Is Your Love True

Is Your Love True?

A Queen was looking through the palace window at the Buddha walking for alms food in the city. The King saw her and grew jealous of her devotion to the Great Monk. He confronted the Queen and demanded to know who she loved most, the Buddha or her husband? She was a devoted disciple of the Buddha, but in those days you had to be very careful if your husband was the King. Losing your head means losing your head. She kept her head and replied with searing honesty, 'I love myself more than both of you.'
The trouble with romance is that when the fantasy is broken, the disappointment can badly hurt us. In romantic love, we don't really love our partner, we only love the way they make us feel. It is the 'high' we feel in their presence that we love... Like any 'high'. it wears out after a while.

True love is selfless love. We are concerned only for the other person. We tell them, 'The door of my heart will always be open to you, whatever you do', and we mean it. We just want them to be happy. True love is rare. Many of us like to think that our special relationship is true love, not romantic love. Here is a test for you to discover what type of love it is.

Think of your partner. Picture them in your mind. Recall the day you came together and the wonderful times you have enjoyed ever since. Now imagine receiving a letter from your partner. It tells you they have fallen deeply in love with your best friend, and the two of them have run away to live together. How would you feel? If it were true love, you woukd be thrilled that your partner has found someone even better than you, and is now even more happy. You could be delighted that your partner and best friend were having such a good time together. You'd be ecstatic that they were in love. Isn't your partner's happiness the most important thing in true love? True love is rare.
- Opening the Door of Your Heart (Ajahn Brahm)