The other quality that I found in awakening was a love for the mere fact of existence itself.

The other quality that I found in awakening was a love for the mere fact of existence itself. It wasn’t a love that was caused by anything. It wasn’t based on a good day, or a good person, or a good encounter, or a good feeling. In fact, it could be not such a good day, not such a good encounter, not such a good person, or not such a good feeling, and there was still just as much love for it. This is a love that loves to live this life because in life it is actually meeting itself moment to moment. Awakening reveals that there is no personal self, and that everything is myself. It appears to be a paradox. We find we are nothing and absolutely everything simultaneously. When we see this, we realize there is nothing more happening other than love meeting itself—or we could say you are meeting yourself, or the Truth is meeting itself, or God is meeting itself. Love meets itself each moment, even if it’s a rotten moment. This will never happen through the egoic state of consciousness, filtered through the mind. But from the innocence, love is simply meeting itself. If you love me, it meets that. If you hate me, fine, it meets that, too. And it loves meeting that. I am talking about the One meeting itself, realizing itself, experiencing itself. This is a love that includes the good feelings that we associate with love, and it also far transcends good feelings. It is a love that’s much deeper than an experience. Have you noticed, with whatever quality of love you have experienced, that when true love arises, it opens up both your mind and emotions? It’s an openness to whatever is happening. The egoic state of consciousness is always closing the doors. Emotionally and intellectually, it’s always slamming things shut as soon as the moment isn’t the “right” kind of moment, which is about 99 percent of the time. But the innocence and the love do not slam the door shut, even in the face of something that is very unpleasant. ~ Adyashanti, Emptiness Dancing