A.H. Almaas Diamond Approach
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

 

Self-Love

To really know love, you must first of all know yourself. By yourself, I don't mean the "I"; I mean you must know your being, who you are separate from your label, from your name, from the feelings you have acquired throughout the years along with your self-image, and the other ideas you have about yourself. To know yourself is to know who you are beyond those feelings and ideas. Who you really are has nothing to do with what happened to you in the past, and who you are exists regardless of your feelings, thoughts and opinions about yourself and regardless of anyone else's opinion about you. You must first know this if you are to know love. When I talk about "knowing yourself," I mean to know your being, your Essence. (Diamond Heart Book 2, pg 154)

 

self love

 

Love and oneself

A person who really loves himself likes doing what he has to do. It doesn't matter what it is. The liking and the enjoyment have nothing to do with the external activity. It has to do with accepting yourself. So it doesn't matter what you do... Your external activity should not make any difference at all to your happiness. If it does make a difference, you're obviously identified with something that is not you. When you see that it doesn't really make a difference, you won't always be anxious to get things over with, or anxious about what is going to happen. The attention and anxiety will not be there, because there is no reason for it. (Diamond Heart Book 3, pg 86)