The Seven
Symphonies of
Extraordinary Love
A BLUEPRINT FOR WORLD PEACE
Kaushal Aras
Praise for the Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love
Kaushal Aras, with a harmonious blend of extraordinary love and peace, offers us a roadmap to fully express ourselves in the world. I love the quotes, the stories, and the message in this book. Thanks for helping us all be, do and have what is most important—love.
Missie Berteotti, 1993 LPGA PING Welch Champion
Visually stunning and incredibly inspiring; The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love turns on our inner light. Overflowing with heart-opening spirituality, Kaushal shows us precisely how to have more peace, satisfaction, and joy in life. This beautifully written book will not only change your life, but it will change the world we live in.
Annette Colby, PhD, Author of Your Highest Potential and Depression Freedom
What the world needs is not only love, but a better understanding of love. Kaushal Aras guides you in that understanding with a generosity of heart that opens you up to experiencing more love and peace, so that you naturally and harmoniously express these in the world. What a gift. I heart-ed-ly encourage you to read this marvelous book.
Dr. Lisa Love (Beyond the Secret: Spiritual Power & the Law of Attraction)
As a fan of The Beatles, the message of love ran through the songs of their entire career. Paul McCartney’s message of love is embodied in the song “All you need is love” and Kaushal is carrying on the message of Love for world peace through his book ‘The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love’—a must read.
Dave Schwensen, Author of The Beatles in Cleveland
This book is extraordinary in its beauty and poetic message. We can only hope that it really does fulfill its mission of Extraordinary Love and Peace on this planet. It starts here with each of us. Read this book and pass it on!
Barbara Niven, Actress, Motivational Speaker, Presentation Coach
Kaushal’s message inspires and signifies the importance of living with unconditional love, joy and inner peace. His work captures the depth, beauty and wisdom of the ages which reminds the reader to live from his or her heart. He is a powerful leader, speaker and true gift to our planet.
Mardi Boone, Founder of the Abundance Network
I highly recommend The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love by Kaushal Aras. It will lift your heart and give hope and help for all on the pathway of love to World Peace. Kaushal Aras shares a treasure of ideas to bring a loving, lasting peace to our hearts as we find our way home to wholeness.
Ping Li, A profound soul healer and Bestselling Author of Awakening: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Purpose On Earth
The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love—A blueprint for World Peace, made my heart sing with joy because of its simplistic, yet beautiful messages of love, light and hope for a brighter world.
Pamela Jo McQuade, Spirit Coach and Speaker
In The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love, Kaushal reminds us to tune our instruments and play the sound of music—that love is the only way to world peace. His beautiful book unfolds like a harmonious, joyful song. If you want to return home to love and peace, read this book.
Leonard Szymczak, MSW, LCSW, psychotherapist and author of The Roadmap Home: Your GPS to Inner Peace
This is a beautiful book! Beautifully written as well as presented, it is a pleasure to experience! Thank you Kaushal for furthering such important research into the nature of Love and showing us that from all perspectives, cultures and religions around the world...the one thing we share (and are!) is...Love
Phoebe Dickens, Professional Development Consultant
Wow! If you want to reawaken yourself to your essence read The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love! You will be reminded of who you really at your core. If you want to reignite your passions and inspire yourself into action give yourself this gift and share it with others. Extraordinary Love will guide you on your personal journey to a world full of abiding love and peace fulfilled.
Linda Cardella, Personal Development Coach
This book will make you feel like you just had a warm cup of tea by the fire—the insights, parables; quotes and stories are all filled with wisdom and love. Kaushal has done a tremendous job of providing insights into all facets of love relationships. Do yourself a favor, get a copy of this book, and enjoy all it has to offer. Great stuff!
Kim Roman Corle, Coach, Speaker and Author
COPYRIGHT © 2010 by Kaushal Aras
MOST RIGHTS RESERVED
You have permission to post this E-book on your website, give it away as a love gift, or transmit it by e-mail to all your friends and colleagues—as long as you make no changes to its contents or format. Alas, the right to use material from this valuable E-book in other forms is prohibited.
Direct all other inquiries to:
Kaushal Aras
GuruKool Inspiration Institute
PO BOX 9084
La Jolla CA 92038
Web: www.kaushalaras.com
Phone: 858-683-3659
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The Seven
Symphonies of
Extraordinary Love
A Blueprint For World Peace
Kaushal Aras
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2009, Kaushal Aras. All Rights Reserved.
