The fundamental nature of reality is consciousness. It creates all experience. There is only one emotion that permeates all experience. That is Love. This is not romantic love, or motherly love, or teacher love etc.. That is all Love with certain ego’s mixed in. For example motherly love is Love with the personality of being a mother mixed in. Love is pure and unadulterated. Love can only be given. There is no taking of Love. Love flows outward from all entities or phenomenon. This outward flow of Love is Grace. Opening one’s heart and mind lets Love emanate from the core of one’s being. This flow of Grace can be felt not just between sentient beings but also between sentient and non-sentient beings. For example: Let’s say you just bought a new tea cup. Now starts a relationship between you and the tea cup. You wash it after use and dry it thoroughly. You place it on a shelf away from the edge so that it does not fall and break. This is Love, you are taking care of it. In return it provides its function for you, holding precious tea while you sit and relax in the moment. Allowing you to enjoy every sip. The tea cup does all this without asking for anything in return.So Grace flows from you to the tea cup (caring for the tea cup) and from the tea cup to you (function without wants). This bi-directional flow of Grace is Gratitude. It is opening your heart-mind to receive Love and in return giving Love.
Even after all this time,the Sun never says to the Earth,“You owe me.”Look what happens with Love like that.It lights up the whole sky.-Hafiz
PS: When I said there is only one emotion Love, it is true. Fear also is Love turned away from the soul and towards the ego. It is the ego taking the energy of Love and trying to protect itself. From these two base emotions, Love and fear all other feelings and emotions manifest.
