I would define love very simply: as a potent blend of openness and warmth, which allows us to make real contact, to take delight in and appreciate, and to be at one with—our selves, others, and life itself. Openness—the heart's pure, unconditional yes—is love's essence. And warmth is love's basic expression, arising as a natural extension of this yes—the desire to reach out and touch, connect with, and nourish what we love.
Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships: Healing the Wound of the Heart (ed. Shambhala Publications, 2005) - ISBN: 9780834822757