An Optimistic Revelation
Love is the center of it all. It seems so obvious once one says it, but its a terribly illusive truth to find.
In Greek there are three types of love: filia, eros, and agape. Filia essentially means brotherhood or friendship. Eros would be the common translation of love, between two lovers, l'amore, el amore, etc. Agape would be the love of Jesus, unconditional and universal.
Then there's compassion, which comes from the Latin cum (with) and patior (to suffer), which has roots in the Greek word paskhein, to suffer. As to be expected, it's specifically love and empathy for those who suffer. In Buddhism, compassion has a powerful meaning because everyone suffers and everyone requires compassion; it is the only route to happiness, looking beyond oneself.
Then there's the slew of devotional words: worship, adore, idolize, etc. They permeate religion and popular speech. And the love of other languages. In French one adore a la folie (be madly in love), or adore (adore), or aime (love), tomber amoureux (fall in love), etc. In Paris I was touched when some graffiti on a wall proclaimed love in five languages: Arabic, German, French, Spanish, and English.
What does this mean? It means humans require love. But why do we spend our lives working? Or studying? Or traveling? In our fleeting time on earth, why is loneliness so common?
I can think of three reasons. Sometimes we forget what's important and search for the next material object to fill the gap. It's an old idea made trite by philosophers. Next, there are so many different kinds of love. There are the romantics picking flowers for their beloved (eros), or advocates fighting for the downtrodden (agape), or one friend self-sacrificing for the other (filia), or the devotional in communion with religion, or the parents working for their children (familial). To each their own. Last, work and traveling are means to an end. One works to support a family. One travels to find a home and a companion.
Live has more than love, but like a Buddhist, I believe love is the path to happiness. Love is the key to life, it's core.
In Greek there are three types of love: filia, eros, and agape. Filia essentially means brotherhood or friendship. Eros would be the common translation of love, between two lovers, l'amore, el amore, etc. Agape would be the love of Jesus, unconditional and universal.
Then there's compassion, which comes from the Latin cum (with) and patior (to suffer), which has roots in the Greek word paskhein, to suffer. As to be expected, it's specifically love and empathy for those who suffer. In Buddhism, compassion has a powerful meaning because everyone suffers and everyone requires compassion; it is the only route to happiness, looking beyond oneself.
Then there's the slew of devotional words: worship, adore, idolize, etc. They permeate religion and popular speech. And the love of other languages. In French one adore a la folie (be madly in love), or adore (adore), or aime (love), tomber amoureux (fall in love), etc. In Paris I was touched when some graffiti on a wall proclaimed love in five languages: Arabic, German, French, Spanish, and English.
What does this mean? It means humans require love. But why do we spend our lives working? Or studying? Or traveling? In our fleeting time on earth, why is loneliness so common?
I can think of three reasons. Sometimes we forget what's important and search for the next material object to fill the gap. It's an old idea made trite by philosophers. Next, there are so many different kinds of love. There are the romantics picking flowers for their beloved (eros), or advocates fighting for the downtrodden (agape), or one friend self-sacrificing for the other (filia), or the devotional in communion with religion, or the parents working for their children (familial). To each their own. Last, work and traveling are means to an end. One works to support a family. One travels to find a home and a companion.
Live has more than love, but like a Buddhist, I believe love is the path to happiness. Love is the key to life, it's core.