It's kind of tough to define what love is. As in the case of many aspects of especially higher experience we're somehow not equipped to describe it. Anything that's sensed directly is actually tough - describe the taste of whiskey for example - we inevitably just end up building layers of concepts around the reality which is maybe why those in the enlightened state don't take much account of conceptual thought.

So in the case of love we end up defining consequences, what it isn't and so on but not the entity itself. (it seems we can't actually describe anything that is real)

Robert Pirsig wrote about this at length (he used the word 'quality' to group lots of these experiential indefinables together) in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - a very lovely and profound book which looks at ways we try to make sense of the world and the distortions they can cause. He basically argues that while we can find intellectual ways to infer aspects of quality that in the end it's indescribable - it's something that as a result of higher consciousness you just 'know'.

He also suggests that to attempt to tie it down intellectually ensures that we'll miss the point. He goes on to show how (as a result of our present 'heart' hostile addiction to an almost exclusively rationalist scientific quantitative intellectual way of making sense of things which has largely displaced a more feminine intuitive knowing) in trying to do this we've rubbished and lost contact with so much of what is beautiful in life.

It's not an argument for a return to an animalistic instinct though, as this when uninformed by higher consciousness is equally selfish with the added problem of lack of reason.

I suppose he in the end shows how as a result of this only partial 'view' we are faced with a struggle to bring love into our lives, and into world affairs. Since he wrote we've become concious that the situation is so much more pressing - it's not just a matter of happiness, but of survival.

It's really hard to define love in words. I guess it has to be as you guys say some sort of energy which naturally expresses through us, though blocked by selfish egotistical conditioning. It's experienced as direct perception before thought, can somehow be transmitted or passed on (or at least triggers the same phenomenon in others) and leaves us with a basic orientation towards 'goodness'. Thought only kicks in afterwards when we're not too sure how best to express it in practice, or  need to rationalise our way out of our obligations.

Maybe the game is to let go of the urge to intellectually define it, to instead simply accept that there are other ways of knowing and get on with grounding and practicing it. With bringing it into existence, into our experience rather than just talking about it......

Love

  I’m not concerned about exactly what love is (meaning the exact wording, classification, etc. of same), but rather what brings self and collective growth towards a more full and pure love which can be known and felt beyond an intellectual doubt.

  Many spiritual sources say that this comes through service and seeming self sacrifice for the benefit of others or the collective as a whole.   And it comes from daily thinking, feeling, and acting positive thoughts or intentions out to others.  Combine these two major avenues (along with the 3rd balancing one of meditation), and one has a potentially sure recipe for growing well and powerfully in love, whatever it is exactly.   This is the way of and example of Yeshua, pure service, seeming self sacrifice, and compassion daily to all others around him, with no thought for the separative, little self. 

   At some point in my path, I had to seriously ask myself some important questions about my life, and the way I was living it.   One of the major ones, was, is countless hours of reading and posting on I-net sites being surrounded by mostly those of like mind and beliefs, really benefiting me or those around me?   Was this true ‘service’?    What was the pattern and example of Yeshua, did he seek to be surrounded by those of like mind who liked and innately understood or more easily accepted his words or beliefs?  Or rather, did he hang out a lot with those who were not innately of like mind, and with whom if he had a set personality, there would have easily been personality clashes with?   

It is so easy and tempting to surround oneself with those of like mind and beliefs.  But unfortunately, when one spends too much time in that kind of situation, like I did at one point, it tends to block the growth of real love which is garnered in the nitty gritty, difficult and challenging world outside of beloved groups, forums, and the like.   There is nothing wrong with being part of these or growth blocking, if it is a more part time, re-focusing and charging up type of seeking.   

  But for myself, I realized I was too dependant on these, and on this kind of “love”.  This kind of love is better called, “affection” which is personality affection and involves like attracts like on the personality plane.   This kind of love if over indulged in and concentrated on, can actually block the real kind of love from growing more fully.  I also know that real love is not always fluffy, super feel good to the personality/ego type of love.   It can be the love that Yeshua had for those who were part of the Pharisee group, when he called them out as both individuals and as a group, on their erring bluffs.  It is the love that my guides have for me, when they point out something important for me to know and change about myself, but what I or rather my personality ego self might not like and maybe even negatively react against hearing and knowing. 

  The former, affection type love is what is in the astrology world, commonly called Venusian love, called that after the planet Venus.   It contains real and pure love, but in a limited and somewhat distorted reflection.   It is more affection and like attracts and LIKES like.   It is the love of close friendships, close romantic relationships, even individual group love, and all special type relationships. 

  Service is another very big word, and covers many aspects and areas of life and living.   Are Soul retrievals service, of course, especially with the right intentions.   And yet, these can become distractions and escapism from concentrating on more worldly and immediate “service”.    Balance is always important in all things.   Soul Retrievals are very important and a very necessary service, but it is not the end all of service, and there are those physically incarnate who could benefit from our linear time and efforts.  I wouldn’t say that Soul Retrievals are necessarily easy, in some ways sometimes they can be quite difficult…but they are often easier than dealing with the more purely physical and thus very heavy and dense energies relating to bodies and body reactions (e.g. aspects of personality and the like).

  Again, to point out the full picture, I look to and point out the example of Yeshua.   He is said to have been involved in nonphysical retrievals, and yet he spent so much of his daily time in service to physically incarnate folks and on various levels.   Did he not say that we could and would become like him?   But, to do so, we have to be like he was and to live how he lived—not part way, not half way, but completely and in  total way.   We need to ask ourselves some important and often difficult questions about our lives and our ways of living and being.  We need to focus less and less on the personal, affectionate, Venusian type love and concentrate ever more on the Galactic Center, Arcturian, Solar, Jupitarian, and Neptunian type love (the beginning the fastest vibrating and pure, to the lesser expressions of same), which is impersonal and universal and not based on like attracts, likes and treats well those whom either it likes or is well treated by.     Anyone can do the latter, it is easy to love those who treat you well, or who puff up your personality ego self because you puff up there’s.   As Yeshua once said, even the basest of criminal types, can and do this.  Yet it brings no divine and satisfying fruit—it is yet another barren and lifeless tree of illusion. 

  One thing I know about love, and my attaining to a pure and complete love, there is ever more work and practice to do, ever more letting go of hindering beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and material activities.  Ever more needing of self honesty and squarely facing all of one’s self.   What I’m trying to do lately as a simple but very important first (and yet also last) step, is to honestly ask, and then more importantly to honestly listen to the answers of the question, “what in my life is serving me and all those I may come into contact with or affect in some manner?”    As with me and what I’ve found, you may not like the answers you get, but they are the answers you need, the living of same, brings lasting joy and peace.  Like attracts, likes, and surrounds oneself with like, is a very subtle but very enticing ego trap.   It is yet another distraction on the path to the Home we never ultimately left. 

  Holistic service is showing your own Soul and the Creative forces that you understand, love, want to and are trying to further the plans of Love (Planning Intelligence/Christ) and Source.  And the constant practice/living of same eventually enables YOU to become like the Planning Intelligence, a true and FULL Co-Creator with Source. 

May you live only that which brings this, may you let go of all that hinders this from becoming your immediate and fully conscious reality.   May you follow in and on the path of the one who blazed a pure and true trail for all to follow.

  Thank you for listening.