Love is seeing the same Self, the true 'you', in everyone.
On the surface, this statement suggests that love is a feeling of recognition, an awareness that the 'you' you know yourself to be is also present in every other person and creature. It implies that when you truly love, you're not just projecting affection onto an external object, but rather acknowledging a shared identity.
Within the Advaita Vedanta tradition, as taught by Ramana Maharshi, this goes much deeper. The 'Self' (Atman) is not merely a personal identity but the singular, undifferentiated Consciousness that is the ultimate reality of all existence. To recognize the Self in all beings is to realize the non-dual nature of reality, where the apparent separateness of individuals dissolves into this one underlying Awareness. This is the essence of Brahman. When you see the Self in another, you are seeing beyond the superficial differences of name, form, and personality, and realizing the same divine essence that constitutes your own being. This realization is the highest form of love, an expression of the inherent oneness that the ego-veil usually obscures.
In your life: Practice looking for the shared spark of consciousness in those you encounter, especially those with whom you feel disconnected, and observe how this shifts your perception.
On the surface, this statement suggests that love is a feeling of recognition, an awareness that the 'you' you know yourself to be is also present in every other person and creature. It implies that when you truly love, you're not just projecting affection onto an external object, but rather acknowledging a shared identity.
Within the Advaita Vedanta tradition, as taught by Ramana Maharshi, this goes much deeper. The 'Self' (Atman) is not merely a personal identity but the singular, undifferentiated Consciousness that is the ultimate reality of all existence. To recognize the Self in all beings is to realize the non-dual nature of reality, where the apparent separateness of individuals dissolves into this one underlying Awareness. This is the essence of Brahman. When you see the Self in another, you are seeing beyond the superficial differences of name, form, and personality, and realizing the same divine essence that constitutes your own being. This realization is the highest form of love, an expression of the inherent oneness that the ego-veil usually obscures.
In your life: Practice looking for the shared spark of consciousness in those you encounter, especially those with whom you feel disconnected, and observe how this shifts your perception.