We can define Prema as a substance that binds all aspects of creation. All different frequencies of each atom in creation have attributes, like beauty, wisdom, courage, etc Prema allows the attributes to interact, to attract each other with great affection and bliss.
The center of love represents the profound and limitless source of love and compassion within each of us. At its highest expression, this center radiates unconditional acceptance and the purest form of empathy, reflecting the immeasurable compassion and infinite love of the Source. When we are embodying this unlimited aspect, we experience an expansive sense of belonging and unity with all of existence. We feel supported, valued, and inherently worthy, regardless of external circumstances.
We need to be clear that in each dimension, Prema expresses itself in different ways, giving sentiments, feelings, sympathy, bonding, and comfort. Therefore, defining Love always fails in containing its multiple expressions. We can, however, diversify it by making distinctions that may serve as a map along the path of Love.
Mahaprema (or mahā-prema) is a Sanskrit term used in Vaishnavism and Hinduism to describe the most ecstatic, intense, and sublime frequency and form of divine love, especially for Krishna. This state is regarded as the pinnacle of spiritual emotion, a supreme, unconditional, and fully conscious spiritual condition that surpasses all material desires—including even the desire for personal liberation (moksha). Mahaprema is not merely an emotion but a living, breathing reality in which the devotee becomes utterly absorbed in the presence and love of the Divine. The longing for union with God is so overwhelming that no worldly attachment can compare, and the devotee’s entire being is filled with rapturous devotion.
We need to relate to this exalted stage of love, as beyond the definition of ordinary human experience, and is generally attained only by great souls (Mahapurushas), perfected beings, or divine incarnations. Those who dwell in mahaprema are said to lose all sense of separate self and the material world, existing in a state of continual, blissful absorption in the divine presence. Their consciousness is permeated by the vision, name, and qualities of God at all times, and they experience a ceaseless, ecstatic union with the Beloved. In this state, the devotee’s identity merges with their love, and even the notion of spiritual practice dissolves into spontaneous, natural devotion.
How the heart is born
The mystical and physical heart is the seat of Prema. We need to understand that when the center of wisdom, the positive charge in the equation of creation, unites with Shakty, the negative charge, a “ child is born”, innocent, pure, and open to the guidance of the source. This divine child feels loved, and it is loved. The pulse is born from these interactions of life and love (shakty and Vidya); it is the culmination of evolution, a supreme expression of the wisdom and life of the source. Prema is a universal ocean; it is in both the macro and micro worlds. It is the dance and marriage of the polarities. It is a dimension that encompasses the full force of the universe in perfect balance.
Prema in the earth bodies.
When the energies of Vidya and Shakty are balanced in the chest, the chest area is balanced, and they create a natural rhythm and balance between giving and receiving, the internal and external worlds, creation and destruction, and a faith that leads to surrender. On a physical level, this balance is felt as the heartbeat that pulses through every cell and organ, centered in the chest where the physical heart and heart chakra process these energies. Prema, or divine love, is present in every heartbeat and every breath we take.
On an energetic (etheric) level, prema manifests as a natural attraction or magnetism toward that which is different or opposite to ourselves. This can lead to curiosity, exploration, and conflict. But if left unchecked, it can become attachment, possessiveness, and fear of loss.
On the emotional level (Shringara), it manifests as feelings of love, care, nurturing, affection, romance, beauty, gratitude, and tenderness. But if these feelings are out of balance, they can become illusions or fantasies, and our egos can get caught up in unrealistic dreams. This can be misleading and powerful: sometimes, we project our own inner dissatisfaction onto others. The pull of attraction can feel like real love or care, but it may really be a hope that someone else will save us or give us what we are missing inside ourselves. We had defined that type of interaction as a “karmic relationship”, where our ego’s illusions and our sense of incompleteness create a false sense of love and attachment.
On the level of the mind, love is expressed as a desire to serve others (karma yoga), as faith, and as love for the creator (bhakti). The mind, when directed towards prema, develops faith (śraddhā), trust in the spiritual process, and the possibility of realizing oneself.
Walking towards Mahaprema
The journey to mahaprema is traditionally described as a gradual ascent through successive stages of devotion (bhakti). Each stage purifies the heart, deepens the longing for the source, and prepares the soul for the final, all-consuming love of mahaprema.
