However clever we human beings think we are, however much knowledge we accumulate and however many things we invent for good or evil – in the end the only thing that will remain is love. It is both interesting and inspiring, that a recent investigation revealed that the most often used emoji, across the world, is the little red heart. That is inspiring because regardless of the darkness, there is light – the light of the soul and the light of hope and love is still shining brightly. The darkness of the descent into evil that we can see, is counterbalanced by the incognito and deeply powerful work that is being done to bring the light. This light that is coming is unstoppable.
Those on a spiritual path, making pure endeavour to become someone better, know that it is the heart that holds the seeds of goodness. Being a better self has nothing to do with intelligence or wisdom. The quality of my life and happiness is entirely based on the quality of my heart. If the heart is full of bitterness because of previous hurt, and has become closed or poisoned, then my vision will be tainted by that bitterness. That is the way I will see the world. It is very easy to focus on the mistakes and defects of another. Our hearts become filled with negativity when we do that.
Transforming my feelings is one of the most powerful transformations of all. When we hold negativity in the heart for anyone, we have a million ways of justifying our feelings. It was because of what they said, it was because of what they did, and these feelings impact us to such an extent that we are unable to see what is good or beautiful about them. It is all about ego. The ego is strong and tries to protect what I am attached to about myself; my looks, my personality, my profession, role, title – all of these aspects of the self become a force that tries to impose this identity on my relationships.
The opposite of this is a high sense of self-esteem – and this is where love begins. When I begin to explore the true identity of the soul, in meditation, I discover the peace and joy and real spiritual love in the heart. I find that I am good. I aspire to demonstrate values in life and am attracted to peace, love, and harmony. I discover that the real purity of the soul longs to be expressed, revealed, manifested. When I see the beauty of the soul, I do not want to do anything to tarnish or spoil it in any way. I do not want to deface this beauty, this self-respect, self-esteem that this consciousness brings. In this state of heart, I do not need love, approval, appreciation, attention, or respect, because I already have all that within. The only way I want to nurture that ‘self’ is in a connection with what I believe to be higher than me – The Divine.
This spiritual self-esteem helps me to change my interactions with others. The heart is able to see the qualities and specialities of another. I can perceive and look for their secret, unique beauty. If I train my heart to look through eyes of spiritual love, I will see the beauty. Everyone is worth loving and everyone is worthy of forgiveness and compassion. What they do with that is not of my concern, I am not a judge or a lawyer, so I can have a big heart, free from condemnation. Bitterness, hurt, and negativity hurt me first, so I must ask, how long do I want to hold on to all this? Mercy and the ability to see that one small thing of worthiness in another if all else seems bleak, is a door to allow love to enter. It is only up to me because no one else can do it for me. If we do not change, the world is not going to change. The quality of happiness that comes when my heart is full of love is enormous and is a happiness beyond the senses. The only thing that matters, in the long run, is that I have created a beautiful heart and hold a vision of love and harmony for everyone.
Eric Le Reste was a producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for more than 35 years. He coordinates the Brahma Kumaris centres in Canada and is based in Montreal.
