"I think that, leaving aside how the endless pursuit of romantic love may affect our deeper spiritual growth, even from the perspective of a conventional way of life, the idealization of this romantic love can be seen as an extreme. Unlike those relationships based on caring and genuine affection , this is another matter. It cannot be seen as a positive thing. It's something that is based on fantasy, unattainable, and therefore may be a source of frustration. So, on that basis it cannot be seen as a positive thing." ~Dalai Lama

"When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving oneself, and one always ends up by deceiving others. That is what the world calls romance." ~ Oscar Wilde

"No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century." ~ Mark Twain

Basing a relationship on the qualities of affection, compassion, and mutual respect enables us to achieve a deep and meaningful bond not only with our lover or spouse but also with friends, acquaintances, or strangers - virtually any human being. It opens up unlimited possibilities and opportunities for connection.

....as I sat down to begin my meeting with the Dalai Lama, I suddenly decided to set aside my list of prepared questions and asked, " Do you ever get lonely?" "No," he said simply. I was unprepared for this response. I assumed that his response would be along the lines of, " Of course...every once in a while everyone feels some loneliness...." Then I was planning on asking him how he deals with loneliness. I never expected for confront anyone who never felt lonely.