What is the difference between liking and loving, and what distinguishes ordinary love from spiritual love?
Synthesized from Source
definition
"Liking is a fleeting shadow, but love is a deep commitment that honors the divine within another, transcending the ordinary into the timeless."
According to Osho, liking is superficial, momentary, and risk-free—an expression about yourself—whereas loving is a committed promise, an involvement that sees and honors the other's innermost, the divine core. Hence there is no 'ordinary' versus 'spiritual' love: all real love is spiritual, extraordinary, and timeless. What people call ordinary love is merely liking; love carries responsibility, risk, and a taste of eternity.
Liking is saying you enjoy something now; love is a lasting promise that sees who someone really is.
Why this matters practically
- Helps you commit wisely, instead of mistaking fleeting attraction for love.
- Invites deeper seeing of the person beyond body and moods.
- Guides relationships toward responsibility, trust, and spiritual growth.
- Invites deeper seeing of the person beyond body and moods.
- Guides relationships toward responsibility, trust, and spiritual growth.
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