[prkddfokic]

Can love be understood through through silence?

imo, no. apart from 'inner-love', which drives the path for individual liberation, 'love' is primarily a social state of mind. it follows it cannot be understood through silence (& non action) because love is defined in how it expresses itself in relationship with others

Are we capable of experiencing love without understanding and negating all of that which is not love?

imo, no. Buddhism = "Understandingism"; there cannot be Buddhism without understanding. There also cannot be love without understanding because love gives something. Love must understand what it is giving is something loving, i.e., wholesome & beneficial. Even when love imparts 'silence' & 'non-action', this is imparted with understanding.

[fissasste]

imo, no. apart from 'inner-love', which drives the path for individual liberation, 'love' is primarily a social state of mind. it follows it cannot be understood through silence (& non action) because love is defined in how it expresses itself in relationship with others


imo, no. Buddhism = "Understandingism"; there cannot be Buddhism without understanding. There also can be love without understanding because love gives something. Love must understand what it is giving is something loving, i.e., wholesome & beneficial. Even when love imparts 'silence' & 'non-action', this is imparted with understanding.

Do you see understanding as being conceptual or non-conceptual or don't you think the word Wisdom is more appropriate namely seeing things the way they really are? I think what I'm trying to say is that non-conceptual actions (Silence) without words(concepts) could be true love. Like Confucius taught. Apparently.

[teewHettive]

Hello andyrobyn,

I was asking you because i totally agree with you that "spiritual love" is very different from the conventional way people understand love.

For instance, many people believe that loving your country (which makes you nationalistic) or loving your tribe (which makes you tribal) is a nobel and commendable thing, while in fact nationalism and tribalism have caused a lot of hostility an wars between human beings. I am not saying that we should not love our countries or tribes, but identifying ourselves with small groups of people is not the way to experience spiritual love imo.

Many believe that Romantic Love (Romeo & Juliet) is true love! And they are deeply convinced that this love is not a selfish love. But if their partner chooses to leave them and to be with someone else (even if this move their partner happier) they would suffer and despair!

In my opinion, love can only exist when there is no suffering. As long as there is a self (dualism) then all our feelings and actions has to be selflish (how could it be otherwise)?

Best Regards,
Bundokji

[Nikkkola]

Hello Element,

Thank you for your answer.

imo, no. apart from 'inner-love', which drives the path for individual liberation, 'love' is primarily a social state of mind. it follows it cannot be understood through silence (& non action) because love is defined in how it expresses itself in relationship with others Actually i am only interested in the "inner - love". The other love which you described as "a social state of mind" is no love in my opinion! and if i want to go one step further i would describe it as a complete disaster.

As we are talking about silence, this reminds me of the way Ajhan Chah used to describe meditation as " the training of the heart". Its quite interesting that he chose to use the word "heart" instead of "mind" . Please allow me to share this small paragraph from Ajhan Chah with you and others:

Listening to your own heart is really very interesting. This untrained heart races around following its own untrained habits. It jumps about excitedly, randomly, because it has never been trained. Therefore train your heart! Buddhist meditation is about the heart; to develop the heart or mind, to develop your own heart. This is very, very important. This training of the heart is the main emphasis. Buddhism is the religion of the heart. Only this! One who practices to develop the heart is one who practices Buddhism. I could not agree more with Ajhan Chah. Buddhism is the religion of heart, the religion of real spiritual love. And in my opinion, we come to experience this true love by negating the other plastic stuff.

Regards,
Bundokji

[attackDoold]

I think what I'm trying to say is that non-conceptual actions (Silence) without words (concepts) could be true love.

Imo, this is superstition. The mind must have some understanding when loving. To believe the mind is 100% "non-conceptual" would seem to be an esoteric superstition.

For example, a child is being playful & naughty & an observer decides to take a Confucian approach by observing the child with non-reactive awareness. This 'decision' is the functioning of the conceptual mind. The 'belief' or 'understanding' that this Confucian approach is beneficial is also the functioning of the conceptual mind.