Eros and the Quest for Wholeness by Raj Mansukhani - Essay Example

Eros and the Quest for Wholeness by Raj Mansukhani, Ph.D. Dr. Raj Mansukhani spoke of Eros and the Quest for Wholeness. His speech reveals one amazing information about the human being; that every individual is split into two different beings. Half is masculine and half is feminine. He further said that at birth men and women have these two traits. When men and women grow older and fall in love, they tend to look for that part of themselves, the feminine or the masculine side of them. Actually, it is just like falling to one’s self. The object of love is that feminine or masculine side of the individual. According to Carl Jung, the speaker continued, in the beginning humans are actually like Androgynous (boy/girl). As we grow older we learn how to identify which is for men and which is for women. We begin to identify certain traits that belong to our gender. The opposite sex becomes completely hidden from us. Simply put, when a man fall in love with a woman he is actually having a relationship with his own feminine side. In this case, when a man falls in love with woman, the feminine trait inside him wants to know through others. According to him, “the real object of romantic love is not so much of other but yourself.” Since romantic love is somewhat mysterious in the sense that there are “hidden” traits about it, it cannot be a reliable basis for marriage. On the other hand, it can be an avenue for self-knowledge, where the end should be wholeness. However, failure to attain wholeness will be disaster. I find this topic both interesting and alarming. It is interesting because it deals with some aspects of romantic love that I do not know before. I used to think that romantic love is that thrilling stage of first love or the beginnings of mature love. I thought this is the feeling when one can say that he or she is ready to get involved in a boy-girl relationship. The revelations I learned from the speaker are valuable. They make me realize that it is inherent in humans to love ones self first before learning to love others. On the other hand, I find these ideas alarming. I feel a little disturbed because what I thought to be a harmless, light topic can be this serious. I used to think that marriage usually begins with romantic love and that to stay in marriage is to maintain that fire. I also begin to be aware that if it is really true that all of us have the feminine and the masculine side then all of us have the tendency to become homosexuals. No wonder there are so many homosexuals around. What disturbs me though is the idea of self-love where when a person falls in love with another, he or she is actually falling in love with that part of himself or herself. This appears to be selfish. Then the speaker continues that this self-love will lead to self-knowledge and wholeness, that is, if it is properly handled. If not, then it will lead to failure or disaster. This is a little bit confusing. Whether I truly believe and accept these matters or still have doubts about what the speaker reveal, I still believe that romantic love is something good. I think it is an experience that should be enjoyed and cherished. Romantic love is one of the most exciting and pleasurable experiences one could ever have. Restless Heart: Towards an Existential Ontology of Eros in Augustine by Jeffrey Centeno, Ph.D. Dr, Jeffrey Centeno’s speech entitled Restless Heart: Towards an Existential Ontology of Eros in Augustine began with St. Augustines famous line in the Confessions: "You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." This expression remains today and is an indispensable source of philosophical reflection. It draws on one’s quest for meaning in the light of an increasingly changing world. The speech focused on the development of the propositions: that existential ontology refers to the process of building our sense of humanity on the ground of Being; that Eros is a legitimate philosophical inquiry that primordially describes the reality of human transcendence that gives birth to and sustains the life of philosophy; and that Augustine is paradigmatic in the development of the theory of eros probed as the selfs fundamental search for its order. The speech ended up with a conclusion with the stake that a renewed understanding of eros in our human situation can help illuminate our comprehension of human sexuality and its inextricable relation to spirituality. In other words, the role of eros in our life involves the search for a meaningful personal relation to and integration in the Other; a better understanding of human sexuality and its relation to integral spirituality; and a genuine humanity through fundamental sexuality. Eros, as explained by this speaker, deals more on the need of an individual for another in order to feel complete. As I understand it, a person is not complete unless he or she is anchored on another. In this case, love is a process of searching and finding. The more a person understands his or her need, the better he or she is able to relate with others and with God. Sexuality in this case is just a parallel feeling to a soul’s need for completion and union with its Maker. It is a journey to a better understanding of the self and the satisfaction of the need to belong. The speech is rather short compared to the other two speakers but the speaker used a lot of pictures to illustrate his point. However, on my part the idea presented is a little vague and distant. It may be because this is the first time that I have heard of this matter and I have not been exposed so much to Augustine’s Confessions. I have heard several times before the above expression: "You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." It has been used by some preachers to persuade their listeners to illustrate their point of convincing their listeners to get religious and follow their teachings. I have really enjoyed repeating the passage myself but I did not know its meaning until now. At first, it was only fun to use as a quotation but now I begin to look at it in another perspective. Although not completely but somehow my understanding of this statement is broadened. I think it speaks of the soul’s search for its Maker and a longing to be one with its Maker. This involves a long process of renewing one’s mind and vision. This is a rather complex idea but somehow I begin to understand it is really true. We cannot be complete without God and without the help of others. The Christian Philosophy of Love: Revisited by Fr. Maxell Aranilla, Ph.D. The speech of Fr. Maxell Aranilla began with the premise that Christian Philosophy emphasizes that eros is being disciplined and purified by agape. In this sense, eros is defined as love of passion and ecstasy while agape means love of others. This is being realized when Christ became the Incarnate Love of God, and elevated marriage, the epitome of love, to the level of sacrament. It is to this kind of loving, where there is a "union of beings", everyone is called. Moreover, it is said that mans experience of Love: of loving and being loved, affirms his very own person (as a mode of existence) as explained by the following reflective propositions: First, I AM LOVING AND BEING LOVED. This affirms my subjectivity and objectivity being the giver and the receiver of love respectively. These experiences are so real, taking space and are within time. Second, I AM LOVING AN-OTHER REAL BEING AND AN-OTHER REAL BEING IS LOVING ME. There is always a subject and object of love. When I am loving, I am loving someone. When I am being loved, I am being loved by someone. That someone who is an-Other is neither an imagination nor an illusion but a real existing person. Third, I AND AN-OTHER ENTER A GENUINE DIALOGUE. The experiences of loving and being loved leads to self-communication, self-revelation and self-transcendence. The Love that I and an-Other give to and share with each other affirms and even builds a new meaning to our respective existence(s). Therefore, the act and experience of Love affirms the person’s (existence) of God and of man, both the lover and the beloved in respective ways. In this speech, eros is presented as a positive human experience. It is definitely not lust. It is the experience of loving someone and being loved in return. This love is towards another real person. This love relationship builds both the lover and the beloved or both parties in the love relationship help each other grow. It is a positive experience of knowing and being known. Based on these explanations, I have learned that Christian love is not a distant, metaphysical, abstract concept that is only achieved by saints. It is a real, down-to-earth experience that anybody can and should experience. In order to live happily and harmoniously, a person needs to interact with others. This interaction should involve a positive partnership. This partnership should help each other grow and achieve positive results. This is the relationship brought about by the kinds of love that are often used separately. I have been exposed to the idea that eros is ungodly and agape is achieved only by the godly. But by listening to this speech, I have realized that eros is not bad and that agape is an experience that is available to everybody. The ideal experience of love by an individual should then be eros and agape. This means reaching out to someone and receiving the same feeling from that someone. In this relationship with another human being, I can become a better person. On the other hand, if I refrain myself from loving and being loved, I hinder my own development into a better person. Read More