Love vs. Love

I always wanted to write on something that has so many shades and hues that it can be compared to itself. Here I may consider so many modifications of love, but the two kinds of love that I consider as the most worthy of comparison are presented. I must say though that in truth there is no demarcation, the seeming difference lies in the fact that one is the higher form of the other, that’s all. It’s all but a single pervading energy and all are but its forms. Anyways, here I present my thoughts about love vs. love.

Once I heard a story about a man and a woman, but I heard half of the story and not the complete version, or maybe I just remember half of it, still I will present the half I know and the rest half I will leave for my readers to figure out. Before that I would like to present couple other stories that are similar to this story, so that we may have some idea of what I am talking about.

It was during the times of Buddha, the awakened one, that there was a prostitute who started liking one of the disciples of Buddha. Buddha knew his disciple very well, and when the woman invited the disciple at her place, Buddha agreed to his disciple’s request and let him go. Other fellow disciples were surprised at this decision of the Buddha. Buddha told his other disciples to just stay calm, wait and watch. His fellow disciples used to think every day that their friend would be enjoying his time there. Days passed by, and they heard nothing from them. Finally one day the disciple came back to Buddha and the prostitute was standing by his side. Thus asked Buddha, “What do you have to say pious lady,” and the woman fell at his feet and said, “Your disciple has made me undergo such a great transformation in last few days that I want to be your disciple from now onwards. I thought I would be molding him in my way of living but he would teach me the greatness of the life you teach. ” All the fellow disciples were looking at them amazed, and thus said the Buddha to those disciples, “I know him very well, and I know he would be teaching her the importance of the love I talk about than what she had to offer.” This is the first story that clearly demarcates this variation of the two types of love I am talking about.

Let’s move on to the second one. This story is also something similar. There was a monk in olden days, and a beautiful woman once saw the monk, and liked him. The woman invited the monk and the monk denied saying that I would definitely come, but only that day when you would really need me. At this, the woman got angry at the monk and said that no one in the whole city had ever said no to her. The monk replied saying that even I didn’t say no to you, but I would come to you the day you would really need me. And the days passed by. The times changed, and it was many years later when the monk and the woman had grown old. The monk was passing by from the outskirts of the city and saw a woman in rags begging for alms. The woman had leprosy. The monk stopped there and gave her food and asked her about her pitiable condition. She said, “I was a beautiful woman, and always had everyone looking for me. Men used to fall for my beauty. Once this leprosy struck my body the city people threw me out of the city and now here I am, passing my days in this wretched condition.” At this the monk said, “Do you remember me? I am the same monk whom you called at your place once and I replied saying that I would come to you the day you would really need me. And here I am.” The woman wept at her sorry plight, but the monk blessed her and gave her the shelter of teaching about truth.

Now I come to the third story that I know only half. This man was another awakened one, who knew the truth about the things of life. A woman once visited him and wanted to be with him.This beautiful woman had an ambitious nature. The woman desired so many things in her life, and simple things in life were not easily seen and enjoyed by her. The man on the other hand had always seen the beauty of simple things. He agreed to her wishes and both went along together. The love vs. love began as it did in other stories. The woman grew into a wealthy woman and at one point all of a sudden she left the man as she was more interested in living her ambitious life. The man already knew this. He let her go. The time passed and the woman returned to the man. She said, “I couldn’t understand you at that time, and I want you back in my life.” The man heard this and started laughing. He said, “There is love vs. love. What you wanted from me that time, I gave you. Whatever you desired, you were supported for that. Even when you decided about leaving me, you were not even asked once. Now I have to go my way, but I give you all my blessings for a great, beautiful and worthy life ahead.” After this, what happened of the woman, I don’t know. But what happened of the man, they say, is that he grew to become a great spiritual teacher afterwards. Regarding the woman, then there are only two possibilities, either the woman might have gone astray, or she would have taken to the path of truth. I think this is upon the readers to decide as to what they consider in the best interests of the woman and also for themselves. Love vs. Love.