the Buddha’s teaching on love
If you want to live in truth and integrity, if you hunger for joy and freedom-then live simply. Be impeccable in everything you do-in every word, thought and deed.
Be receptive, gentle, and unassuming.
Avoid irrelevant obligations and free yourself from extraneous distractions.
Learn to be content with less, modest in what you consume.
Simplify your tastes, tread lightly. Be discreet and courteous, self-sufficient.
Find balance in your relationships, especially with those people you love the most.
Respect the needs of others, avoid antagonizing them unnecessarily.
MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY AND PEACEFUL! MAY THEIR HEARTS BE FULL!
ALL LIVING BEINGS-strong ones and weak, large or small, seen or unseen, those nearby or far away, those already born and those yet to be born, beings you can only imagine as well as those that are beyond imagination, wherever they are, whatever they are-
MAY THEY ALL . . . . MAY ALL BEINGS BE JOYOUS AND HAPPY!
Let no one deceive another. Let no one despise another.
Let no one out of resentment or anger wish harm to anyone.
Just as a mother would give her life to protect an only child, so cultivate that same boundless, open heart towards all of life.
Let your thoughts of unconditional love and kindheartedness permeate the cosmos, extending in all directions without obstruction, free from misconceptions or fear.
Whatever you happen to be doing, wherever your are; seated, standing, walking, or lying down, so long as you draw breath, find ways to cultivate this quality of loving-kindness, this tender quality of mind, which of all qualities is said to most accurately reflect the truth of who you are.
Let go forever of the idea you are in any way separate from the web of living beings. Let everything you do be informed by the understanding that all things are interconnected. Find ways to relinquish the indulgence and excess you have used as a substitute for love.
Accept in their place this gift-the infinite pleasure, of love, joy, this boundless heart of kindness.
Wake up! Live! Live in freedom!
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