This book is dedicated to my mother, who taught me the essence of unconditional love.
I can only dream to fully comprehend your amazing way of being and ginormous capacity for extraordinary love.
Acknowledgments
I am truly blessed by the extraordinary love and guidance of my divine master Sant Ajaib Singhji. He is the embodiment of wisdom and his blessings have helped me become a true seeker of the divinity within.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to: Kirtikumar Aras, Supriya Aras, Kedar Aras, and Radhika Aras for being the living expression of The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love in my life.
I’d like to thank Ernie Zelinski for his inspiring guidance and encouragement as I embarked on the journey of writing this book.
I cannot forget the vision and commitment of Mardi Boone, Peter Chiang, Paul Turro, Val Breyne, Margaret Bhola, Ravi Bhola, Larry Stambaugh, Pamela Stambaugh, Nancy Ross, Christiana Gaston, Tamara Danner, and Chris Williams. Their amazing commitment to finding the greatness in every individual, and a life transforming vision, is changing lives for the better every single day.
Thanks as well to Missie Berteotti, Linda Cardella, Bob Gordon and all my delightful circle of friends for their love and support.
Finally, my deepest appreciation to my Facebook, Twitter and Social Media friends for spreading the word!
Contents
Introduction
1. The Symphony of Unconditional Sacrifice
Role: Parent-Child
2. The Symphony of Friendship and Unlimited Generosity
Role: Friend-Sibling
3. The Symphony of Obedience
Role: Student-Teacher
4. The Symphony of True Romance
Role: Lover-Beloved
5. The Symphony of Community and Humanity
Role: Man-Community
6. The Symphony of Devotion
Role: Husband-Wife
7. The Symphony of Awareness
Role: Self-Higher Self
Playing The Seven Symphonies
Help Create A Movement For Peace
About the Author
Introduction
Is World Peace Possible?
On an unusually cold evening in San Diego, back in Oct. 2009, an attendee in one of my workshops came out and asked me, “Is world peace possible?”
As I gathered my thoughts, I took a deep breath and said, “Yes—when a critical mass of people around the world actively make peace a priority”. So my answer was, “Yes.” But since it was conditional I realized most of us need practical, down-to-earth ideas on what specific actions we can take to be part of the solution.
Over the next few weeks relevant questions kept popping into my head:
* Why do we leave such an important task to a few dedicated “peace activists?”
* Can a “regular” person like me make a difference?
* Can we create a world of peace, joy, passion, and aliveness through deeply loving relationships?
I jotted down my thoughts to share with my friends and family. As I wrote, what came out was this blueprint of Extraordinary Love. Extraordinary Love is a way to actively participate in creating peace—a way we can, together, bring a world of peace into existence. The positive feedback of my friends and family encouraged me to share this with the world.
In this light I’m honored to share The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love—A Blueprint for World Peace with you. I invite you to join in the making of world peace, brick by brick, block by block, heart by heart.
The object of this book, world peace, is indeed a bold initiative. But I strongly believe that when ordinary people do extraordinary things, anything is possible. My goal is to demonstrate how conscious living can inspire love and tolerance. It is through our practical choice of love and tolerance that we contribute our unique gifts to the world. And I’m asking for your help spreading this message of love to our communities.
I believe that if each one of us integrates these Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love into daily practice in our lives…the world can and will become better—a society where peace, harmony, and happiness grow daily and flourish.
The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love are the practical expression of the divinity within each of us. When we become fully self-realized, connected with our divine, authentic self, Extraordinary Love is the natural expression. The natural state of such an authentic, self-realized being is pure bliss.
Use the Seven Symphonies as a road map to playing your own soul’s unique melody of love. Adopt the Seven Symphonies into your life, build and expand on them. Share the Seven Symphonies among your circle of influence and witness the miracle. Be the catalyst to inspire the divine expression of peace, harmony, and extraordinary love in your community.
Love Is A Natural Quality
Love is an innate quality of the heart. It is born from our human emotions. Love is the fragrant sweetness that permeates the orchard of life. The entire order and flow of the universe is sustained by love.
It is entirely natural for us humans to express these qualities since we are made of the same essence as our Creator, who is love. We are attracted to love as naturally as a deer is drawn to music, as powerfully as a moth is drawn to a flame, by the same magic of the flute hypnotizing a serpent.
Only through love can we truly experience sublime peace. Without love man experiences anguish. Love has existence throughout the ages. Love draws no distinction between a prince and pauper, man or woman. Love affects the rich and the poor, without discrimination. All are equal in the sight of love. Surrendering one’s life to the path of love gives life a unique and exquisite flavor, a flavor enjoyed only by a lover.
