love is a state of action, not a place of arrival

hiya. if only you could see my spazzed out hair today. it's 70's style headbanded, feathered out post morning walk.

thinking about Love. for my east side book club we just read erich fromm's "the art of loving." points out that society's idea of love is that it's something arrived at when in perfect union. "us against the world." something shared uniquely among two. and i would of tended to agree. even if it was 'us' as in my family. or my best friend. or my wild crew of rabbits at the studio. the point fromm makes is that love is something cultivated within, it's a way of travel if you will, and not a destination. hence, it's something (as a goal) that you grow within and share everywhere. and when you do love an individual, you are actually loving all parts of life reflected within them.

i'm feelin' it! then i was listening to my zencast (search for it on itunes to download free) and gils (zencast teacher) was talking about metta - or the practice of loving kindness. the practice of first identifying love within and growing it outwards to loved ones, then eventually to everyone, everything. seems best starting as a seed planted, then watered daily, and then love as activity. practices of love (like right now i'm practicing love by being patient stopping to answer the dozenth q' from an intern). :*)

seminary students were instructed to cross campus and give a talk on being a good samaritan. the school were actually conducting a little experiment and in the students path they placed a person moaning in need. when they were told to rush, you'll be late, no one stopped to help. when they were told to take their time, some stopped. giving of time, expanding time, taking time, valuing others existence is love in action.

gils (zencast teacher) also spoke of his young son who for some reason all of the sudden had this incredible beaming smile for some stranger, as if it was his most favorite person in the entire world, sprouting light out of his little face. and the stranger didn't even notice, frowning on through life. that is what meditation is about, freeing up mind, to stay in the thick of the moment, noticing the smile given so freely. i was sorta beaming a bit on my walk this morning and i noticed how many faces it caught and spread. i made a lot of male gardeners *very* happy this morning. hahah.

anyway. love as an action. thought of the day.

ps just looked up "metta" - has also been translated as "active interest in others."