The second element of true love is compassion, or karuna. As in yesterday's element of loving kindness, the second element means not only the desire to express compassion - but the ability to be compassionate as well. To practise compassion you must look deeply at the one you love to understand their suffering in order to help them change. It takes knowledge and understanding of the one you love to illustrate compassion.
This is probably my favorite of the 4 elements. The times I've felt the most cared about is when someone has shown me compassion. It is such an easy thing to offer. Sometimes just a smile, or a touch of a hand, a hug, or spending time listening - is all it takes to demonstrate compassion. But this little thing can mean the world to the person you love.
The third element of true love is joy, or mudita. If there is no joy, then the love isn't true. True love doesn't cause suffering, or make another person cry all the time. Rather true love, brings joy.
The fourth element of true love is freedom. In true love you attain freedom. You must love in such a way that the person feels freedom in your love. Although I think freedom comes from within oneself. I don't know that freedom can completely come from another person if you don't already feel freedom within yourself.
Tomorrow, I'll discuss the second chapter of True Love titled Being There.
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