February 16, 2026
Questioner: But how do you teach love, or is it necessary to teach love?
Swamji: No, it is the other way around. If you are love, whatever you say is love, and if a student comes to you, what you teach them is nothing but love. But unless he is receptive, he may turn around and hit you. He may turn around and say, “Don't talk rubbish.” So unless the other person is receptive, your teaching is of no value. Temporarily you may have won your point. If you apply the theory of probability to what I'm going to say, what would be your answer?
In the Bible, people brought a woman to Jesus who had committed adultery; they were about to stone her. Jesus said, “He was who not sinned, let him cast the first stone.” That was a direct challenge to them. His words were full of love, but unfortunately, to them it sounded like a challenge, so they hung their heads in shame and walked away.
Is it not possible or probable, that some of them eventually became his persecutors? It's probable. So although such teaching may appear to have some effect, it does not change a person until he is open.
Therefore, to teach love is impossible, but to communicate love is possible, communicate, in the sense that when you and I are one at heart, then it is possible non-verbally to communicate love. Verbal communication is unnecessary and superfluous.