True Love -Thich Nhat Hanh

July 2, 2025

“According to Buddhism, there are four elements of true love.

The first is maitri, which can be translated as loving-kindness or benevolence. The second element of true love is compassion, karuna.  You want to ease the pain of another person. The third element of true love is joy, mudita.  If you make the person you love cry all the time, this is the opposite of love.   The fourth element is upeksha, equanimity or freedom.”

Thich Nhat Hanh explains freedom in true love… ‘When you love, you bring freedom to the person you love.  You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free, not only outside but also inside.’

Training is needed in order to love properly; and to be able to give happiness and joy, you must practice deep looking directed toward the person you love.  Because if you do not understand this person, you cannot love properly.

Understanding is the essence of love.  If you do not understand, you cannot love.  If a husband, for example, does not understand his wife’s deepest troubles, her deepest aspirations, if he does not understand her suffering, he will not be able to love her in the right way.  Without understanding, love is an impossible thing.”

True Love, Thich Nhat Hanh,  p. 1-4.

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