[Buddha-l] Being in Love

[Curt Steinmetz]

jkirk wrote:
> The Buddha did not specifically take up the :"issue" of "being in love", aka
> romantic love or infatuation with a sex partner, because in his time there
> was no such idea....
>   
> The ideal of romantic love originated within European cultures, as a
> spiritually ennobling obsession (recall the knights, their ladies, and what
> the troubadours sang about). 
>   

Those troubadors were just elaborating on an idea well known in the 5th 
century BC. See, for example, Plato's Phaedrus. That particular dialog 
includes a lengthy discussion between Socrates and his young beautiful 
friend, Phaedrus, on whether or not "being in love" gets in the way of 
having a good time. The descriptions that they both give of how romantic 
love makes one crazy and stupid and usually leaves one with a broken 
heart makes it quite clear that they are talking about the same kind of 
"love" that is now celebrated on Valentine's Day.

Even earlier than Plato, Sappho wrote erotically charged love poems for 
both male and female lovers - and Homer portrays very intense emotional 
relationships between men - especially between Achilles and Patroclus, 
in his poetry. Achilles' histrionics after Patroclus' death are 
unmistakably the acts of a grieving lover.

I seriously doubt that Asians had to learn about love from Europeans. 
Birds do it. Bees do it - even the Indians and Chineeeeese do it.

Curt Steinmetz