The Study of Love
In the Greek language there are at least 6 different words to describe love. For most parts of the world there is one word. One word to describe the most sought after sensation in the world. We say I love you to our family, to our pets, we say we love a certain food or that we understand the love of God or the Universe, we say I love you to our romantic partner. There are so many different emotions that are used with one word in the English language. It seems a bit limited when you really look at the intention of saying it and the interpretation of what we mean.
In the Greek language the words for love are Agape. Eros, Philia, Storage, Philautia and Xenia.
Eros – Romantic love
Philla – intimate, authentic friendship
Erotoropia – Playful or flirtatious love
Storage – familial love, unconditional
Philautia – compassionate self love
Pragma – committed love companionship
Agape – empathetic universal love
To me, multiple words for love makes more sense. I would even say we need more words, more explanation as it seems one or two might be missing even from the Greek language.
I suspect we actually study love more than anything else on earth, more than we realize. In fact, I would even go as far to say that it is our purpose, our divine purpose…the study of love. That is not to say that our purpose is to find a lover, a sexual life partner but rather to understand and integrate the meaning of love itself. The exploration is found in every corner of our existence.
What is it that you feel when you wake up to see the most spectacular orange and red blazed skies in a sunrise that takes your breath away? What is that feeling? or when the moon is full on a clear summer night? What is that feeling when you see a a hummingbird suckling from a flower? What is the feeling that arises from the sensation of beauty in its most pure form? I suspect that is the greatest form of love. It’s the love you find at the core of everything at the core of every other type of love. The sensation when you recognize beauty is as unfiltered a form of Love that one can find.
Where do you see love in your life, where can you create a sense of beauty?