The English word LOVE is 100% pure confusion

I am convinced one reason why Western Civilization is so confused, is due to our language. This only became fully realized when I studied Sanskrit.

The English word "Love" is one such example.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to translate the English word "Love" into a single Sanskrit word.
There are so many possible meanings!

Some of the connotative meanings, which when in context are translated in Sanskrit, are words which in Sanskrit are complete opposites. It's like Orwell's Doublethink.

It all boils down to this basic paradox.
The essence of Love is happiness, an ecstatic emotion. Yet, 

• Love can mean attachment (GRASPING -- special love, sense pleasure love, material fetish love)
• Or Love can mean non-attachment (GIVING -- compassion, universal love, patience, gratitude, rapture). 

In other words: War is Peace. 

This became very clear to me, only after I studied Sanskrit.
Many spiritual texts are written in Sanskrit, because it is so precise and clear.

GRASPING LOVE / Attachment
One cluster of the Sanskrit words which can translate into English "Love" are better defined as

• Sense Pleasure (5 senses + imagination)
• Satisfying a Craving or Thirst
• Sex ("make love")
  
• Wealth, Commodity Fetishism
• Attachment (many kinds)
• Ego (Pride in the Story of Self)
• Special Love: for your life partner. Love for your children, siblings, parents
• Pride in Family, Clan, Tribe, State, Nation, Flag, Team
  (These are all forms of "Special Love" Conditional Love, non-universal love)

UNIVERSAL, GIVING LOVE:
The above meanings of LOVE are offensive to what we generally consider to be TRUE LOVE, which are roughly defined by a constellation of Sanskrit words which are better translated as:

• Ecstasy, Bliss (emotion) -- emotions can be largely sensed in the body, although originate in a pure mind-state
• Compassion - may all beings be free from suffering
• Universal Love / Unconditional Love -- all beings deserve happiness
• Sympathetic Joy -- Radiate and reflect the joy of others (This is the antidote to jealousy)
• Loving-Kindness -- radiate it to the world!
• Equanimity (non-attachment, calm, patience, gratitude)

Here is a table:

English word "Love" has many meanings. When translated into Sanskrit, some		Sanskrit
example	means		Kleshas are  not necessarily bad things! Ego and Material Wealth are useful for householder living. Sense pleasure craving is to some degree necessary for Householders to live in the world! The point about Kleshas is this: Kleshas are not ultimate Truth. Kleshas will bind you to Samsara. Which is fine, if that's what YOU want! When I say "you" I mean the ultimate, singular Divine God Conscious of the Universe The Higher Truth is that all of these things are born of the delusion of separation. Kleshas bring a temporary happiness, but soon you want more. The bowl has a hole. It can never be filled up, for long.	Kleshas, Hinderances
I love my chocolate	sense pleasure, craving	tanha, raga
Make Love	sex, craving, sense pleasure	kama
Love my Cadillac	wealth, commodity fetishism, craving	artha
I love the story of me!!	ego, pride, craving for either life or death, craving satisfaction in the realm of story.	ahamkara asmita
Love my kids, family, clan, nation. Because We're special!!!	special love, attachment, pride	mana, asmita
I love being outdoors! / Love God / Love Life,  Love is Happiness	Ecstatic emotion	sat chit ananda, sukkha	True Universal Love
I love all beings, and wish their suffering would cease	Compassion	karuna
I love it when others are happy!	Sympathetic Joy	mudita
I radiate love to all. and wish them happiness.	Loving kindness	metta
I love by releasing, "observe and allow".  non-attachment.	Equanimity	upekksha