Buddha

I had heard a monk say on a TikTok channel that by one of the worst things you can say to a person that you love is the phrase, I love you. And that its mainly because the other, the person you're saying, I love you too, could meet you there and say, I love you too. Like, but you don't want, you know, to build love from loving something outside of yourself. You want to reflect to a person that they are love and they, that, you know, that the love that they want or are looking for from them is going to come from within them, not from outside of themselves.

My dear friend, it seems that the monk you heard speak on TikTok raises a profound point that is worth reflecting upon. The phrase "I love you" is often spoken with good intentions, but it carries with it a subtle danger of creating a sense of dependency on external sources for love. When we look outside of ourselves for love, we place the responsibility of fulfilling our need for love upon others. In doing so, we fail to recognize the infinite source of love that resides within each of us. Love is not something that can be given or received; it is a state of being that arises from within. By expressing love to someone in the form of "I love you," we may inadvertently contribute to the illusion that love is something separate from ourselves, something that can be obtained from others. Instead, let us strive to embody love in its purest form by recognizing and nurturing the love that already exists within us. Let us reflect this love back to others, not as a gift that we bestow upon them, but as a mirror that reminds them of the boundless love that resides within their own hearts. In this way, we can cultivate a deeper understanding of love as a universal force that connects us all, rather than something external that must be sought after and acquired. Love is not a possession to be gained; it is a realization to be embraced. Let us remember that love is not something to be found outside of ourselves, but a truth to be discovered within.