Love alone gives peace and happiness.
The Barriers To Love
All human beings want to be happy. To desire happiness is natural because happiness is the fruit of the mind’s concentration. This treasure can be obtained through love, as concentration and happiness are two of the natural attributes of love.
Without love everything in this world is subject to misery and misunderstanding—domestic quarrels, religious disputes, bloodshed, and even wars among nations.
Love is the thread that weaves us all together to experience life’s ecstasy.
Then what gets in the way of unleashing our natural state of love?
To answer this question we must keep in mind that to operate in the world we have an ego-bound personality. This ego prevents us from surrendering fully to the path of love.
Ego or identity is a structure within our psyche. Ego is a poor reflection of our true self because its prime objectives are to assess, judge, and form opinions. We convince ourselves that the ego is an essential part of us, that the ego allows us to operate as intelligent beings. The ego holds that we are superior over others so we can deal with the external world.
The ego uses our past experiences to make sense of the events in our daily life. Because it lives through past experience the ego appears to be a reliable source of information.
The impact of having an ego is that it separates us from the universe and from our Creator. This separation is the fundamental cause of fear. It is the fear of loss that drives us to attempt to control and dominate others. It is this separation that prevents us from trusting the universe. This sense of separation stops us from experiencing the delights the universe has to offer. This is the barrier to creativity, the block to new opportunities, the reason we resist harmony, peace, joy, and love in our lives.
“The world is burning in the fire of desire, in greed, arrogance and excessive ego.”
Sri Guru Granth Sahib
GRAPHIC DIAGRAM—World View (Paradigm)
Our experiences, social conditioning, education, family, and everything else that has made us who we are in life is reflected in our ego, which is nothing but a product of our past.
Our experiences of our past and our concerns for the future color, influence, and effect our world view. The ego determines our world view. We use our ego’s world view to define our range of choices, our actions, and the results we produce in the world.
It is our ego-limited world view that limits what’s possible in the realm of love. This world view defines what choices we believe are available and possible for us. The range of the choices we believe we have then limits and influences the actions we chose to take.
The first step to transforming our world view to love is letting go of our ego-bound personality. Until this is accomplished we will always be constrained by our existing paradigm.
Only when the paradigm has shifted can a new world view emerge. Only when the paradigm shifts can we open to a new array of choices. New choices, of course, reap new actions which transform the results we garner.
The Paradigms of Worldly Love
1. Love as a product of special circumstance:
This is the paradigm of love in which two people are drawn together for a cause. As long as the cause remains, so does the love. But when the cause vanishes, the bond also dissolves.
Take for example someone who falls in love with an artist to help them create a beautiful work of art. This kind of love is based on one purpose alone. As soon as the goal, the artwork, is achieved the love for the artist fades away. This demonstrates that this was a selfish love that wasn’t for the artist but the art.
2. Love as a product of useful actions:
This is the paradigm of love in which one partner falls in love with another because of something the other person does for them. This relationship is based on one person providing a service that fulfills the other’s needs and desires. As long as the object of affection remains useful, the love remains intact, may in fact blossom. The limit of this kind of love is that once services are rendered, the love object becomes useless and the love disappears.
A man may love his wife as long as she is willing and able to fulfill his sensual desires. However, when those needs are not fulfilled, he strays elsewhere.
This means that his love was aroused by lower desires and was not for the wife herself at all.
3. Love as a product of attributes:
This is the paradigm in which one falls in love with the other because of their qualities or attributes. Factors like common values, spiritual compatibility, and mutual admiration strengthen this bond. But if the person stops demonstrating those qualities, the love fades away.
A woman may fall in love with a singer because of his beautiful voice. But if he loses his voice permanently due to illness, their love is affected. A handsome or beautiful person may be loved for their beauty. But if this quality should disappear, love for that person would also disappear. This love is superficial.
Love based on certain causes or actions, or love founded only on a quality, is constrained. This is because as the service is rendered or the quality fades, the love will also be lost. Sadly, too much love in this world falls into this category. Too much of our world’s so-called love is driven by the selfish motives of getting one’s own needs and desires met first. This puts a limit on what’s possible and robs us of peace and joy.
