Love, silence, self

Arrange for a situation where you can tell someone you love him or her and really mean it deeply.

Just before you say the words, silently look into the person’s eyes for a minimum of ten full seconds. During this gazing do not try to have any “special” thoughts about the person or how much you love that person. NO THOUGHTS ALLOWED! Just look into that person’s eyes with the purest love radiating from your heart.

Then say, “I love you.”

Ask yourself,When is the last time I said, “I love you?” and meant it as much as this?

Is my love something that is expressed whether I say words of love or not? What really happened when I was gazing silently? Did something radiate? Did the other person benefit somehow? Was there any real transfer of anything between us?

When did I love this person more? During the silence or the speaking?

What would be the payoff if I loved a lot more persons with the above “silent method” but did not say the words?

Which of these ways mean more to me? Which of these ways seem deeper?

Which way is a more universal tool that can be used on anyone?

Why did I pick that person?

How many others could I have done this with? What would I be like if I could say, “I love you” to any person I meet?

If I were a perfect person, could I love everyone equally, parents, wife, children, strangers, enemies, God?

Are there different kinds of love, or is there one kind of love that manifests with varying symbolic forms and to varying degrees?

What is the difference between loving someone and “wanting to be very nice to them?”

Can I love purely if, just by chance, the person is of some use to me? Is love pure only when it is a “one-way-street?”

Can I love an enemy without forgiving or without dropping my guard?

The next time I am angry with the person that I have loved in this experiment, does that affect my love?

Can I love anyone more than I love myself?