Different cultures teach us different ways to love, appreciate, and show devotion. But most cultures have this in common: they encourage us to look for love and a sense of completeness outside of ourselves. To truly grow, we need to let go of false ideas about love and service and focus on finding genuine, heartfelt devotion within. I often witness people initiating themselves in “self-love without understanding how to approach this powerful attribute. Ask yourself how you understand self-love.
Are you including:
1. -to slow down in order to embody the union of your body with action and mental emptiness.
2.-Not to move ahead of time or travel to the past.
3.- Follow with faith what you know.
4.- Gratitude and prayer for your existence.
5.- Respect all paths of life with no imposition of what you know on others.
6.- Wisdom of service. Serve the god, not the ego of others.
7.- No looking for others to love you and validate your goodness or kindness.
These are a few aspects you may want to contemplate.
The great magnetism of Prema led to attachments to the object of attraction. Mystic teachings always suggest opening a space within your inner passions towards the source of your most innate nature. By directing the attachments towards the highest aspect of you, your devotion seeks union with your primal nature. Prema’s journey for each individual depends on the guna ( quality) of the soul, its karma, and its preferences for learning.
We can divide Prema into two categories: the love for worthy affairs, subjects, or objects. The other is the love for the unseen and the union with the source.
The 9 stages towards Mahaprema.
In the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition, as detailed by Rupa Goswami in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, a devotee progresses through nine cumulative stages of devotional service (bhakti). These stages form a spiritual ladder, each building on the last, culminating in prema—the pure love of God—which then intensifies into mahaprema. The path is as follows:
1. Śraddhā: The journey begins with initial faith (śraddhā), the awakening of trust in the spiritual process and the possibility of realizing God. The application of this attribute in you is awake when you are comfortable with the flow of life, when you act under the faith, no logic is involved in approaching your inner evolution, there is a force bigger than you that leads the way, you know it is the best for you, and you are able to surpass fear, disgust, and ego. You realize that every step taken under that “inner rule” produces inner realization on a small scale and with a greater impact.
2. Sādhu-saṅga: The next step is association with saintly people and pure-hearted devotees (sādhu-saṅga). Their company inspires and strengthens the aspirant’s faith and practice. This is an important containment for the heart to feel safe and explore purification, fraternity, and mostly to relax from being seen for what they are in a social context.
3. Bhajana-kriyā: The devotee then undertakes devotional practices (bhajana-kriyā), such as chanting, prayer, and worship, guided by experienced teachers and the inspiration of advanced devotees. These stages allow the seeker to cultivate the resonance of their voice towards an action that is subtle, educative, and purifying, and to direct service towards the impersonal.
4. Anartha-nivṛtti: Through sincere practice, unwanted material attachments and habits (anarthas) are gradually diminished and removed. The heart becomes purified and more receptive to spiritual emotions. The heart, with its high magnetism, attracts all types of energies, from ancestors, from unfinished business, from karma traces, from parallel lives, etc. The heart holds countless betrayals, child hurt, and so on. Annartha-vivrtti provides the proper practice for purifying the heart.
5. Niṣṭhā: At this stage, the devotee develops steadfastness (niṣṭhā), an unwavering commitment and firm conviction in devotional service, regardless of external circumstances.
6. Ruci: The heart, now more purified, develops a genuine taste (ruci) for devotional activities, scriptures, and spiritual topics. The aspirant finds joy and satisfaction in spiritual pursuits.
7. Āsakti: This taste matures into deep attachment (āsakti) and an ongoing, heartfelt longing for the divine. The longing becomes powerful, the call constant, and all the energy of life is directed towards the call and longing for a higher union. The devotee’s thoughts are increasingly absorbed in the highest magnetic fields.
8. Bhāva: This leads to bhāva, the preliminary stage of ecstatic spiritual emotion. Bhava is the embodiment of the frequency of love in the physical body; it produces ecstatic emotions. The heart is subtle, soft, and tender. There is no fear of the pleasure of embodiment of love. Sometimes this intense love can lead to spontaneous tears, trembling, and other signs of ecstasy.
9. Prema: Ultimately, the soul attains prema—a state of pure, unalloyed love for the source. When this love reaches its utmost intensity and all-consuming nature, it is called mahaprema, the highest goal of the bhakti path. The lover and the Beloved become one, immersed in an endless, all-encompassing ocean of spiritual bliss and longing. Such love is so rare and exalted that it is often spoken of in hushed reverence, as the crowning jewel of the spiritual path.
