The Four Elements Of ‘True Love’ According To The Teaching Of The Buddha

“You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

What is love? What is ‘true’ love? Can it even be defined? Our idea of what true love is today most likely comes from a fairytale, movie, or reality TV show, and the definition has likely changed many times. But we all have certain conditions attached to our idea of what love is, or some sort of criteria drawn up for what our ‘perfect match’ would look like. The right partner is required to have certain things, be a certain way, and like certain activities – and that’s okay.

But perhaps true love is simpler than popular culture would have us believe. As Thich Nhat Hanh (a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk) explains below, if there is love/kindness, compassion, joy, and inclusiveness, according to Buddhist teaching, you are experiencing true love. It’s pretty simple. True love doesn’t necessarily have to be something magical that sprung out of a fairy tale.