What is Agape?
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A post on another thread just foregrounded this question for me and made me realize that I've got a generalized "feel" for Agape, within the context of Thelema, but that drilling down to specifics can open up a whole host of other applications throughout Universe.
So what's your take? What does Agape mean to you? And how does it differ from "Love" (if at all)?
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To kick things off an put my head on the chopping block, here is an excerpt from Pearls of Wisdom,' Chapter 000:
@Pearls of Wisdom said
"The Greek Agapê means “love.” It refers to our experience that there is no separation between any of us – that all of us are inseverably ONE, part of a single whole. Agapê is the complement of the individualizing, differentiating principle called Thelêma. Love is unity, as Qabalah instructs us. In practical spir-itual training, Agapê refers to passionate love of the Divine as a basis for profound and unconditional human love. Essentially, it is the same as the Hindu bhakti.
Two Thelemic aphorisms from The Book of the Law especially articulate the importance of this second principle: “Love is the law, love under will,” and “Love one another with burning hearts.”
You can, perhaps, understand the important doctrine of “love under will” by regarding it as love as choice – love as the context of Will – and, more deeply, love in the service of Will. Connection between us (as in human relationships) is the crucible of individual distinction. Mature individuality arises most healthily, powerfully, and distinctively from the context of closeness and connection.
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The dissolution of difference between any one thing and any other thing.
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For anyone who needs to know how
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Tsk! Tsk! Talk about a strawman...
That grinding Wheel may ready the tool,
You still need to get his head on that Cu... er
I mean BLOCK
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@Uni_Verse said
"The dissolution of difference between any one thing and any other thing."
The full experience of this seems to equate with Dyhana/Samhadi. Thus far, I'd say it's something I've personally only come close to viscerally experiencing while on large quantities of psychedelics.
Would you say that anything less would best be described as an aspiration towards Agape? The "practice of bhakti"? Or does the concept express itself at lower octaves as well? I guess something akin to Jim's "passionate love of the divine".
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@Gnosomai Emauton said
"The full experience of this seems to equate with Dyhana/Samhadi."
Dyhana would be akin to the experience of being "in love."
With Samhadi the experience of "love."@Gnosomai Emauton said
"Thus far, I'd say it's something I've personally only come close to viscerally experiencing while on large quantities of psychedelics. "
A mere taste to wet the appetite.
@Gnosomai Emauton said
"Would you say that anything less would best be described as an aspiration towards Agape? The "practice of bhakti"?"
Through the practice of bhakti one first creates a spark that with time, as more of our Self is poured in, becomes a raging inferno. I suppose the simple answer would be "yes."
A brief aside regarding the word Agape:
In Greek, I have found that the letter "A" pre-fixing a word in a way negates it.
Consider Gnosticism, which infers experience with the Divine
Compared to Agnosticism, or the lack of experience with the Divine.
Coming back to "Agape" :
You have a "gap" which is in turn eradicate "agap" or "no gap" -
The Greek Agape denotes Love in its highest sense, spiritual love, as different from for example eros, or philia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love -
@Uni_Verse said
"
A brief aside regarding the word Agape:
In Greek, I have found that the letter "A" pre-fixing a word in a way negates it.
Consider Gnosticism, which infers experience with the Divine
Compared to Agnosticism, or the lack of experience with the Divine.
Coming back to "Agape" :
You have a "gap" which is in turn eradicate "agap" or "no gap""Nice
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Gnosomai Emauton,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
@Gnosomai Emauton said
"So what's your take? What does Agape mean to you? And how does it differ from "Love" (if at all)?"
I know love... when I love my neighbor with all of my heart; when I look upon him with the same eyes as a mother looking upon her new born child; when I feel my fellow man to be mine brother despite apparent differences between us such as being: political-, philosophical- and religious views, social class, and personal preferences of taste of whatever kind etc.
This is my personal feeling towards that which you are talking about.
Love is the law, love under will.
Peace