I have included the teachings of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu as an example of the stages of embodiment in the center of love. Our hearts have the capacity to elevate the heritage of wisdom and life (shakty and Vidya) to a full receptivity to creation. In whatever stage you are in, self-love and eager for inner freedom, you will end up resting in the ocean of love, bliss, and undivided pleasure of existence.
The expression of Mahaprema
Prema, once attained, is not uniform. It is expressed through different transcendental relationships (rasas), each representing a unique emotional disposition toward the divine. These rasas reflect the variety and richness of loving relationships that exist in the spiritual world.
The primary rasas are:
* Śānta-rati: Neutral appreciation—This expression arises with the feeling of peaceful reverence and awe as the heart witnesses the greatness of creation. It is a deep and quiet admiration for all that exists and for all that will exist, it is a realization of inmensity and the inclusion of the self in that creation.
* Dāsya-rati: Servitude—The realization that we are the vehicle of all energies in creation, that we serve them as we embody them, as we know them, and as we animate them, places us as a humble and loyal servant of the divine. You see your existence as a value of service.
* Sakhya-rati: Friendship—the devotee relates to God as a close friend, with spontaneous intimacy and affection, free from excessive reverence. The sense of authority, separation, and push and pull is replaced by fraternity to all creatures, friendliness of all, judging none.
* Vātsalya-rati: Parental affection—the devotee feels themselves to be a caretaker or parent to God, expressing loving protection and nurturing. The qualities of nurturing with dispassion and trust that the only medicine is love appear as a guiding point for respect and deep affection for existence.
* Madhura-rati: Conjugal or romantic love—this is regarded as the highest and most complete form, encompassing all other rasas. Here, the devotee’s love for the source is saturated with intimacy, sweetness, and longing, as seen in the love of the gopis and Radha for Krishna. This is a representation of the full union of polarities; it becomes a point cero at the level of the heart. The giver becomes the receiver and the receiver the giver. All is one and the same. The spiritual emptiness arises as a permanent sense of beingness. At this stage, the energy of the heart rises to the top of the head, igniting the bliss of divine Union.
Each expression based on devotion, surrender, and seeking the pleasure of union is the impulse of Prema. Prema seems so elusive in our modern world, where terms like pleasure, love, friendship, and neutrality are rooted in logic, morality, or false spirituality. The real nectar of the heart is longing for us to delete any shame about pleasure, to embody the simplicity of non-time, and to revive the realization of the dedication that the source had deposited in us to look for the power of love. We must realize that our heart is designed to take us home- the real you- by a magnetic tool that we call love. The source is longing for you to see it, and you are longing to belong to what you really are: love.
Distortions in Prema
The limited belief system that applies to this center arises when we internalize the idea that love is scarce, conditional, or something that must be earned. When our relationship to this center is distorted by limiting beliefs, our experience of love becomes restricted and conditional.
Let us return to the very beginning of your soul’s journey, to that first moment when you began to judge your own experiences and took responsibility—often unfairly—for things that were beyond your control. Perhaps you faced events or losses that you simply didn’t have the tools to handle, especially the painful sense of being separated from your true source. In that moment, a deep wound formed within the heart. More than any other pain, the feeling of not belonging—to yourself, to others, or to the greater source of love—is the most profound hurt the heart can endure. This longing for connection and belonging lies at the root of so many of our struggles and shapes the way we see ourselves and the world.
This limiting belief doesn’t just affect us in one lifetime—it can follow the soul through many incarnations, creating a heavy heart that carries the weight of old wounds. Cultural conditioning and painful life experiences reinforce this belief, causing us to question our own worthiness of love and to keep repeating the same distorted patterns of what love means. Over time, these patterns become deeply rooted, and instead of feeling the limitless love of the Source, we end up feeling alone, disconnected, and incomplete.
This distortion shapes your reality, making you feel alone and cut off from others. It can feel as if you are always on the outside looking in, unable to connect in a way that feels real or meaningful. You might constantly question whether you are lovable or worthy of being understood, and this deep doubt can lead you to search for love, approval, or protection from those around you. Sometimes, the desire to be accepted is so strong that you put other people’s needs and opinions ahead of your own, even if it means ignoring your true feelings or values. Over time, this pattern can cause you to lose touch with your authentic self, making it even harder to break out of the cycle of seeking validation from others.
When this happens, you may also avoid taking responsibility for your own choices and neglect to speak up for yourself. You might let others decide what you should do or say, or simply remain silent, afraid that expressing your own needs will lead to rejection or conflict. This avoidance only deepens the sense of isolation and makes it harder to reconnect with your inner voice and sense of self-worth.
