Back to the Garden Part 4: Meditations on Self-Love

by Curtis Lang		print version
		print version (graphics)

Knowing what the Buddha knew, what Christ knew, and what Arjuna knew (see Self-Love: The War Between the Ego and the Higher Self), understanding that the egoistic, separate self is an illusion, you know that although you may be beset with personal failings such as lust, anger, jealousy, fear, greed, envy, and doubt, these qualities are not representative of your true nature.

winter stream in Mt. Tremper, NY by J.S.

Your true nature is a mirror image of Divine nature. Your true nature is a mirror of Christ's love, Buddha's diamond mind, and Arjuna's spiritual courage.

Give yourself permission to love yourself first. This is not selfish, egotistical or easy. Self-love is not a part of mainstream culture. Don't condemn yourself. Don't put yourself down.

See God in your own eyes. Remember that you are a child of God, of the Divine Father-Mother Source. Be grateful for who you are. Cultivate attitudes of love and gratitude and choose again and again to surrender to the Divine plan for your life.

Through meditation seek unity with the Higher Self, with Christ, Krishna, or Buddha Mind. Call upon your Spiritual Guides, teachers, angels, and other allies in the higher realms to assist you in your practice.

Men – and women -- seeking to achieve a balanced state of sexual affinity within can benefit from meditation upon nature, the forms of nature, the natural elements, and all beings within nature, especially the stars. This will connect them to their inner feminine principle. The Divine Mother who sustains the natural world, and whose beauty shines from every form within nature, also lives within each one of us. Men can often connect with her more easily by contemplating the beauty of natural forms than by meditation upon her.

Women -- and men -- seeking to achieve a balanced state of sexual affinity can benefit from meditation upon the sun. Reflect upon the sun’s power, the sun’s wisdom, the tremendous outpouring of vital energies that sustain life on Earth. The sun pours out these energies without thought of recompense. This is a form of exalted wisdom and unconditional love by a very advanced spiritual being. This will connect them to their inner masculine principle. The Divine Father lives within each one of us.

Recall that those closest to you also have a Higher, Divine self, which is their true nature. The failings and imperfections in your relationships, which you often attribute to others, are simply the imperfections of the egoistic personalities of the individuals involved, simply the workings of karma between them.

When interacting with your lover, keep the conscious intention to connect with the best and highest aspects of that dear one, and to integrate these aspects and talents into yourself.

In this way, you reinforce your own Divine qualities and talents, and the Divine qualities and talents of your loved ones.

Forsythia by J. Sherry

As you identify more and more with the Divine qualities found in your Higher Self, you weaken the grip of ego and bad habits lodged in the personality.

As you identify your lover more and more with their Divine qualities, your lover gains the strength to overcome bad habits ingrained in the egoistic personality.

As both of you resolve to absorb one another's Divine qualities, you begin to do the hard work of true soulmates -- helping one another on the path of spiritual progress.

Through this spiritual form of love, you can help one another achieve true Self-love, and as you both achieve greater Self-love, your relationship will automatically improve in many ways.

A person rich in Self-love has many admirable qualities that they display in loving relationships. Such a person is humble and modest, unattached to those they love, seeking to liberate their loved ones rather than seeking to attach themselves to loved ones, possess them, or drain them of energy.

The person rich in Self-love seeks gratification through purification, meditation and the pursuit of the light, not through consumption.

The person rich in Self-love is not critical and judgmental, blames no one, but rather forgives. Forgives him or her self and forgives others.

The person rich in Self-love enjoys sharing with others, rather than seeking to take from others to fill the void within.

The person rich in Self-love is patient with him or herself and with loved ones rather than being overly concerned that they conform to his or her needs at each moment of time.

The person rich in Self-love does not seek the agreement of loved ones, because self-confidence and inner spiritual guidance make such agreements unnecessary.

Remember that these Divine, loving qualities are the qualities of your true self -- and the qualities of your lover's true self. Help one another become lovers strong in Self-love and you will receive many blessings, your hearts will open and you will be astonished at how much you are loved.