Hold in your soul the precious image of a flowing spring

"Hold in your soul the precious image of a flowing spring, so that
you never let the source of life within you run dry. In order for
this spring to flow, you must love. Of course, you will say you
do love, and that everyone loves. Yes, but what kind of love is
it? The kind that makes you suffer.
Those who possess the true science of love live in an endlessly
inspired, expansive state; they live in poetry and beauty,
because they have learned to love all human creatures. But they
love them from afar. They know that if they get too close they
will be disappointed, and as they do not want to be disappointed
they keep their distance. That way, they still live in wonder,
whether or not these creatures show themselves to be kind,
generous or faithful. And so, in response to all those who
complain that they have been disappointed in those they loved,
you can say, ‘It’s your own fault; you wanted to get too close,
and obviously what you saw was not so nice: cellars with mould
and cobwebs, swamps, land covered in brambles and thorns… You
were bound to be disappointed.’ So, there you have it – if you
want to still love men and women and find them wonderful, you
have to contemplate them from a little way off."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov