Saturday, December 19, 2009

4 Elements of True Love

There are 4 elements that establish True Love. They are Loving kindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity. They are also known as the 4 Immeasurables.

Loving kindness is the capacity to bring happiness to ourselves and others. It is not a mere wish. It requires understanding others in such a way that one knows exactly how to give them happiness. This is also applicable to us. If we are capable of making ourselves happy, it will be easier for us to make others happy. When we make others suffer, it is not True Love.

Compassion is the capacity to transform sufferings. We need to first understand the nature of our sufferings before we can transform them. If we know how to help ourselves suffer less, it will be easier for us to help others do the same.

Joy is about knowing how to bring joy to ourselves and others. It can be experienced in every moment of our lives if we know how to nourish ourselves with feelings of peace and happiness. When we master this, we will be able to help others do likewise.

Equanimity is about non-discrimination, non-separation and inclusiveness. We recognize that the happiness, joy and sufferings of others are our happiness, joy and sufferings, and vice versa. We and others are no longer separate entities. We "inter-are".

Source: Teachings by Thay at Plum Village in Jul 2009
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About Me

I was borned into a Taoist family and have been a Buddhist since my school days. However, the real turning point is in the year 2000 when I renewed my refuge in the 3 Jewels with Kangyurwa Khensur Rinpoche and received extensive teachings overseas as well as those organized by Amitabha Buddhist Centre over the years. My teachers include His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, Kangyurwa Khensur Rinpoche, Choden Rinpoche, Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Thay Thich Nhat Nanh and Geshe Chonyi. Since then, my love for Dharma knowledge and passion for understanding reality has grown. Losang Tenkyong which in Tibetan, means spreading or preserving the Dharma is my refuge name. Wonderous Service of the Heart is the name given to me by Plum Village, basing on my aspirations to truly benefit others.