“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
Lao-Tzu
Extraordinary Love—A New Paradigm
Love for love’s sake:
This love is superior to all the other types. Extraordinary Love is neither dependent on nor created by any external circumstances, actions, or qualities. Therefore Extraordinary Love doesn’t vanish when circumstances change, when the work is done, or when beauty fades. The world view of Extraordinary Love comes from the belief that all the love we need is within us.
True love or Extraordinary Love remains constant.
From the state of Extraordinary Love a person loves another for no other reason than for the sake of love itself. The circumstances that bring them together don’t matter. The “use” they can provide the other doesn’t change this love. Nor do the qualities the person demonstrates. This is the highest state of worldly love, true love or Extraordinary Love. Once it’s been experienced, Extraordinary Love becomes a permanent feature of the soul.
When one discovers this extraordinary love within, all other types of love grow to become part of it. All the actions, qualities, and goodness inherent in the other person are naturally experienced.
This paradigm isn’t driven by selfish motives.
If one loves without any selfish motive he or she loves beyond the qualities of the beloved and is always prepared to disregard any unpleasant qualities for the sake of love. This is possible when qualities do not define a person’s meaning or value.
The heart of such a lover is brightened by the light of love. She loves for the sake of love alone. This love is not dependent on external factors.
In the context of everyday living and loving, I’ve observed seven different ways, seven different roles through which we relate to others with Extraordinary Love.
These roles are: parent-child, friend-sibling, student-teacher, lover-beloved, man-community, husband-wife, and self-higher self.
This book, The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love, provides a blueprint for creating peace. Incorporating this knowledge into our consciousness enables us to flavor every endeavor of life with harmony and happiness.
“What is true love?—It is the surrendering of one’s own self.”
Shams Tabrez
1 The Symphony of Unconditional Sacrifice
Role: Parent-Child
Love Is Unconditional Sacrifice
Here is a story of a mother’s extraordinary love and sacrifice for her son. Her son was the apple of her eye. For his sake she endured all kinds of hardship; hunger, sickness, and poverty. She taught him to be strong and to lead a balanced life. She showered him with love and blessings, gave him shelter in her lap when he was insecure. She protected him from the world’s evil. She doted on him as though she was his guardian angel.
He grew up to be a handsome young man. Eventually he met and fell in love with a beautiful young woman and the two were married. The new lady in his life was jealous of his mother’s affection. She wanted to be the only woman in her husband’s life and made an unusual request.
She said to her husband, “To prove that you love no one else but me, I want you to bring me your mother’s heart on a platter.” The son tried to reason with her, to no avail. At last the wife gave him an ultimatum and threatened to leave. He was so blinded by his desire for his wife that he agreed.
As usual, when confronted by a difficult problem, he went to his mother for advice. The mother was saddened and heartbroken to learn of her son’s plight. So without hesitation she plunged a knife in herself and handed her heart to her son as a gift to take to his wife.
As the son was carrying the platter bearing his mother’s heart to his wife, he slipped and tumbled down a flight of stairs. As he tried to gather his wits and get back on his feet, he heard his mother’s voice asking, “Son, are you ok? You didn’t hurt yourself did you?”
K-Tip #1:
Recreate a magic moment you shared with someone you love. Quality of life is determined by the quality of our relationships.
Her voice was coming from the heart. His mother’s heart still beat only for her son’s comfort and wellbeing. He finally understood his mother’s unconditional love for him.
This story is a metaphor for a mother’s extraordinary love for her child.
When selfishness is set aside, unconditional love becomes a natural expression.
Despite how grown up and successful we become, part of us always remains a little child in our parent’s eyes. They may not have had the “right” tools or know-how to express this unconditional love for us in a skillful manner. But don’t question their best intentions for us. A parent never stops loving their child. Consider this model for the unfolding of Extraordinary Love with your parents, family, and children.
Who would love to hear from you today?
“What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”
Aristotle
2 The Symphony of Friendship and Unlimited Generosity
Role: Friend-Sibling
Love Is Friendship And Unlimited Generosity
The Indian epic Mahabharata tells a remarkable story of two best friends. Krishna was a prince and an Avatar or worldly representative of the Supreme Being. Sudama, on the other hand, was the son of a poor Brahmin. After they graduated from school together, Krishna became the ruler of Dwarka and Sudama remained a poor Brahmin. Sudama and his wife struggled in poverty and could barely make ends meet. One day Sudama’s wife asked him, “Why don’t you go visit Krishna? He will certainly help you, so we can live happily.” Reluctantly Sudama went to meet his old friend Krishna with the gift of a small bag of beaten rice his wife had made.
