Putting another person's interests ahead of your own.
The opposite of selfishness.
The opposite of selfishness.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
What is Love?
- Thread starter Psalm23
- Start date
Eyes to See
Well-Known Member
While it is true that some types of love are natural the most sublime form of love is NOT pyschological or neurological.
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."-1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
Someone I know would say : " love is word invented by the poets to find a rhyme with dove "
osgart
Nothing my eye, Something for sure
What about the word mauve. That rhymes sufficiently!Someone I know would say : " love is word invented by the poets to find a rhyme with dove "
Psalm23
Well-Known Member
I believe love is more than what one does though that is certainly part of it. Actions like giving, serving, helping are loving actions. Yet without a heart of love behind them, they are just actions.
Love to me is a desire of the wellbeing of another, kindness that goes deeper than just surface level. A kindness of heart. A tenderness.
Personally a favorite Scripture that I think of with love is Jesus with the little children. People were bringing children to Jesus for him to bless them and the disciples discouraged it. However Jesus said for them to let the little children come to him. And he took the children up in his arms and blessed them. See Mark 10:13-16. This is what I have often desired that I may come into his arms like the little children, feel his embrace, the shine of his eyes, and his smile.
I would like to learn more about the love of God as often it is hard to fully trust God for me. I know some Bible verses that speak of love but I want to experience more.
firedragon
Veteran Member
Some people kill innocent people for the love of money. Some people save them for the love of humanity. Some one might give up his life for the love of his dog, yet another will kill his wife for the love of himself.
Love is strange.
OK. So what is it?
Religious poetry. Very nice, but it doesn't answer the question.
I've never seen a mauve dove.
IAMinyou
Active Member
The love that human beings share among themselves can mean many things such as lust for each other or just simply doing things for each other. It can mean a strong bond between each other or just simply listening to each other's stories without being rejected. This kind of love will go away as human beings die and go back to the dust of the Earth.
However, the Love of God is where all MEN ( male and female ) were created. That LOVE connection is forever and ever.
Jedster
Well-Known Member
osgart
Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Maybe Aquinas can prove a mauve dove exists to you?
I'm sure they are less trouble than a love dove though!
That's the beauty of love. The more we experience the joy of love, the more we're drawn deeper into loving and further into loving we want to go.
I take two views of love.
Looked at from the outside, it's a set of evolved biochemical bonding responses of the brain to a variety of stimuli ─ sexual / reproductive, family / genetic, and group / tribe.
Looked at from the inside, I rather like it.
ajay0
Well-Known Member
As per Hinduism, all of existence, no matter how diverse or solid it may seem on the outside, is really a unitary undivided state of pure consciousness at its fundamental state.
This fundamental state of consciousness is also within oneself, but hidden within layers of impressions accumulated by egocentric desires. In love or compassion or present moment awareness, we are connected to this unitary state of consciousness within us, and this brings us the peace, joy and bliss we usually perceive in such spiritual practices.
It is actually the seeking of our natural state of Oneness, made acute by the unnatural state of dualistic perception and egoistic division we usually live in.
This is why Plato intuitively stated thus,"Love is the pursuit of the whole."
Last edited:
What is love? I have noticed that when you ask that question of people, they tend to tell you what they hope love is, rather than what they have observed love to be. Not all, but enough do.
Here's what I hope love is: The summit of living well.
Here's what I know love to be: An intense or extreme form of attraction to another person, place, or thing that is typically characterized by -- among other things -- desiring the best for them (or it).
But that's love in general. In actuality, there are many different, but closely related, kinds of love. There is parental love, which is expressed differently from sibling love, which is expressed differently from romantic love, which is expressed differently from companionate love, and so on and on. When I try to count all the different kinds of love, I usually come up with a number between nine and twelve.
The sciences have only begun to investigate love using neuroscientific techniques, but already we have hard evidence for the hypothesis that there are different kinds of love. I think by now that's a settled issue.
Here's what I hope love is: The summit of living well.
Here's what I know love to be: An intense or extreme form of attraction to another person, place, or thing that is typically characterized by -- among other things -- desiring the best for them (or it).
But that's love in general. In actuality, there are many different, but closely related, kinds of love. There is parental love, which is expressed differently from sibling love, which is expressed differently from romantic love, which is expressed differently from companionate love, and so on and on. When I try to count all the different kinds of love, I usually come up with a number between nine and twelve.
The sciences have only begun to investigate love using neuroscientific techniques, but already we have hard evidence for the hypothesis that there are different kinds of love. I think by now that's a settled issue.
Cooky
Veteran Member
Lol... It had to come.
I've seen this thread title literally a dozen times, and every single time, that song has to be brought up... Has to.!!
To me love of God for man is the very cause of our existence and creation,
But the greatest love I have ever received in my life from anyone is from God by His sending me Heavenly Teachers to guide my life. By trying to follow His Counsels I have found eternal life and happiness, joy, contentment and inner peace. God has showered me with so, so many blessings of inestimable value that I often feel overcome with gratitude to be so blest. I can find no act adequate enough with which to thank Him.
rational experiences
Veteran Member
What is love? Being born and being innocent and being cared and nurtured by my human parents. Being safe and comforted.
Then I questioned what is unconditional love. I thought it was stated by defined self purposes. I then questioned how could I be loved unconditionally, when life exists due to conditions.
And in various spiritual circumstances, which I sought my own self, knowing that spiritual ideals about love meant you personally had to seek its purpose, brought me into an informed life situation. Where a spirit presence, not a male and not a female, communicated to me, changed my body feelings to a feeling that only makes me cry when I think about it and not actually being with it.
Spirit demonstrated its loving presence to me as totally non conditional. Without status of itself.
I then realised that I should try to be as loving a human as I could my own self without inferred status, which was to try to support my family and our supportive Nature and natural life to my best ability as a human. What I believe is to live as close to a loving self as possible.
Then I questioned what is unconditional love. I thought it was stated by defined self purposes. I then questioned how could I be loved unconditionally, when life exists due to conditions.
And in various spiritual circumstances, which I sought my own self, knowing that spiritual ideals about love meant you personally had to seek its purpose, brought me into an informed life situation. Where a spirit presence, not a male and not a female, communicated to me, changed my body feelings to a feeling that only makes me cry when I think about it and not actually being with it.
Spirit demonstrated its loving presence to me as totally non conditional. Without status of itself.
I then realised that I should try to be as loving a human as I could my own self without inferred status, which was to try to support my family and our supportive Nature and natural life to my best ability as a human. What I believe is to live as close to a loving self as possible.
Spirit of Light
Be who ever you want
Love to me is to give to others without expecting something back.
Can also be seen as compassion for all living.
What is love? Great question.
For me it's a way of life.
A feeling of contentment when i am with my husband and/or children. A need to protect and care.
To a lesser extent it extends to family and friends and even myself. And to nature itself, the life, the savage beauty.
For me it's a way of life.
A feeling of contentment when i am with my husband and/or children. A need to protect and care.
To a lesser extent it extends to family and friends and even myself. And to nature itself, the life, the savage beauty.