In part two of Upaya’s Love and Death weekend program, Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski deepened the exploration of how personal love can open into universal compassion. Framed by the bodhisattva path, Roshi Joan recounted Thich Nhat Hanh’s story of youthful love for a nun, which he transmuted into service for a suffering Vietnam: “She represented everything I loved… bringing Buddhism into society, and realizing peace and reconciliation.” Participants reflected on their own “first loves,” discovering how such tender awakenings point beyond the self. Frank then introduced the four brahmaviharas—loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity—as practices that ground love in wisdom and service. The session closed with guided metta practice, encouraging participants to feel into the pathways from intimate connection to boundless care.
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