True Love. Finished 3-31-19, rating 4/5, mindfulness/Buddhism, 108 pages, pub. 1997

In this little treasure, Thich Nhat Hanh, the renowned Zen monk, offers timeless insight into the nature of real love. With simplicity, warmth, and directness, he explores the four key aspects of love as described in the Buddhist tradition: lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and freedom—explaining how to experience them in our day-to-day lives. He also emphasizes that in order to love in a real way, we must first learn how to be fully present in our lives, and he offers simple techniques from the Buddhist tradition that anyone can use to establish the conditions of love.

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, is an internationally known author, poet, scholar, and peace activist who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr.     from Goodreads

What is it about Thich Nhat Hanh that speaks to me?  So many things.  I love his ability to embrace other religions.  I love that I can immediately take his words and use them.  I love the way he calms my spirit and provides insight.  See?  He’s my guy.

This particular book was about the four elements of true love in Buddhism. The first is maitri (love-kindness or benevolence).  The second is karuna (compassion).  The third is mudita (joy) and the fourth is upeksha (equanimity or freedom).  It’s a focus on learning on how to love well and I’m already using his wisdom.

I think everyone has different authors or spiritual guides that speak to their heart.  I know my love for him won’t be for everyone and that’s okay.  He’s written a lot of books, many, like this one, aren’t long so you can give him a try without investing too much time.  He may speak to you too.