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Osho on What is the difference between liking and loving, and what distinguishes ordinary love from spiritual love?

What is the difference between liking and loving, and what distinguishes ordinary love from spiritual love?

Liking is a fleeting shadow, but love is a deep commitment that honors the divine within another, transcending the ordinary into the timeless.

— Osho
Synthesized from Source definition
Core Insight:
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.
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