A Perspective Study on Freedom and Love with Reference to Sakkapañha Sutta

Abstract

As we know, love is one of the most important phenomena in life. In fact, it is not only common to human beings but also to other types of living beings and love is experienced in both worldly and spiritual lives of a living being. Also, freedom is the most valued necessity and the greatest effort for salvation. In the worldly sense, there are a few limited definitions on freedom and love but it is different when we study freedom and love in the spiritual sense. Freedom is of three dimensions such as physical, psychological, and spiritual. However, the greatest aspect being the spiritual freedom which in Buddhism is called ‘vimutti or Nibbāna’ (the emancipation). As well, love is very special, even if it is not presently used in its real sense by human beings but as is defined craving for something/ someone. Yet, real love is not craving for something/someone but to share which is why pure love is shining in the greatest freedom of spirituality. Thus, one who achieved liberation is not bound by any relationship. However, present day people have failed to understand what pure love is or how it interacts with spiritual freedom and why we must understand the reality of love and spiritual freedom as human beings. Hence, this research aims at broadening the understanding of human beings on how to achieve spiritual success in this life. The study investrigated what are the contextual and comparative meanings of freedom and love in relation to sakkapañha sutta as the research problem.