Chapter 33. The Equation of Love

The Equation of Love

Loving affection is an emotion in response to sensual perceptions namely sight, sound, smell, taste, bodily feeling, and thought. According to the Buddhist teachings, there are solid factors contributing to love as follows:

(1) Behaviour

(2) Sacrifice

(3) Belief

(4) Wisdom

In Dhammonomics, we decode the doctrines to derive the universal terms which can be formulated into an equation that represents the correlation of loving affection and its contributing factors.

(1) Behaviour or sila can be fragmented in compliance to the Noble Eightfold Path as (1a) speech (1b) action, and (1c) livelihood. Thus, behaviour is the first set of three that can increase or decrease the value of love between partners whereas our pleasing and positive words, actions, and daily living between each other can promote love, once perceived, and vice versa.

(2) Sacrifice or cakha means the giving in various aspects which include generosity, devotion, and forgiving. In the Western sense, cakha in loving affection can be interpreted as Give & Get where partners learn to balance the exchange between each other which enables the equilibrium of demand and supply.

(3) Belief or saddha incorporates ones’ attitude and mindset within a framework or context. If partners share the same belief, such as politics, religion, philosophy, and lifestyle, partners are more likely to be able to keep up an endearing relationship which sustains love between them.

(4) Wisdom or panna is the key quality of Buddhist teaching. According to the Noble Eightfold Path, wisdom can be divided into (4a) view which stems from knowledge and understanding, and (4b) intent which directs either positive or negative resolution, decision, and determination. If partners have comparable view and intent, they are more likely to have complying thoughts which develop into accorded speech and action which do not distract their love.

In addition, to the four factorial sets which contribute to love according to the doctrine, it is the ‘karma’ which means the overall mental, verbal, and physical deeds which were input and programmed over the past lifetimes as well as the present. Karma fruition is complicated and somewhat uncertain as there are still manipulation and interference by the wholesome party (kusala), the neutral party (abhayagata), and the unwholesome party (akusala).

Moreover, there are the resolutions or wishes that ones made in the past lifetimes and present lifetimes which direct the fruitions of merit making. This is vital in the case when a couple made wishes to love each other forever when they are in love, and vice versa when they break up. It is made possible as resolution or wishing is like a mental programming which can come true sooner or later depending on its powerfulness and timing.

All of the above are the fractions of time which are the past and the present whereas the inputs from past lifetimes are more likely to bear results in the present approximately 60 – 80%, more or less, over time, and the karma in the present lifetime can bear the karmic results as much as 5 – 25%, more or less, excluding the direct impact of our speeches and actions. This formula is not limited to a couple but can also be applied to family members, friends, and more.

By Pirajak T. Suwapatdecha

16 August 2020