love. Self centerdness, Anger, jealousy, Possessiveness, Lust all are again love in its negative form.
There is nothing beyond love but what we call love is very limited. The more expansive our own definition of love is more qualities it can accommodate.
So how we define love decides how we perceive life and experiences. In the example you presented its true compassion is missing in such love..but that doesn't mean parents will not have parental love...but it has to broad enough to have compassion for that daughter not as their progeny but as a individual soul...but the idea that you have to mention is very very strong and well thought of much needed in our society...
Well said Rashmee...However you and me are talking about the same thing but from a different perspective.
Love is whole for the part for you whereas for me it is a part of the whole :)
thanks for the insight.
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