But because he was dressed in rags, the royal guards wouldn’t let Sudama enter Krishna’s palace of Dwarka. They taunted him and turned him away. One more thoughtful and dedicated guard went to tell Krishna of his friend’s arrival. Once he heard Sudama’s name, Krishna leapt from his throne and ran bare-foot to meet his dear friend. Krishna embraced his old friend and welcomed him into the palace.
Krishna situated Sudama in a comfortable seat and washed his travel abused feet as they were bleeding from being torn by thorns. Krishna fed Sudama and made him rest in one of the palatial bedrooms. After seeing the luxury in which Krishna lived, Sudama hesitated to give him the humble beaten rice his wife had prepared.
But Krishna asked Sudama, “Surely, your wife must have sent me something, what is it?” Reluctantly Sudama gave him the present he brought. Krishna relished every morsel of the beaten rice and thanked Sudama profusely but he failed to inquire about the purpose of Sudama’s visit.
K-Tip #2: Pay it forward
What one good deed or idea you can share to make someone’s life a little brighter today?
Disappointed, Sudama started for home thinking, “My friend Krishna has given me nothing. This trip has been a waste.” But he was mistaken. As he neared his home village he couldn’t help but notice a magnificent palace now stood in place of his old hut. His wife and children were dressed in royal clothes, wearing fine jewels. All this came to pass because of Krishna’s great love for his best friend. Krishna’s love for his friend was so great that he addressed all Sudama’s concerns with unlimited generosity without his needing to even ask.
A true friendship is a treasure that is worth its weight in gold.
As the saying goes, a friend is someone who knows the music in our heart, and can render the composition back to us even when we doubt our own melody. As we navigate through the ebb and flow of life, we need to be willing to accept the gifts from our friends, for doing so provides them with the gift of giving.
“If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is to love each other as I have loved you.”
John 15:10-12
3 The Symphony of Obedience
Role: Student-Teacher
Love Is Obedience
One of the greatest Persian poets, Jalalludin Rumi from the 13th century credited his spiritual transformation to his love for his spiritual master, Shams Tabrez. Once while Rumi was teaching his pupils in the courtyard, near a well, a shabbily dressed Sufi named Shams came into their midst to watch them. When the Sufi saw Rumi reading from numerous handwritten books in the course of his teaching, he asked Rumi what was in the books.
Rumi replied, “O Sufi! These books contain knowledge that is beyond your understanding, so you continue to read your rosary.” And he walked away leaving his students to study. When no one was looking the shabbily dressed Sufi threw all the books into the well. When Rumi’s students saw this they beat Shams. His shouts at last gained Rumi’s attention. When Rumi complained that all his valuable knowledge had been destroyed, Shams replied; “Tell your pupils to leave me alone and I will give back your books.”
Dejectedly Rumi agreed and shooed his followers off the shabby man even though he knew his books were hopelessly lost. Rumi was totally shocked when Shams drew the drenched books from the well, blew dust on them, and returned them to Rumi’s hands in perfect condition.
He asked the shabby Sufi how he did this. Shams replied, “This knowledge is beyond your understanding, so you continue to teach your pupils.” The ragged Sufi, Shams Tabrez, transformed Rumi from a respected theology professor into a lover of God; one who summed up his life with the phrase, “I burnt, and I burnt, and I burnt.” Shams knew Rumi was ripe for receiving this spiritual training but first he had to lift the veil of conceit Rumi clung to regarding his knowledge.
This story of Rumi and Shams has become a legend, an adage, a cliché even. This story is the reason we say, “When a student is ready, the teacher appears.” What follows is the awakening of knowledge. The covenant between a teacher and a student requires obedience.
K-Tip #3:
When mutual admiration and respect becomes a magnificent obsession, the two beings merge into one.
Humility allows wisdom to flow. Acknowledging our teachers’ greatness breaks down the walls of ignorance and ego. Obedience to the teacher removes any blocks that keep us from leading a life of our highest potential. The heart that is obedient to the teacher, the mentor, or the Guru, is magnanimous, understanding, and compassionate towards all beings.
Whom can you acknowledge today for the contribution they make to your life?
“Repeating the name of the beloved, I have become the beloved myself. Whom shall I call the beloved now?”
