Buddhist teachings tell us that in the course of our human existence and beyond we encounter many opportunities to love, many are transient but their imprint lasts forever. There is the love between two people that is meant to produce children, there is the love for eternity, there is the love for the moment. Each stage of love is meant to be savored and appreciated and remembered because that learning that comes from that special moment is carried on to the next opportunity to give, share and teach the loving kindness that we have received and given. What better wisdom can we impart than to give the best of the past to the present and hope for its continuation to the future. Could we have loved better? Certainly. Should we regret not loving enough? Never, because if we love fully to the best that we could in the moment, how could we mitigate the power of the emotion, the commitment that we shared in the moment. It is our hesitation to be fully loving and present that we sometimes regret and revisit. “If only I had….”
In many Asian homes we see shoes left at the door, this is not done because we are avoiding tracking in outside dirt into the homes of our hosts, rather it symbolically means that once I pass over your threshold, I am leaving behind all the outside influences that could possible deter me from giving everything I have to enjoying this special moment. It is the opportunity to live fully in the shakti, the perfect moment when our spirits come together to enjoy the beauty of our union. There are many shaktis available to us as there are many opportunities to love. It is by appreciating the magic of the moment with each other, with out patients, with our lovers that make the moment more magical, more loving more in keeping with the loving presence of what we have to bring to share.
We need to remember to shed our outside influences, share in the shakti. Never question what someone brings to the party, if they are welcomed, it is always good.

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There is just one more thing more important in life than just love ,Erie. You stated that no one has ever been able to name for you anything more crucial to humanity than Love. I must add a word, which has such high importance, I am not sure if any of us actually acheive it, only strive to reach it. The word describes actually what Love really is and that is UNCONDITIONAL. Unconditional Love. Think about how different all our relationships would be.It is quite a qualifying word. Yet life IS and always will be…all about Love. So go Shakti…with no conditions!!!

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Thanks for sharing your experience of beauty, Erie. What immediately comes to mind for me is “anam cara” or soul friend as described by John O’Donohue. For the benefit of readers who may not be familiar with this Celtic concept, I offer O’Donohue’s wisdom with gratitude.
“In everyone’s life, there is great need for an anam cara, a soul friend. In this love, you are understood as you are without mask or pretension. The superficial and functional lies and half-truths of social acquaintance fall away, you can be as you really are. Love allows understanding to dawn, and understanding is precious. Where you are understood, you are at home. Understanding nourishes belonging. When you really feel understood, you feel free to release yourself into the trust and shelter of the other person’s soul.”
“In the early Celtic church, a person who acted as a teacher, companion, or spiritual guide was called an anam cara. It originally referred to someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life. With the anam cara you could share your innermost self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an anam cara, your friendship cut across all convention, morality, and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of your soul.”
As I age, I realize that I’ve learned a lot about keeping my heart open, no matter what. Sometimes, I think it would be easier to shut the door and walk away. In my youth, that is exactly what I did. I recognize that was not a good choice because it left so much lingering unresolved, unspoken, untouched.
The poignancy of life and the reality of death is not something that I want to face very often. I feel the insignificance of my life which is also difficult to face. Yet, in those moments when I experience that deep ache of loss without resistance, I feel a heightened sense of awareness, a preciousness, a tenderness. Perhaps, that is the underlying experience of eternal Love.
I can appreciate the Tennyson quote; my mom chose that quote for my brother Johnny’s memorial service. And yes, I guess I know it to be true but on some level, perhaps a very selfish part of me, wants to rebel and shout out against it.
Then again, “Maybe death is that moment you are fully born and you are received into another world where the laws of separation and dualism no longer operate.”
~John O’Donohue

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