The limited belief system adopts an image that projects a mask of “The Holy One.” It is a sweet presentation of a victim who, at the core, thinks;
“If only I can be loved and accepted at all times, I will feel pleasure, happiness, and joy. I won’t face frustration, everything will be okay, and I will be safe and secure.”
This belief fuels the creation of an idealized self-image, which dictates behaviors such as:
• Consistently staying in the background, rarely allowing yourself to be seen or heard.
• Avoiding sharing your own needs, opinions, or desires, often putting others first even when it hurts you.
• Never pointing out when others are wrong, even if it’s appropriate, just to keep the peace and avoid disapproval.
• Trying to love everyone, even at the expense of your own boundaries or well-being, hoping this will guarantee acceptance and safety.
• Overlooking or dismissing your own values and achievements, acting as if your strengths don’t matter.
• Habitually being self-effacing, minimizing your strengths and contributions.
• Always going along with the real or imagined demands and expectations of others, even to the point of exhaustion or resentment.
The creation of the mask
Admitting our own defeat and detaching from the core belief threatens our sense of identity; it dismantles the protective “victim” persona that the ego has built, and this process can feel humiliating and deeply uncomfortable. Letting go of these patterns means facing the fear of being exposed, rejected, or seen as weak—so we often hold on tightly, even when these beliefs no longer serve us.
Ironically, this limited belief system can create a sense of pride or comfort in negative or self-defeating traits, including:
• Feeling helpless or powerless, and using this as a way to gain attention, sympathy, or a sense of specialness.
• Identifying as a failure (sometimes in specific areas like relationships or career), which can reinforce the belief that one is uniquely misunderstood or victimized.
• Taking pride in perceived weakness or inability to stand up for oneself, as if being passive is a noble sacrifice.
• Giving in easily to others’ wishes, often to avoid conflict or to maintain a sense of belonging, even at the expense of your own needs.
• Overemphasizing understanding and accommodation, striving to be endlessly patient or kind, even when it means neglecting your own boundaries or well-being.
• Adopting a self-sacrificing, martyr-like attitude, believing that suffering for others is the highest form of virtue or love.
While these patterns may feel safe or virtuous on the surface, they can lead to chronic unhappiness and a deep sense of unfulfillment. From the outside, people with this belief system may struggle with feelings of shame or guilt when it comes to:
• Being assertive or speaking up for themselves, fearing they will be judged or rejected.
• Taking pride in their own accomplishments or talents, worrying that this may seem arrogant or selfish.
• Expressing negative emotions, such as anger, disappointment, or sadness, because they believe these feelings are unacceptable or will push others away.
Over time, these tendencies can build up inner tension and prevent genuine connection—not just with others, but with your own true self. Beneath all these layers of limited beliefs lies a deprived inner child, one who is desperately reaching for pleasure, love, and validation. When these needs are unmet, this inner child can become ruthless and selfish, expressing pride and superiority through excessive demands or even cruel impulses toward others. This is often a masked response to deep-seated feelings of lack and insecurity.
Under this, there is a rage for not having pleasure or fulfillment in their lives. This underlying rage is a reaction to the persistent deprivation and longing for genuine connection and joy.
Despite these struggles, people affected by this distortion may still hold an optimistic vision of the world, believing that people are inherently good. This belief enables them to continue their submissive patterns in hopes of eventually receiving the love, protection, and pleasure they seek.
The Three Distortions of the Three Powers of Creation
These three core distortions—love, will, and wisdom—each affect one of the fundamental creative powers within us. Together, they form the foundation for all limiting belief systems, shaping the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, what we deserve, and how we relate to others and the world. While culture, family, and biology can add their own layers and variations, these three distortions are at the root of our deepest struggles, clouding the immense potential and divine qualities inside us.
Recognizing these core patterns means you don’t have to endlessly search through every personal belief or past event to heal. Instead, you can focus on understanding how these root distortions operate and consciously choose to reframe them. This opens the way to living with greater emptiness—meaning spaciousness, clarity, and freedom from old stories—and with pure action, where your choices and creativity flow from your true nature rather than from fear or limitation. The invitation is to contemplate these distortions, see where they play out in your life, and use this awareness as a powerful tool for transformation and wholeness.
enrich the lesson with these two books:
2.- Mystic heart.