Love

To love another doesn’t mean we sit and look at each other;

it means we both look in the same direction.

When we love someone … we may fall in love …

because we believe we have discovered

the essence of the true, beautiful, and good.

When we have gotten to know that person …

we discover that … person is not able to symbolize for us

the beautiful, good, and true that we were looking for.

And then we go and look for someone else,

another person to love.

If we continue like this, we can spend our lives

constantly looking for someone.

We … believe that the true, the good, and the beautiful

don’t exist in us … that we are not worthy.

We … look for things to study

or unusual experiences that will bring us prestige …

adorn ourselves with titles and awards …

we are all deceiving each other.

The thing you are looking for is already … within you.

When … in touch with this … you will have happiness;

you will have peace.

The Buddha … was very clear:

‘You have what you are looking for within yourself.’

When understanding is there,

we know what to do and what not to do…

this is true love … practicing

deep listening and loving speech.

—Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Power