A man came to a temple to consult the Buddha. He was haggard, unkempt and miserable.
“What is wrong?” asked the Buddha
“My girlfriend left me for another man.”
“Why would she do that?”
“I don’t know!” cried the man. “I went out with her, bought her gifts, looked after her when she was ill and even ran errands for her. I treated her like a princess.”
“But did you do all those things without expecting anything in return?” asked the Buddha.
“If she wasn’t committed, then she shouldn’t have led me on.”
“Absolutely, but that’s her problem. What was your goal and intention in this whole game? Men are known to splurge on gold and jewels, fight wars and build palaces to capture the hearts of women they fancy. You did all those things to capture her heart, didn’t you?”
“Yes…”
“She didn’t fall into your “trap”. You failed to capture her. Unknowingly and ironically, you have ended up trapping yourself in misery. Free yourself and move on.”
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