In contrast
to modern higher education, where intellectual and scientific
traditions remain somewhat divorced from the heart, and thus often do not
foster the altruistic motivation to benefit beyond self, a regular meditation practise unlocks insightful intellect.
We develop
friendliness, warmth, and humor toward ourselves and, simultaneously toward
everyone we encounter. And as we become more curious, inquisitive, and open, we
encounter an ever-expanding world.
For most of us, mordern education has heightened
individualism, competition, and individuation, so that a
graduate is most often saddled not only with a college debt, but also with a
reinforced sense of “me-first." It is the practice of meditation that makes an education comtemplative. It combines direct experience with inquiry. Meditative intelligence is awake but still, not speeding along trying to reach a quick or clever conclusion. What does all this have to do with love?
Love is a dialogue between compassion and intellect. Both these are inside of you. You have the capacity for deep responsiveness that is compassion. You also have the capacity for intellect and analysis. You can analyze the actions and reactions of your friends and lovers forever - determine where their behaviors have come from - but this activity is nothing without compassion. Dont let your pain be private. Use it as a compass to guide you. Suspend the content. Perhaps it is possible to use the feeling of being with pain to connect with others - to deepen compassion.
