unlearn the unlove

as i contemplated over silence, the analogy that struck me was that of a clear and open canvas that allowed sounds, like colors, to find their place upon it. to get to silence, one has to wash away the colors first. just as to get to the truth, one has to strip away the layers of falsehood we have - knowingly or unknowingly - assimilated through our life. and as to get to the core of love, we must unlearn the ways of unlove:

Often I say, learn the art of love. What I really mean is: learn the art of removing all that hinders love. It is a negative process. It is like digging a well -- you go on removing layers of earth, stones, rocks and then suddenly there is water. The water was always there as an undercurrent. When you remove all barriers, the water is available. So with love. Love is the undercurrent of your being. It is flowing, but there are many rocks, much earth to be removed. That's what I mean when I say: learn the art of love. It is really not learning love but un-learning the ways of un-love.

--Swami Chaitanaya Keerti