Comments on: What is Love?

By: Thom Woolley

Thom Woolley — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:42:12 +0000

Beautiful post Vince, thank you.

And thank you more generally for your work, inspiration and commitment on both this site and the podcast, great stuff!

All the best

Thom

By: Julia May

Julia May — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:32:10 +0000

Hi Vince,
Nice post. To be an “inner witness” as the act of love is very inspiring wording. Also I owe you an email! In progress.

By: Per

Per — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:51:07 +0000

“….any practice that allows one to be with experience more fully is itself a practice of Love”

Yes, that is what I find for myself as well. Allowing experience as it is, as if it would never change, is an expression of love.

It is an expression of love for reality (God, existence, Buddha Mind etc.), as is sincere inquiry, prayer, and other practices.

By: Shane

Shane — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:50:39 +0000

Thanks Vince,

Great post and really helpful insights. A couple of follow-up questions. How would your framework apply when emotions such as anger or perhaps even hatred come up? Does just being present for these visceral, human experiences constitute love? If I am willing to sit with anger is that an expression of love? What about when I perceive deep social injustice or a person harming another human being? Is just bringing my attention to what I’m experiencing in that moment enough, or does love require action? Or, if I’m forced to kill to save the life of another or myself can I kill with love? Can I love the person I have to punch to defend myself? By applying your framework, would accepting that physically hurting another to defend myself is necessary and bringing awareness to the acceptance that this is what is needed constitute love?

In general, I wholeheartedly agree with your post, and am not trying to play devil’s advocate. However, I am interested in your thoughts on the boundary conditions of this type of framework.

Much appreciated!

By: LW

LW — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:21:36 +0000

exactly!. cool insight, dawg

By: Vince Horn

Vince Horn — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:16:33 +0000

Hi Mike,

Interestingly the other two questions I worked with on this retreat where “Who am I?” and “What am I?” respectively. And both teachers I worked with (Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman) asked me specifically about the difference between the experience of each of these questions. I actually spent most time working with these two questions and it was very, very interesting.

By: Michael LaTorra

Michael LaTorra — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:14:25 +0000

Hey Vince!
You’re integrating “surrender and love” and “awareness and attention” by “‘shifting the focus of attention’ to **include** whatever it is”.

Next step (figuratively speaking):

Who is it?
-= OR =-
What am I?

[Note the switercheroo in those 2 questions of the "who" and the "what".]

Regards,
Mike

By: Marshall Polk

Marshall Polk — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:45:12 +0000

Love is the capacity to be present with something. Yes.

Does not even the lover eventually say “Be with me, stay right here with me, always” ?

By: @jay_diggity

@jay_diggity — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:51:45 +0000

I LOVE this post. hehe. You have my undivided attention universe!

By: ~C4Chaos

~C4Chaos — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:26:19 +0000

exactly!. cool insight, dawg