What is Love?

Love is the word on everyone’s lips—sought in vows, longed for in silence, claimed as the reason behind our greatest choices. It seems to be the compass most people follow. But how many reach that destination?

We speak of love easily, but do we understand it? Is love a feeling, a bond, a mirror? Is it presence or pursuit? Does it liberate—or do we confuse it with the chains of longing and fear?

Many say they act out of love, but what is left in the aftermath—peace, or turmoil? Stillness, or craving? What if what we call love is often something else entirely—attachment, projection, hunger in disguise? And if true love exists—what is its result? Does it bring us closer to truth, to self, to God? Or to each other?

Core Questions:

1. What is love?

2. Is love compatible with attachment—or is it what remains when attachment dissolves?

3. Can romantic love ever be unconditional?

4. What’s the difference between love and need?

5. Does true love require freedom—or commitment?

6. Is love something we fall into… or grow into?

Structure:

First 15 minutes: Tea, coffee, and informal socializing

90 minutes: Open Socratic dialogue — a collective exploration through questions and reflection rather than debate or persuasion

Final 10–15 minutes (optional): Integration, continued conversation, and community connection

Suggested Readings (Optional):

Osho – Love, Freedom, Aloneness

Jiddu Krishnamurti – On Love and Loneliness

Thich Nhat Hanh – Teachings on Love

Rumi – Selected Poems (esp. on divine union and longing)

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“Love is not an emotion. It is your very existence.”
– Rumi

“Love is the absence of possession. Real love says: I want you to be free.”
– Osho