Bulleh Shah
4 The Symphony of True Romance
Role: Lover-Beloved
Love Is True Romance
According to legend, Prince Salim, the son of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, fell in love with a beautiful courtesan named Anarkali in his youth. Anarkali, whose name meant “pomegranate blossom,” was celebrated for her beauty. She was famous for her dancing as well. Prince Salim was mesmerized by her and fell in love as soon as he saw her. But Anarkali was a mere dancing girl, and dancing girls were not considered suitable mates for those of noble birth. Any relationship with Prince Salim was strictly prohibited by their society.
Anarkali knew the prince’s father; Emperor Akbar forbade their romance. Knowing this she did what little she could to avoid crossing paths with Prince Salim. But she could not hide from the prince’s charms for long. Love knows no rules and soon Anarkali was deeply in love with Salim, too.
But of course such intense love can’t be kept under wraps for long. When the Emperor found out his son was in love with an ordinary courtesan he tried to smear Anarkali using all sorts of underhanded tactics to destroy her reputation in the Prince’s eyes.
When Prince Salim learned of his father’s schemes against Anarkali, he declared a war against him. But the emperor’s mighty army proved to be too much for the young prince‘s army. Prince Salim was defeated and sentenced to death.
Now Anarkali intervened by renouncing her love for Prince Salim in order to save him from the executioner. Emperor Akbar demanded that she be entombed alive behind a brick wall as her beloved watched. To save Prince Salim’s life she agreed to the Emperor’s demands.
The heartbroken Salim never forgot his one true love Anarkali throughout his entire lifetime. When he breathed his last breath, her name was on his lips.
K-Tip #4:
Your full undivided attention is the greatest gift you can give to another person.
True romance requires that one surrender completely to the agony and ecstasy of love. To feel the sweet pain and exultation of spirit is better than no love at all.
Upon receiving his prize, a prominent Nobel laureate said, “This is a consolation prize. I made my discovery on accident while I was looking for love.” The deepest desire of each and every human being is to be loved so deeply that nothing separates him or her from the object of affection.
As I was walking with my beloved in the park, I was distracted by a rose, and she asked, how could you when I am so close? — Sufi Mystic
When true romance takes effect, the mode of conversation between lovers becomes art. This is the divine dance of two souls becoming one in harmony.
Who will be the benefactor of your generous listening and adoration today?
“To devote yourself to the good of all and happiness of all is religion.”
Vivekananda
5 The Symphony of Community and Humanity
Role: Man-Community
Love Is Community And Humanity
A woman lay dying on a Calcutta pavement. Her feet were half eaten away by rats and ants. She had been there for days and no one took any notice of her. Then a nun walked quickly by, for she was always in a hurry. She was a tiny woman and her white sari hung loosely about her and covered her head.
When she saw the suffering woman dying on the pavement, she stopped. She picked the woman up and carried her to a nearby hospital for treatment. There they told her the woman was too ill…and too poor to bother about. Besides, they had no room. The young nun pleaded with them, but they explained there was nothing they could do for the woman. Undiscouraged the little nun would not leave her patient and set off for another hospital. But her pilgrimage was in vain, the woman died before she could get help for her.
This was not the only person the nun found dying on the streets of Calcutta, there were many. She found an old man, who was so thin he looked like a child, out in the pouring rain lying dead under a tree in a mess of sickness and blood. He was just outside a hospital but no one had taken him in.
From then on the little nun became engrossed with the task of serving the poor, sick, and dying people of Calcutta. Over the years that followed she galvanized the resources to create a charity organization, named the Missionaries of Charity. In 1950, she turned her attention toward those most easily discarded by society: lepers. Over the next 25 years, the Missionaries of Charity opened branches to assist the poor and suffering in almost every country. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded a Nobel Prize for her work.
Our individual significance as a human being doesn’t come from material successes but as a result of self-actualization. When we embody the true meaning of community and humanity in the core of our being, we become intoxicated with love.
Community means coming together in unity. Humanity then is the essence of oneness. Imagine giving another person the space to express their concerns or their anguish, without any fear of judgment of reprisal. When love emerges at this level we create a safe space where people have the freedom to be heard. From this comes the possibility of peace, love, and an inspired future for everyone.
It takes courageous listening and unlimited generosity to be vulnerable. In fact the only way to experience love is to grant the freedom to “be” and to love to another human without expectation. Community love is accepting other human beings—the way they are and the way they are not. As the great poet Khalil Gibran once said “You give but little when you give of your possessions, it is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” Thus when we grant another person the right and freedom to be who and what they are, we are giving ourselves fully and selflessly. This is the highest form of community love.
To whom can you contribute healing today?
K-Tip #5:
Making space for another human to be fully themselves while we contribute our unique gifts to the world is the gateway to fulfillment and love.
