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(Bell)

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(Bell)

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(Asking question in foreign language)

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If one of the basis
of the Buddhist religion,

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is love for Mother Nature.

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Why isn't this also
equally true of romantic love

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between two people

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and their demonstration
of love for each other.

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Can someone repeat?

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Seems to be an interesting question.

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(Laughter)

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She asks if Buddhism
supports love for Mother Nature,

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why doesn't it also support 
romantic love between two people

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and demonstrations of affection
between two people.

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The Buddha is a teacher of love,
true love.

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Love for Mother Earth,
should be true love.

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And if it is true love
it can bring a lot of happiness

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to you and to Mother Earth.

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And romantic love,
if it is true love,

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it can also bring a lot of happiness.

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But if it is not true love, 
it will make you suffer,

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and make the other
suffer as well.

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In the teaching of the Buddha,

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true love needs four elements.

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First of all:
Maitri - loving-kindness

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that is the capacity to offer happiness.

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If you cannot offer happiness,
that is not true love.

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In romantic love,


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if you are not able to help
the other person to be happy,

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that is not true love.

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So you should train yourself
in order to be able

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to offer happiness


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to you and to him,
or to her.

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Without that, both will suffer.

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The second element of true love 
is compassion.

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Compassion is the kind of energy 
that can help remove suffering;

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that can help transform suffering
in you and in the other person.

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If you cannot transform 


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and take care of the suffering
in you and the other person

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that is not true love.

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That is why "Karuna",
the second element of true love,

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should be cultivated
by you and the other person.

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Romantic and not romantic,
that is not important.

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What is important is
whether it is true love,

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or not true love, right?

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The third element of true love

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is Joy.

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If by loving,

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you make the other person
cry all the time,

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and you cry all the time,

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That is not true love.
(Laughter)

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Romantic or not romantic.

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True love is inclusiveness.

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You do not exclude,

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his suffering is your suffering,

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his happiness is your happiness,

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There is no individual suffering
and happiness anymore.

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In true love,

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there is the element
of inclusiveness, non-discrimination.

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There's no separation,
no barrier,

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Between you and the other person.

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In that spirit you cannot say,

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"That's your problem!"
No.

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Your problem is my problem

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My suffering is your suffering.

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So this is the fourth element
of true love.

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And if romantic love
has all these four elements,

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it can bring
a lot of happiness also.

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The Buddha did not say, never any
negative things about true love

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In romantic love
if you are successful.

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You will cultivate a lot of 
loving-kindness and compassion.

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And very soon
your love will be all-embracing.

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The other person is no longer
the only object of your love.

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Because your love
will continue to grow.

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Your love will embrace
all of us!

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And happiness 
will become limitless.

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That is the love
of the Buddha.

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That is the meaning
of the fourth element

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of true love:
Inclusiveness

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If it is true love,
it will continue to grow,

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and include more and more.
Not only humans...

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but also animals, vegetables,

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and minerals.

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And that is a great love.

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"Maha Karuna"
"Maha Maitri"

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And that is the love of the Buddha.

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(Bell)