The first type of love we hear all about in our culture is romantic love, which involves an infatuation with one person. The second type of love is a detached love which is greater because it allows you to be at peace with separation, with death and with all the bad things that life can bring. In the loving-kindness meditation, you open the door to the present moment, to silence, and to the emptiness that allows you to connect with everything. It’s a love which is happy to let the other person go. Buddhist love is a type of love that relieves people from suffering. It is a type of love that is selfless and detached. It is a type of love that grows over time. What is love at a Buddhist Perspective? Love is often misunderstood and mistrusted. It can be a very dangerous thing when it’s based on ownership or attachment. In Buddhism, love is based on the simple principle of wanting someone to be happy. And the third type of love is the power of emptiness, the power of nothing. This is why all the great beings which I have met in my life, these are all monks who have that type of love.

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This dhamma talk was originally recorded on cassette tape on 20th July 2001. It has now been remastered and published by the Everyday Dhamma Network, and will be of interest to his many fans.

These talks by Ajahn Brahm have been recorded and made available for free distribution by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. You can support the Buddhist Society of Western Australia by pledging your support via their Patreon page.