“Whatever I am offered in devotion with a pure heart—a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water—I accept with joy.”
Bhagavad Gita
6 The Symphony of Devotion
Role: Husband-Wife
Love Is Devotion
Dasharatha was the king of Ayodhya, an ancient kingdom in India. From his three different wives he had four sons named Rama, Laxman, Bharat, and Shatrugan. Prince Rama was the eldest of the four sons and destined to become king when his father retired. Rama married a beautiful princess named Sita. They were a beautiful couple. Where Prince Rama was brave, wise, and dutiful, Sita was beautiful, generous, and devoted.
His step-mother Kaikeyi, Dasharatha’s second wife, wanted her son, Bharat, to become king instead of Rama. Kaikeyi conveniently remembered that king Dasharatha once promised to grant her two wishes. She demanded that Rama be banished and her Bharat be crowned the next King in his stead. The King’s hands were tied. He had no choice but to keep his word to his wife, so he ordered Rama’s banishment. Rama accepted this decree without question. He said “I gladly obey my father’s command.” To his stepmother he said, “I would go even if you ordered it.”
Ever the obedient son, Rama bid farewell to his kingdom, his family, and his riches, and donned the robes of an ascetic. When Rama’s wife the beautiful princess Sita, learned of Rama’s banishment, she begged to be allowed to accompany him into exile. “As shadow to substance, so wife to husband,” she reminded Rama. “A woman without her beloved is like a body without the soul, a river without the water. I will be happy accompanying you and being with you. I will never feel alone, if you are with me. Is it not the wife’s duty to be at her husband’s side?“ she reasoned.
Her love and devotion to her husband was such that she chose to follow her husband into exile rather than continue her royal lifestyle.
This story highlights the highest virtue of love, total devotion to your beloved. Devotional love is giving of self through thoughts, feelings and deeds with complete surrender. This is the art of conscious loving with humility.
K-Tip #6:
By acknowledging the divinity in every being, we see their true nature and marvels unfold before our eyes.
When the feminine merges with its masculine counterpart with such devotion and surrender, divine intimacy becomes possible.
When our attention is focused on the ego, there is little of our love to give. This is because the ego identity deals with fears, insecurities, pride, and arrogance. A simple shift to becoming an observer of the divinity inherent in every being realigns our attention, so we become an embodiment of Extraordinary Love.
What marvels are you devoted to witnessing today?
“Observe the wonders as they occur around you... feel the artistry moving through and be silent.”
Rumi
7 The Symphony of Awareness
Role: Self-Higher Self
Love Is A State of Being—An Awareness
The birth of Prince Siddhartha was a significant event in the history of mankind. Naming ceremonies were performed on the child’s fifth day. It was predicted that the new born prince was destined to be either a universal monarch or a supreme enlightened one, a Buddha. The King, shocked by this prediction asked, “What will my son see that will inspire him to forsake the householder life?” The soothsayers said, “Four signs” and described them as “a man worn by age, a sick man, a dead body, and a hermit.”
The King provided his son with all luxuries—a comfortable, pleasure-filled childhood, and the best education. The King took special care to protect his son from taking in any negative sights. Prince Siddhartha married Princess Yasodhara, who bore him a son.
During one of his few excursions beyond the walls of the castle city, Siddhartha saw four things that opened his eyes to the harsh realities of life. He saw an old man suffering from the frailties of age, a sick man suffering from disease, a beggar suffering from hunger, and a dead body. These affected Siddhartha immensely—he observed that nothing in life is permanent.
The infirmities of old age, the pangs of hunger, the pain of sickness and end of life brought suffering that he had never experienced and therefore could not imagine. Witnessing these events forced Siddhartha to set off on a search for truth. This search changed his life forever.
He was twenty-nine when he left home firmly resolved to find answers to the eternal questions about life, death, and suffering. He left behind his wife and son, his father and the crown that held the promise of power and glory. Siddhartha made his way to the hermitage of the most renowned sages. But he found their range of knowledge did not answer all his questions. So he went on to test the path of self-mortification for six years but still he could not attain his desired goal. When he came to death’s door he realized the utter futility of self-mortification to answer his questions.
Gradually he regained strength and health. At last Siddhartha turned within. He vowed to meditate under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya until he found the absolute truth. At the end of his meditation Siddhartha came to know all his previous lives, the truth about the cycle of birth and rebirth, and how to end the cycle of infinite sorrow. Thus Siddhartha became the “Buddha” or “awakened one.”
