Pure Love

This book, "Pure Love," by Dada Bhagwan, published by the Dada Bhagwan Foundation, explores the profound difference between genuine, spiritual love and the worldly infatuation and attraction that are often mistaken for love. The core message revolves around the teachings of Param Pujya Dadashri, a Gnani Purush (enlightened being), who experienced spontaneous Self-Realization.

Key Themes and Concepts:

• The Nature of Real Love:

  • Constant and Unconditional: Real love is described as unwavering, neither increasing nor decreasing. It is not dependent on external circumstances or the actions of others.
  • Flawless Vision: It sees the world and all beings as flawless, free from judgment or fault-finding.
  • Divine and Within: Real love resides within the realized Self and is the manifestation of the Divine.
  • No Motives or Selfishness: It is pure, without any expectations of reward, personal gain, or self-interest.
  • Sincere and Unchanging: Real love remains constant even when faced with insults, challenges, or disagreements.

• Worldly "Love" (Infatuation and Attraction):

  • Conditional and Fluctuating: What the world calls love is characterized by increase and decrease, dependence on external factors, and expectations.
  • Based on Illusion: It is born out of attachment, ego, and a misunderstanding of the Self.
  • Causes Suffering: This type of love leads to disappointment, conflict, jealousy, and eventual separation or "divorce."
  • Driven by Needs: It stems from the need for others, whether for emotional support, material gain, or companionship.
  • Associated with Intellect and Ego: Worldly love is fueled by the intellect's analysis of profit and loss and the ego's sense of possession.

• The Role of the Gnani Purush (Dadashri):

  • Embodiment of Pure Love: Dadashri, through his Self-realization, is presented as the living example of pure, divine love. His love is constant, unconditional, and sees no faults in anyone.
  • The Source of Pure Love: The book emphasizes that real love can only be acquired by meeting a Gnani Purush and receiving the knowledge of the Self (Atma Gnan) through processes like the Gnan Vidhi.
  • The "Dada Bhagwan" Within: Dadashri explains that the "Dada Bhagwan" he refers to is the Lord residing within him, fully manifest, and also within all beings, waiting to manifest.

• The Path to Pure Love:

  • Self-Realization: The fundamental step is to realize one's true Self (the Soul), which is the essence of pure love.
  • Detachment: Becoming free from ego and worldly attachments is crucial.
  • Awareness of "I Don't Know Anything": Cultivating humility and acknowledging one's ignorance leads to the dissolution of ego and the blossoming of love.
  • Following Agnas (Divine Precepts): After Self-Realization, adhering to the spiritual guidelines given by the Gnani helps maintain the state of purity and love.
  • Seeing the World as Flawless: Shifting one's vision to see the inherent innocence and flawlessness in all beings is a key aspect of developing pure love.

Specific Examples and Analogies:

The book uses numerous examples to illustrate the difference between real love and infatuation:

• Parental Love: While mother's love is often held up as the highest worldly love, it is still shown to be conditional and attached, fluctuating based on the child's behavior or the mother's expectations.
• Husband-Wife Relationships: The dynamics between couples, their arguments, and their dependence on each other highlight the transactional and emotional nature of worldly love.
• The Moth and the Flame: This analogy describes how worldly attraction leads to self-destruction, whereas real love is eternal and beneficial.
• The Magnet and the Pin: This illustrates how atoms and physical compatibility create attraction, which is often mistaken for love.

In essence, "Pure Love" teaches that true love is not an emotion that fluctuates but a state of being, a divine quality that arises from the realized Self. It is the love that the Gnani Purush embodies, a love that is constant, unconditional, and sees no faults. The book provides a path and guidance on how to transition from the illusory love of the world to the eternal, pure love of the Soul.