The story of Celestina is really quite universal. It’s a story of unrequited love, lack of control over desire, putting a lover on a pedestal, and infatuation with the fantasy of a person that does not exist. These are all consequences I’m all too familiar with. Celestina is a story that is so relatable because we’ve all experienced these drawbacks during our love endeavors.

It’s really quite a depressing message that Celestina sends. Part of human nature is never being satisfied with what we have in front of us. We’re always requiring more and more and more. It’s like a sickness. Our happiness is fleeting. It’s like humans are obsessed with consumerism whether it be for material goods, fun, partners, love…the general pursuit of what we think will bring us "happiness". Yet it’s never enough. We always desire more. And while this can be a good thing because it can motivate us to strive towards perfection, it an also devour us and make us very unhappy and ungrateful. I can’t help to think of a quote by the Buddha that I feel relates to this message. "The source of all unhappiness comes from not being able to let go"… and it’s true! We pour our energy into things that bring us so much unhappiness and stress when not retained or achieved. Being able to let go would free our minds and spirits and make us free of desires and ultimately happy. However this is not an easy accomplishment and maybe only the Buddha can master it.

This was the only topic of conversation in our class that is about "pain" regarding "love". Two seemingly opposites that can be totally connected. The lecture inspired two questions that I don’t know if anyone can ever answer. One is, if desire can never be fulfilled are we searching for, or have an affinity for, the ones who we know can never fulfill our desire or the image we create of them? The second, why do we create such impossible imagery of love? Love is so painful because it can’t be controlled. That’s all I know.