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Posted February 14, 2012 by Brother Ken
I loved Mark Nepo's implication in his reflection for this date, implying that to love at first sight happens more and more all the time, as we become more consciously awakened. I've always liked the phrase: TO KNOW LIFE, IS TO LOVE MANY THINGS....Nepo illustrates this so well in his words for this day, from his book The Book of Awakening - Having the Life the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have.
Blessings!
Ken
ps All We Need Is LOVE!
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FEBRUARY 14 --- Love at First Sight
Where two deliberate, the love is slight.
Whoever loved, not having loved at first sight.
~Christopher Marlowe
The true power of love at first sight is often missed because we insist on limiting its meaning to the sweep of falling into another person upon first meeting. To appreciate the deeper sense of this, we must uncover and reclaim the importance of first sight itself, which has more to do with seeing things essentially, rather than physically, for the first time.
We all walk around within the numbness of our habits and routines so often that we take the marvels of ordinary life for granted. It is first sight that opens the freshness of each moment, unencumbered by any of our habits and routines. First sight is the moment of God-sight, heart-sight, soul-sight. It is the seeing of revelation, the feeling of oneness that briefly overcomes us when nothing remains in the way.
At its deepest and most real level, the notion of love at first sight is spoken of in every spiritual tradition as the reward for being fully awake. Such seeing anew restores our sense of being alive. Paradoxically, first sight is recurring. In the same way that we wake everyday, we regularly return to first sight in the rhythm of our wakefulness of spirit. Whenever we can see with that original vision--with nothing between us and the life around us--we can't help but love what we see. To see so fundamentally opens us to love. To love so fundamentally is to see the world we're a part of as the vibrant, ongoing creation that it is. So, it really manifests this way: at first sight, we find love; at our first true seeing the love that is already there touches us.
In this regard, first seeing is an ever-present threshold to the majesty of what is. Certainly and beautifully, this happens with other people when we, upon first truly seeing another, fall sweetly into the miracle of their presence. But this is also possible, on a daily basis, upon first truly seeing ourselves, our world, our sense of God--again and again.
I can work across from the same person for years, and one day, because my own suffering has opened me more fully than I can remember and because the light floods that person's face, I can for the first time truly see who they are and feel love for them.. I can walk by the same willow, season after season, and one day, because of the sheen of after-rain and the lowness of the wind, I can truly see the willow like never before, and feel love for the willow in all of us. I can, in the mirror late at night, after seeing myself hundreds of times, see the willow and the light and the other in my tired face, and know that sameness as the stuff of God.
In truth, it has never been about first meeting, though this can happen, but more about first coming into view. As a breeze all spun out lets the water go clear, we finally stop talking, stop performing, stop pretending, and all tired out we go clear, and the heart that rests in everything beats before us.
Blessings!
Ken
ps All We Need Is LOVE!
______________________________________
FEBRUARY 14 --- Love at First Sight
Where two deliberate, the love is slight.
Whoever loved, not having loved at first sight.
~Christopher Marlowe
The true power of love at first sight is often missed because we insist on limiting its meaning to the sweep of falling into another person upon first meeting. To appreciate the deeper sense of this, we must uncover and reclaim the importance of first sight itself, which has more to do with seeing things essentially, rather than physically, for the first time.
We all walk around within the numbness of our habits and routines so often that we take the marvels of ordinary life for granted. It is first sight that opens the freshness of each moment, unencumbered by any of our habits and routines. First sight is the moment of God-sight, heart-sight, soul-sight. It is the seeing of revelation, the feeling of oneness that briefly overcomes us when nothing remains in the way.
At its deepest and most real level, the notion of love at first sight is spoken of in every spiritual tradition as the reward for being fully awake. Such seeing anew restores our sense of being alive. Paradoxically, first sight is recurring. In the same way that we wake everyday, we regularly return to first sight in the rhythm of our wakefulness of spirit. Whenever we can see with that original vision--with nothing between us and the life around us--we can't help but love what we see. To see so fundamentally opens us to love. To love so fundamentally is to see the world we're a part of as the vibrant, ongoing creation that it is. So, it really manifests this way: at first sight, we find love; at our first true seeing the love that is already there touches us.
In this regard, first seeing is an ever-present threshold to the majesty of what is. Certainly and beautifully, this happens with other people when we, upon first truly seeing another, fall sweetly into the miracle of their presence. But this is also possible, on a daily basis, upon first truly seeing ourselves, our world, our sense of God--again and again.
I can work across from the same person for years, and one day, because my own suffering has opened me more fully than I can remember and because the light floods that person's face, I can for the first time truly see who they are and feel love for them.. I can walk by the same willow, season after season, and one day, because of the sheen of after-rain and the lowness of the wind, I can truly see the willow like never before, and feel love for the willow in all of us. I can, in the mirror late at night, after seeing myself hundreds of times, see the willow and the light and the other in my tired face, and know that sameness as the stuff of God.
In truth, it has never been about first meeting, though this can happen, but more about first coming into view. As a breeze all spun out lets the water go clear, we finally stop talking, stop performing, stop pretending, and all tired out we go clear, and the heart that rests in everything beats before us.
Sarah Roxas wrote at February 15, 2012
0 Votes 
Looking isn't the same as seeing just like hearing isn't the same as listening.
Herschel Weinstein wrote at February 15, 2012
0 Votes
Great post there Ken. It is odd these days that we take ordinary life for granted when in my young age we managed to cherish them. For instance, I had worked in a medical clinic years ago only barely acknowledging this one kid who swept the floors. One day, I stopped and talked to him and now he and I are close friends.
Last Update on February 15, 2012 by Herschel Weinstein
Brother Ken wrote at February 15, 2012
0 Votes
thanks Herschel.....why do you think we take life more for granted these days and why do you think you cherished them more in your in your young age??? Good food for thought. Are we just 'moving too fast'....lack compassion...to materialistic......????
Allen Jones wrote at February 15, 2012
0 Votes
Same story with me and my current girlfriend. She and I worked at this dude ranch near Amarillo Texas and we basically were going through each of our daily routines. One day (after I left to work for an accounting firm) I came back just for fun's sake. Got talking with her and well one thing after another, we're going out and found out we have a lot in common.
Stormie Barella wrote at February 15, 2012
0 Votes
Thank you for this post Ken. I see this happen all the time. Two people are nothing more than friend, and then all of a sudden they fall in love. It is like they were looking, but never really seeing the other person.
Brother Ken wrote at February 15, 2012
0 Votes
I know....it's amazing......definitely something about 'love growing deep within' or whatever......planting the seeds, watering, germinating, etc....It especially interesting that many people will share how they actually 'hated' or 'despised' or had negative feelings towards their future love....and I think some of that may be that we may be too much alike sometimes...or, really have a lot in common.....sometimes maybe we dislike in others what we dislike in ourselves....But I know, love is complicated.......Like the phrase you may have heard, "If you want to find out your character defects, FALL IN LOVE!"
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