Walking in Love
Dear All,
I share these words with you in love, in the hope that they may serve as a loving and gentle reminder to remember what is truly important in life, in your life.
There is a well-known saying that has been formulated in different ways by wonderful thinkers over time, but is best known in the following formulation: "It's about the journey, not the destination". But, what exactly is this “journey”? In the greater light of things, I would say that “the journey” can be considered the entirety of life (and then in this letter I am deliberately leaving out what we might consider “destination” because that is an entirely different topic to elaborate on). Let's say that the “journey” covers our entire life, then the essential follow-up question becomes: “How to undergo this journey? How do you wish to travel, and on what roads will you continue your journey?” Each of us will explore many paths, but all ultimately follow “the path of life” and so the ultimate question becomes: “How to walk?”. In my opinion, there is a wonderful answer to this that also provides insight into our entire life journey, namely by “walking in love”.
Walking in love may sound romantic, idealistic, or perhaps even simple, but I can assure you that it is the greatest practice and invitation we receive in the human experience. Walking is the metaphor I use for how every step, every breath, every word and actually everything you rest your eyes on, in other words literally everything in which you express yourself that this is attempted to be done in love. This may seem like an impossible task and to some extent it is in the sense that it cannot (yet) be manifested in every second but, as I wrote in my earlier piece “Ways of Seeing”, this makes the practice all the greater and the invitation always open. Walking symbolizes every step or every action and at the same time it also symbolizes “the entire walk of life”. It therefore has a twofold designation in which it speaks about each individual action or expression as well as about the entire journey of our life, in summary you could say that it indicates that in the entire walk of your life you try to act lovingly with every expression.
“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien
Every day we continue our journey, be it towards the destination we have aligned on the horizon of our busy schedule or be it in the yet unknown ways in which we are surprised with what life has in store for us. With all that we can choose to express ourselves in the most precious gift of the time we have been given, the choice lies in determining how you wish to express your being during this time. The use of time is not just in the grand plans for your future or what takes up the majority of your time (such as work, family, social life or your hobbies), but is in each unfolding moment. In each, I repeat, in each unfolding moment as it may unfold in your experience, you are expressing your being; be it by tying your shoelaces, making your sandwich, combing your hair, when you walk to the car and greet your neighbor on the way, you are expressing your being. In fact, there is no way for you not to express your being. However, the way in which this is done is a choice and so the question (but ultimately the invitation) becomes whether you can do this in full loving presence? In every moment you can always ask yourself, is the way I perform this action a loving way to express this? The way I speak, the intonation and intention as well as the choice of words? When I rest my eyes on something I behold, can I rest my eyes in gentleness and not try to look from an opinion or expectation? When I dress myself, can I ignore the haste and try to take care of myself mindfully? When you greet your colleagues, can you really meet them completely, without thinking about all the things you have to do or that one meeting from yesterday. Because really, the only thing we all have to do fundamentally is this; walking in love, with every step in the entire walk of life to express ourselves in love. You express your being anyway at all times, why not try to do it in love? What reason would there be, other than that it is a constant practice, not to attempt this? Wouldn't our experience of life as well as the experiences of all those we may encounter on the walk be much more beautiful, peaceful, softer and warmer if we all at least strive for this?
So, the next time you are at the supermarket and you want to rush to load your groceries into your shopping cart, try to make it a meditation that all those products can be grabbed with gratitude, grateful for the abundance that is present in your life with which you can “just” purchase this. Make yourself aware that you are in immeasurable wealth and that this wealth is present in every moment. When you then walk to the cash register, try to do this calmly, take your time, count your steps and when you meet the cashier, give him or her a warm and sincere greeting because this person makes it possible for you to buy these products. Thank this person for their work, for doing this, and wish them an inspiring day. It is actions like this that are actually so simple, but that make both our own experience and that of the many beautiful beings with whom we share the world so much more worthwhile. Every moment, every being, every action, everything that presents itself in your presence can be met and performed with love. As the legendary Sufi poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi so beautifully put it: “Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love”.
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
It is the simplest moments that can enormously enrich our sense of being alive. There is no rush to learn this because you have your whole life, the only rush we exhibit today is the fact that we are hastily moving away from bringing it into conscious presence. Do not be in haste my dear friend, we are all companions in this wonderful journey in which we all move forward at our own pace, but all, I can assure you, ultimately have the same destination. I wish you a loving walk and will continue my own practice as well, that we may all meet in the loving walk of life.
In love and reverence, sven
