Even while popular religions generally promote "family values," serious spiritual seekers have been warned throughout the ages about the dangers of entanglement in worldly affairs -- and especially the dangers of love and desire. Traditional spiritual paths steer their followers toward impersonal forms of self-culture and universalized love. As a result, spiritually-oriented people often feel conflicted about their natural social desires and ordinary loving impulses.

This article affirms the need for spiritual self-culture and for the development of universal love, but declares that these steps are preparation for, not a substitute for, a higher form of personalized love. The article describes the challenges of loving in a spiritually appropriate yet humanly personal way. It explains how traditional spiritual disciplines ready us to master those challenges, and why learning to love Truly is necessary for the fulfillment of spiritual evolution. See Article