What Is the Role of Unconditional Love in Our Relationships?

What is unconditional love? Simple as it may appear, it is perhaps the most misunderstood & misused phrase in our relationships. Unconditional love is a benevolent feeling that emerges from deeper level of our Consciousness for all of creation. Universal Consciousness that is pervading through all life & nonlife forms connecting all of creation to ONE source.

Observe nature & you will find Universal Consciousness expresses Itself differently through each entity in creation depending upon what "clothing" it's wearing. Once we understand this truth, what is truly behind the exte
al appearances, living with unconditional love for all forms & beings becomes not only easy but brings peace to us as well.

What about role of unconditional love in our relationships with beings and creation around us? Well, let me try to answer this by telling an interesting mythological story.

A very long time ago a king cobra snake ruled good middle portion of the forest by using his wits & scary tactics. Most people & animals were scared of him and tried to take different trails to avoid confronting him. One day the snake overheard some people travelling thru the forest about a great saint. Out of curiosity, snake decided to go and listen to what this saint had to say. Snake didn't want to create any trouble around so many people so he hid himself between the rocks where he could still clearly hear the saint. The saint spoke truths about of Universal Consciousness, unconditional love, and peace. The message resonated with snake and from that day forward he decided to change his behavior towards his fellow beings. The snake started to approach all passing through with politeness & affection but much to his dismay he met with rejection and even got stones thrown at him. Injured, bruised, & with tears in skin, snake was lying on the side of a trail when the saint just happen to pass thru there. Saint asked the snake what happened. After listening to the snake's story, saint clarified that first you must know who you are before jumping into showing unconditional love to just anyone.

The story makes a point, even though unconditional love resonates at our consciousness level, we can not relate unconditionally at the physical level. First we must know our own conditioning, what "clothing" are we wearing, and then be aware of what "clothing" a person or creation in front of us is wearing. So while the Loving can and should be unconditional, the Relating at physical level can not be unconditional. If we do not follow this nature's rule we will be battered, bruised, abused, and left in misery in our relationships.

One Notable Exception- This rule doesn't apply to a Self-realized person. Such a person has merged & become one with consciousness. His thoughts & actions are no longer conditioned by his own (ego) body mind & intellect. Loving & relating for such a person has transcended all physical conditioning & is seen & felt by others simply as pure consciousness. Examples are Christ, Buddha, & a few others.

So before we reach the Self-realized state, what can we do? As long as we engage in life thru our physical body, mind, and intellect, we see ourselves as separate & distinct from others and our outward actions are conditioned with our desires and ego. Inadvertently, this makes the relating with the outer physical world conditional as well. Therefore, for now we must utilize our Unconditional Love (life coach) to guide our actions to be selfless and harmless to others and environment around us.