Hello and welcome to the Peacekeeper Project.
My name is Ben.
Now today I want to talk about some reflections on the intimate connection between understanding and love in a way that you can use it to deepen into love.
Now this is inspired partly by a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh,
Which I'll share in just a moment.
But I also think it's important because I've been seeing or hearing the word love used a lot and sometimes it just doesn't feel like it's used in true alignment with its true meaning.
I often hear the term or see the term unconditional love as if there was another kind of love,
A conditional kind.
But love is unconditional.
That is one of its qualities.
But what can be conditional is our relationship to it.
So for example,
We could be feeling love for someone.
We could be feeling connected and warm.
But then they say something or do something and it upsets us.
And in that moment,
We don't feel the love.
It feels like the love is gone.
But it's not gone.
It's just our mind has shifted state to where we don't feel it.
But love is always there in the background.
And this video is about finding our way there,
Finding a different avenue into love.
Now this quote by Thich Nhat Hanh,
It goes,
Understanding is love's other name.
If you don't understand,
You can't love.
Now the first time I heard this,
I thought what a simple and profound way to explain it.
Now think about a time when you tried to understand someone.
I mean when you really tried to understand them.
The act of engaging understanding and we really try to understand someone genuinely,
It engages a different part of us,
A deeper part of us to know that person.
There's a deepening connection between us and them.
It's like at some level,
We're getting closer to that person.
Not on a physical level,
But on this energetic level,
On a consciousness level,
On a heart level.
And when we genuinely try to understand someone,
There's no judgment.
There's just this unconditional movement towards truth,
The truth of who this person really is.
It's this movement of heart to heart,
Essence to essence.
And have you ever had someone really try to genuinely understand you?
It feels good,
Right?
You feel held.
And while you may not have labeled it at the time,
There was a space of love in the air surrounding you because the act of understanding creates a space of love.
Now does this mean we need to know every detail of people's lives?
No.
Sometimes we do understand people because we know the specific story of their life.
Maybe we know they've had challenges.
We know the details of them,
And so we can have this compassionate understanding because we know we understand why they are who they are and maybe why they act the way they do sometimes.
Other times we understand people because we understand they are different to us.
They've had different life experiences.
Maybe they've suffered,
Maybe they are suffering,
But we understand we don't know everything about them.
And understanding like this is unconditional.
But understanding like this is really more of an attitude than a knowing of all the precise details.
Now there's also this element of letting go of preconceived ideas when we engage in attitude of understanding.
And this opens our heart for love to flow through because we let go of those limits of our beliefs and just try to understand.
Now the second part of the quote,
Thich Nhat Hanh says,
If you don't understand,
You can't love.
Now I feel this part also speaks to an attitude,
But more a willingness to understand because if we don't or won't,
Then something in us shuts off.
And I'm sure if you reflect on your own life experiences on a time when you are unwilling to try and understand someone,
Then you'll know,
You know that feeling of something shutting off.
Now the reasons why we might be unwilling to try and understand someone,
That's another topic.
It's an important topic,
But that's another topic.
But you do know how it feels.
There's a sense of creating more distance or a disconnection between us and that other person.
That sense of love is not flowing.
So a willingness to understand brings us closer together through the power of love.
So what can you do with this knowledge?
Well,
Use it.
Be curious about people.
Notice how your heart feels when you genuinely try to understand someone.
Let go of your preconceived ideas and just understand their perspectives.
No judgment,
Just to know them.
It's actually pretty natural for your heart.
But also notice the difference between when you try to understand someone versus when you're unwilling to do it.
Just notice the difference.
No judgments of yourself or others.
And remember,
This is a path,
An avenue into love.
So play with it.
Have fun.
Engage your heart.
Alright,
So let me know in the comments below.
Was this helpful?
Did it make sense?
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Alright so that's it for now.
Thank you for being here.
I appreciate your presence.
Now until the next time,
Quiet your mind and live from your heart.
