THE VALUE OF LOVE

THE VALUE OF LOVE

Love lives by giving and forgiving

“Love in speech is Truth.

Love in action is Right Action.

Love in thought is Peace.

Love in understanding of oneness is Nonviolence.”

                                                                                  ~ Sathya Sai

In our search for love, as love is the most cherished of aspirations, we normally refer to feelings and emotions. Yet feelings come and go and our emotions are dependent on our state of mind and always changing. SSEHV guides us to look deeper, identifying love as the most natural quality of humankind, a subtle and yet powerful energy that each one of us is constantly transmitting and receiving. An energy that sustains the world and creation; that “moves the sun and moon, and other stars”. (Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy. Paradise XIII, vs. 147)

How uplifting for children is to learn that love is not confined to the human realm alone. In the same way that the string of a necklace, though unseen, holds countless pearls in place connecting the parts to a whole, love is the undercurrent of all facets of life.

There are many levels of love. It can manifest as affection, appreciation, fondness and friendship, and move from lust and infatuation to pure devotion. Love can be self-seeking or mutually shared, but when it is not influenced by personal interest or selfish motives, it reaches its highest expression.

Introducing the value of love into education means sensitising the children towards care for others, empathy, and values such as patience and forgiveness. Self-care and love for one’s higher self are implicit components of learning about love, through which they become appreciative of their own potential and self-worth. To learn that the loving energy within oneself resides in all beings and all of creation, builds awareness of unity in diversity, and it fosters values such as cooperation, sharing and solidarity.

By thoroughly examining the value of Love, young people will learn to distinguish the difference between attraction, infatuation, lust and the higher forms of love. This will support them when dealing with their own feelings and interpersonal relationships.