Love Is The Answer To Happiness

The thesis of this discourse is this: love is the answer to happiness.
Love, the most powerful force in creation, is also the most misunderstood.
It is misunderstood because of the context with which it arises: that of relationship. All relationships imply love, either an offering of it or a withdrawal of it. Thus, our understanding of love is conditioned by varying degrees of attachment and aversion. And because of this, there is an element of self-protection that is projected outwardly and becomes control.
Thus, our understanding of love is completely contaminated by all the associations that arise from it.
So what we have then is conditional love; love that is allowed if certain conditions are met.
In truth, none of this is really love, just as a delicious meal, sprinkled with some mud cannot be said to be appetizing any longer.
Love, real love, is acceptance. That is all it is. Simply accepting what is. From that acceptance flows giving and caring, nurturing and compassion.
When you see a beautiful flower wet with dew, you feel an out-flowing force from your heart. This emotion is love. It is a complete acceptance of the flower. You may call it beauty or appreciation, but it is really love.