So, I asked her “Esteemed glamorous and wise prophet: why is it that you say I should love everybody?” She glanced at me in mock disbelief and then replied, “if you do as I suggest, then you will love yourself so much!”

Somewhat but not completely satisfied with the prophet’s answer, I decided to challenge her by asking, what is the advantage of loving myself? She chuckled and then whispered, Dear one if you love yourself you will love Everybody!”
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It was then that I felt a tad impatient with this circular scenario. My wise interviewee saw the smirk that had emerged on my face. With caring sympathy she answered the question that I could not figure out how to formulate. She inquired rhetorically, ” Why do so many people madly run around doing so many things. They are desperately seeking a way to feel irrevocable love. Our brothers and sisters try every possible avenue to feel the wholeness of being unconditionally loved by attracting attention and caring by things such as: money, fame, seduction or crime. It must seem elusive to most because they always want and do more.

Now the pronouncements of Wisdom Woman began to make some sense to me. “Oh, I see; approval and love are elusive and ephemeral and there is no use running after it”, I asserted. With compassion in her voice she added. “Love is the only real thing in the entire world. All else is material and will sometime cease to exist. You see, because love is not material. It even transcends time because even time itself is a material illusion.”

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Well, some time after after I returned from the Wisdom Woman’s enclave I felt stumped. I could intellectually understand the reality of love. But how to experience it? I planned to ask this question to On the next available time interval that allowed access, I journeyed to and approached the entrance to the Prophet’s enclave. A tantalizing fragrance filled the air escaping from the entryway. Then this Wisdom Woman, this seemingly eternal maternal mentor appeared at the entrance told me her name and invited me to enter and sit on a cushion. Then, she lovingly gave me a warm wedge of her freshly baked wisdom pie. It tasted lovely. It was so satisfying that I forgot why I had come. After being nourished I thanked this wisest sage and departed. On the return journey to my domicile it occurred to me that what Mother Earth had said at our first meeting was the one answer that did not require a question to be uttered.

“Love yourself so that you will love others. And love others so that you will love yourself.”