The principle of Love is a “one-ing” principle. Because he is Love and One, we are all meant to become One with Him and with one another. This is what Jesus came to teach us primarily – what might be called a Spirituality of Oneness – oneness through love. For this is the one commandment the Guru kept repeating:

“Love one another as I have loved you. By this love for one another everyone will know that you are my disciples” (Jn. 13, 34-35).

He also explained what this love was like and how it was to indwell us:

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love” (Jn. 15, 9).

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we shall come to him and make our home with him” (Jn. 14, 24).

This is the highest of all mysteries, the teaching that is in the Absolute Being, who is One only, there is a mysterious life which does not destroy the pure Oneness.

4) What was Revolutionary in Christ’s Ethic of love?

Jesus reiterated that the first two commandments given to Moses by God were really one:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole strength” (Deuteronomy 6, 5).

“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19, 18).

It is the same love- the love of the heart of God- with which one is to love- without discrimination. But he completely changed the concept of one’s “neighbour”. Read the story of the Good Samaritan ( Lk. 10, 30-37). When asked “Who is my neighbour?”, Jesus answered: Anyone who is merciful. Even the stranger, the Samaritan was a neighbour, and I have to love no matter whom, because – as his beloved disciple, John, would later repeat the Master’s main teaching-

“God is love… Whoever loves, knows God.

Whoever does not love, does not know God”

(I Jn. 4, 7-8 would mean the first letter of epistle of John, chapter 4, verses 7 and 8)

Brahma Vidya is as simple as that. It is reduced to loving – because without love all knowledge is sterile- , and loving no matter whom.

“If anyone says I love God but hates his brother, he is a liar. How can he love God whom he cannot see, when he does not love his brother whom he sees? (1 Jn. 4, 20).

The sign of true discipleship of Jesus is this indiscriminating love. Christian fellowship transcends all races, castes, communities, sex, though often in practice Christians too make distinctions. Even enemies have to be loved, prayed for, forgiven, treated with magnanimity that can be born only out of a heart in conformity with God’s.

“If someone slaps you on the left cheek, offer him the right” (Mt. 5, 43-48; Lk. 6, 27-36)

“If someone offends you forgive him- not seven, but seventy-seven times. ”(Some translations say: Seventy times seven) (Mt. 18,21-22)-as Jesus told Peter. It is no use offering a gift to God without reconciling oneself even to someone who might have offended you. All know how much Mahatma Gandhi was influenced by these words and others in the famous Sermon on the Mount (Mt. Chapters 5,6,7).