hmmm...love = pain, i dont think so. Yes, love is and can be very painful indeed. But love is a positive emotion, meant to lift us and is probably the most powerfully changing emotion we can feel. Everyone wants and desires to be loved I do believe, as I read through all these threads this is the common denominator I see.
Remember the John Lennon song Imagine, think of that then think of what a better place this earth would be if we could all just love one another, learn to accept and tolerate differences and just care.
There would be no more war, hate, or crime, no negative emotions.
If you could feel love or hate which emotion makes you feel the best? not hate, it is indeed love.
I do not think it is love = pain but rather the end factor of love, you know what you had and now it is gone, that is where the pain lies, but it is an opposite emotion from love itself.
To love completely, fully and unconditionally you would not feel the pain upon letting go of someone as the love you feel for them would be unconditional, weather they are in your life or not, or weather they loved you back or not. The key word here is unconditional, a difficult if not impossible thing to achieve due to our id, we also want to receive, as humans it is hard for us to only give and never get back.
Love should feel good, be fulfilling, uplifting, powerful, and all encompassing.
Love only = pain when someone who is devaluing/hurting you is telling you they love you, that is not real love to begin with.