We as human beings
experience various forms of love in our lifetime. As a child the first
love that we may experience is the love of our parents. Later on, as
we become older, that love extends towards our brothers and sisters.
When we become adult, we experience our first love and this can be quite
memorable for many of us. Through experiencing these different forms
of love our soul experiences and remembers the existent love that we
have towards The Beloved. When we remember that love we also experience
the pain of separation and longing.
Worldly love, for example love that you may share with
your partner or friends, involves some expectation and some give &
take. With spiritual love, it is an unconditional love. You do not expect
anything in return. In Sufism, or in many other spiritual paths, you
first experience spiritual love while being with your teacher. Although
you probably have an attraction with your teacher, it is unlike a physical
attraction that you may experience with your partner. An attraction,
perhaps something stronger than a father’s love gradually develops.
Through your experiences on the path, this love becomes more intense.
You will become a student with a strong love for your teacher.
It is difficult for us to reflect upon the Beloved. Though
we know His attributes and we try to visualise them, we cannot totally
understand Him. On the right spiritual path, the teacher gradually projects
this love towards the Beloved. By practicing this spiritual love with
the teacher, we’re like a child learning the first love with its
mother. Either by being in a gathering or just being with your teacher,
you will become fulfilled sitting quietly in his/her presence.
This would be the first step of your experience of spiritual
love. If you multiply this intense love a million times you may begin
to comprehend the strength of the Beloved’s love for us. If you
reflect upon the spiritual love that you have experienced so far with
your teacher, you begin to understand this type of love. The teacher
is like a magnet, trying to pull you towards experiencing that spiritual
love; that is if you are a submitted and devoted student. To reinforce
this, you may also experience the feeling of spiritual love in your
dreams. Your teacher or an unknown person may appear to you, to whom
you feel a powerful attraction and love.