When love becomes our religion, nature acts as our scripture. If math is considered to be the language of science, and music the language of emotions, then silence is the language of spirit. Meditating in the silence of the divine consciousness gives us access to the eternal.
Spirituality is the way to access consciousness. Spirituality is about realizing one’s true self and how “self” is related to Oneness—the Creator. Who you are “be-ing” and the degree of freedom you grant for others to “be” themselves is the mantra of this realm.
Extraordinary Love is a state of awareness, a way of being in the world, a way of seeing oneself and others. Extraordinary Love, gratitude and humility are the natural state an individual experiences at this level of heightened awareness.
The Word is within you—just be devoted to that and nothing else.
Hazur Sahib
K-Tip #7:
To access the eternal, go within and peel away the layers of no-self or ego that camouflage our divine radiance. By bringing to the present moment awareness, we awaken to the realization that the essence of our natural state is the same as our Creator’s love.
“There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love.”
Mother Teresa
Playing The Seven Symphonies
Now that you better understand, it’s time to declare how you will put the Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love into effect in your life. Commit to the following small steps:
1. Desire:
I will make a list of the people with whom I want to share Extraordinary Love. I will carry this list with me. I will read my list every morning when I wake up and each night before I go to sleep at night. I will meditate, visualize, and surrender my list to the universe, trusting that all will unfold according to its magnificence in miraculous ways.
2. Design:
I will write down three ways to express my Extraordinary Love to the people on my list. I will act without expectation. I will allow myself and those around me the freedom and joy to be as they are. I will accept people for who they are and who they are not.
3. Deserve:
I will remind myself that I am a divine being made of the same essence as my creator. All the joy and love I need is within me. I accept the present as it is and let the past be where it belongs. I manifest the future through my deepest desire for sharing Extraordinary Love. I affirm daily that I am the creator of peace, joy, and Extraordinary Love within myself and in the world.
Help Create A Movement For Peace
I envision a world where respect, listening, and trust are restored to the planet. I hope these ideas will influence every individual, corporation, government, and institution to create love, peace, and harmony in the world.
I’d love for you join me in spreading the word. If you enjoyed this book, I invite you to pass it to the others in your life. Simply by accepting this “mission” you set the currents of Extraordinary Love to flow in their direction.
If you’d like to participate more fully in this movement for peace, please register for my Free Newsletter (www.kaushalaras.com). This way I can personally keep you updated on how you can reach out and share this gift of Extraordinary Love with others.
Thank you for reading this, and please know that I am honored and grateful that you spent this time with me. I want to hear about how this year works out for you so
email me your success story at success@kaushalaras.com and stay connected in the following ways:
About the Author
Kaushal Aras is a writer, professional speaker, and a thought leader in the human potential movement sweeping our planet. He is redefining spirituality and success as a way of living by connecting to our higher self, to our collective heart, so we can transcend the barriers to Extraordinary Love.
His mission is: To inspire people living consciously with love and tolerance, and contributing their unique gifts to the world.
Kaushal has been a community organizer, delivered transformational workshops, mentored students in entrepreneurship, and coached self-expression and leadership programs. He has led fundraisers for environmental and peace causes.
Kaushal holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from MIT, India, a Master’s degree in engineering management from Andrews University, and is an alumnus of the executive management program from the University of Notre Dame. He has consulted and worked with various Fortune 100 companies in different leadership capacities for over a decade.
Kaushal lives in San Diego. Please visit his website at www.kaushalaras.com
To have Kaushal visit and speak at your next event or run a seminar for your company or community, please contact him directly at info@kaushalaras.com
Check out his popular blog at http://blog.kaushalaras.com.
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Contact:
GuruKool Inspiration Institute
PO BOX 9084
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The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love: A Blueprint for World Peace
By Kaushal Aras
This book is designed to inspire “ordinary people” to take an active role in bringing more peace, more healing, and more holism to their daily life experiences. Have you wanted to know how you personally can contribute to improving our world’s level of peace? In The Seven Symphonies of Extraordinary Love: A Blueprint for World Peace, Kaushal Aras introduces readers to seven truly practical ways of thinking about peace and love on a highly personal and individual level.
The Seven Symphonies he describes not only demonstrate how love influences peace but he also offers tangible tips for improving your overall commitment to personal peace. Learn how your commitment to greater personal peace can contribute to the greater Peacefulness of our entire planet. Take action today to influence our tomorrow.