An Allegory – the Princess and the Lotus

There was a princess who lived in a stately palace and had all that was needed to please. Her youth and beauty shone like a candle flame and she attracted princes from many lands who came to live in her court. She was well educated, wrote poetry, and her charm was enhanced by her life of harmony, her pure and tranquil thoughts and by cherishing in her mind the reflection of the image of the supreme Beauty.

Philosophically inclined, the princess was not proud, and did not place too high a premium on her physical charms. She knew that such charms are fleeting. Though she had an enriched mind, her ideal was how to confer blessings on others.