Love is that factor which makes some people more dear to us than the others and brings joy to life, says AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI

We, small souls, don’t have the luxury of choosing which souls we can live with. One can say that we choose our marriage partners. Is it really true? Don’t two people make the decision? When it is just one person’s decision, not in this day and age. The other example is less controversial. When we have children, do we designate which souls should come to us. As a matter fact, we don’t, and we can’t. One may wish to get a dear person, who has recently passed away to come back to the family but the cosmic design doesn’t give us such an option. We have to accept whoever we get. In very rare cases, some souls are brought together again.

As that will be an exception, what should we ideally do? We should love the persons (souls) with whom we have been brought together. This is what is required. If we look closely, we will realise that it is love that we are looking for, not a particular soul. What happens when two people in love marry and the supply of love runs dry? The same two souls become desperate to divorce. Therefore, it is not a particular soul which binds, but love that a soul gives. Love is that factor which makes one dear, with whom we would like to spend time with, because we all need love to exist well.

To give another example, an aged couple lives with their son’s family. The old man passes away. His wife very much in love with her husband is distraught, but slowly love from the rest of the family calms her down. Their love soon fills her vacuum. Yes, the old man cannot be replaced but what the old lady needs most is love to lead a meaningful life, which she is still getting. Love must be renewed every so often, otherwise it fades away. Love must be expressed; it cannot be silent to be effective. Only God is privy to our thought. We make this mistake of being silent.

Rather we should be expressive.If you genuinely love someone, show it. The system loves it. If the one who has loved does not get a proper response, the system arranges love through someone else for the one who has loved. Once this kind of positive energy is unleashed, it cannot be destroyed. Love finds its way back through a friend, an employee or even a help. Therefore, don’t restrict your love to just one person as most people are likely to do, but love many; you will never repent. And you won’t be afraid to lose that one person whom you restrict yourself to; there will be others for you always.

There is one more thing you can do and your life will be full of love always, i.e love God — the unlimited. He can love like no one else can; we are so limited; He is limitless. There is another thing about God, which sets Him apart from all of us, that is His love we can always count on because He can be always there with us, if we so choose. My experience of loving God has been exceptional. He has blessed me with everything I need. I am seeking sukha and shanti presently and am beginning to have some success in that.

There are several ingredients of love. I will name a few. These are: expressing your emotions of love, appreciation, support, etc. Additionally, one who loves gives proper attention to the other person like listening patiently, gives some service, helps in many ways, occasionally offers sound advice, becomes trustworthy by his actions and generally shows acceptance of the other person as that person is.

Wise persons do these and much more and enjoy a life of loving near and dear ones besides, most importantly, God. In return, they get love from others and from God, which a soul is desperate for. Love does not have to be person specific. Normally, it cannot be because this is the way the cosmic design works except in the case of God. For the rest we have to be satisfied with souls who come together with us due to the karmaphala principle.

Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com