"Metta is not ordinary love. It is the quality of love we experience in our whole being, a love that has no ulterior motive — and no opposite. It can never become hatred; the love-hate dichotomy simply does not apply. When we say that we love such-and-such a person or thing, we usually mean that his or her appearance, behavior, ideas, or attitudes fill a perceived deficiency in us. We don’t actually see the other person. If their traits change, we might no longer feel love. When our tastes, whims, or fancies change, we might also fall out of love. We love now, but perhaps later we’ll hate. We love when everything is smooth and easy, but we may feel the opposite when things get difficult. When our love is that situational, what we call “love” is not metta, but lust, greed, or even exploitation."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
p. 3, Ch. 1
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henepola_Gunaratana
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Henepola Gunaratana
3 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Henepola Gunaratana →
Related Quotes
"Mindfulness is nonconceptual awareness. Another English term for sati is “bare attention.” It is not thinking. It doe…"
"Mindfulness is present-moment awareness. It takes place in the here and now. It is the observance of what is happenin…"
"Karuna is most needed to alleviate the suffering of the earth. Karuna moves the hearts of people to alleviate the suf…"
"It is not proper to watch other people. This will not help your practice. If you are annoyed, watch the annoyance in …"
"This mind is an uncertain thing. This body is uncertain. Together they are impermanent. Together they are a source of…"
"The real basis of Buddhism is full knowledge of the truth of reality. If one knows this truth then no teaching is nec…"
"When the mind sees this, it will rid itself of attachment which holds that "I" am beautiful, "I" am good, "I" am evil…"
"So don't be in a hurry and try to push or rush your practice. Do your meditation gently and gradually step by step. I…"
"Actually this practice is just about the mind and its feelings. It’s not something that you have to run after or stru…"
"If we have that presence of mind then whatever work we do will be the very tool which enables us to know right and wr…"