Taj Mahal tells of a very sad love story. It’s sad not because two who were deeply in love were separated by death, but because of the great attachment it embodies. The Mongol king spent 17 long years, much wealth and labour to build this extravagant monument to fill the voidness of his heart after his queen’s demise. The saddest part of this story is that he had to spend his remaining years overlooking Taj Mahal under house arrest by his own son. At times, we feel that no amount of comfort and luxuries we lavish on our loved ones (be they our spouses, lovers, children or parents) are ever enough. But the best way to show love is never really through material gifts, as they only please and last for a while. The gift of Dharma well given and received lasts life after lives – much longer than any elaborate monument itself – as the diamond (vajra) seeds of Dharma are indestructible!
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