There is no one word in western languages that gives the full meaning
of “Al – Wadud”, and even explanations don’t do it justice, even
though the West claims its knowledge to be superior and looks down
disdainfully on every religious experience. And this Holy Name, the
meaning of which cannot even be adequately expressed in advanced
western languages, is the most suitable “Dhikr”, the most suitable of
all the Divine Names to repeat and meditate upon for people who see
themselves as superior beings and as being above normal standards.

“Love”, it is certainly not a concept that western culture is unfamiliar
with, and undoubtedly most people lay claim to loving and being
loved, to knowing the meaning of love, and to it being an important
aspect of their lives, indeed the most important. But the love we refer
to in connection with the Divine Name “Al-Wadud” is not the
physical transitory love that is rapidly becoming the only meaning of
love applicable to modern man : the love that one may find in the
zoo. If you can’t imagine a love other than what is on the level of
animals, then you belong in the zoo.

There is a real love, never changing, never dying love; and then there
is temporary animal love. Both are in man through the wisdom of the
Creator, but the permanent love is the love given to man through the
Divine Name “Al-Wadud”. To realize that love is the challenge and
fulfillment of human existence – to come in contact with those Love
Oceans, for He has given His Divine Love most abundantly to His
most honored representatives in creation, mankind.

You may love a young lady for her youth, and when that youth
departs you love her no more. That is false love. Sometimes we may
have both kinds of love simultaneously, but usually the physical
overpowers the spiritual, so that it is never allowed to appear. But to
reach the ultimate goal of human life we are in need of permanent
love, and it is only the Lord of the Universe who can grant it.

Therefore, when we say “Ya-Wadud” we are opening ourselves up to
that Divine Love, asking our Lord to awaken that love that knows no
limitation, that is eternal and extends to all creation. I have been
ordered to teach and advise people to call on our Lord, saying: “Ya-
Wadud”, as this will enable the sincere to attain real love of their Lord
Almighty and to love everything around themselves. We must learn
to love everything for the sake of the love the Creator has for all His
creation. And we are in utmost need to pray for such love, as,
although it is the essence of all success in the way of spiritual purification,
it has become almost extinct in our times. Therefore, suffering,
disturbances, struggle, crises and chaos are continually on the rise.

What passes for human love nowadays is indeed a very far cry from
real human love. Mostly, people cling to it for two or three months
then throw it away. You are saying: “Oh my goddess”, and she is
saying: “Oh my god”, but look in again on them two or three months
later and see what is left of that “true devotion” and “deep emotion”.
That is the greatest cause of wretchedness in our times. For this
reason I don’t refer to this century as a civilized one. Rather, the
twentieth century is witnessing the destruction of civilization, and
every minute violence and misery are increasing.

A society may be termed “civilized” when it provides the surrounding
in which people may easily reach to the point of extending their
permanent love to everyone. One shouldn’t be so proud of being a
part of “Twentieth Century Civilization”, for I really don’t consider
such a violent and sick society to be civilized, and when I come here I
feel my hair standing on end from what I see. Such wildness! No
familiarity! Everyone looking so suspiciously to each other!
When I say this, people may be offended and put on the defensive,
and may ask: “If you feel such feelings here then why do you come?
Why do you come if you don’t like the Western World?” Yes, people
may ask.

A physician may visit a hospital or a mental institution, but
he is going there in order to do his job, in order to be of benefit to the
patients interned in those institutions. I have been trained to heal
spiritual ailments from a side and with methods not known in these
countries, and so I have been sent by spiritual centers to look after the
Western countries, and if even one person should benefit, we have
profited.

Every little improvement in the spiritual health of western society is a
relief for the whole world, as throughout the world Nations have
abandoned their cultures and are following the West. Therefore, the
diseases of the West are rapidly becoming our diseases, and so, we
hope, improvement in the spiritual climate of the West will lead to
our improvement as well.

Because of this acute situation in our times we must, first and
foremost, seek to awaken permanent love. Practices, prayers and rules
are of no use in this time without love. For people whose hearts have
not regained contact with such love the ego easily attaches itself to
practices and uses them as a means to pin empty titles onto itself.
Leave every practice that serves your vanity and strive for permanent
love.

Where shall we start? Every person has a circle of friends, relations,
acquaintances. Starting from those closest to us: wives and husbands,
parents and children, brothers and sisters, we must be generous in
giving of our permanent love. How can we consider a person who
cannot make peace with those nearest to ‘him as civilized? If we could
approach the level of permanent love that befits us the world’s courts
would have to be closed down from a lack of suits : no complaining,
no divorce, no wretchedness, no struggle.

Giving of our permanent love is the most important practice for our
time. No one can say: “I am not in need of practicing it,” neither the
speaker nor the listeners. Don’t tell me that so-and-so is on such-andsuch
a level when he is tightfisted with permanent love, withholding
it even from those with whom he is most intimate.

The lower self of man, the selfish ego, never wants to give permanent
love except to himself. I don’t believe that such petty self-love is all we
have been created for, I believe that we have been created to love all
creation. Man represents his Lord on Earth and has the greatest
reservoir of Divine Love within him; he can be a great means of
expression for that Divine Love in this world, indeed a fountain of
love that every creature may drink from.

I have not spoken to you from a prepared text, but have opened up
just a little from these Oceans in accordance with your spiritual
thirst.