There once was a princess who lived in a palace and had all kinds of pearls, agates and other gems. Being an only daughter, she was pampered by the king and queen, and was never in need of anything.

One day, as she was watching the rain from her balcony, the raindrops hit the surface of the nearby lake, creating myriads of bubbles that glittered in beautiful colors when illuminated by the sunbeams. Enchanted by this spectacle, the princess said to the king, "I want a necklace made of these bubbles!"

"That cannot be! If you want pearls, I can get you bigger ones. All right?" said the king.

"No! No!" exclaimed the princess.

"If you will settle for diamonds, I can also give you plenty," said the king. But the princess refused to be compromised.

You know there's no way you can coax such spoiled children, and being at a complete loss, the king summoned his officials, but no one could offer a solution. No one knew how to satisfy the princess's adamant demand for the bubbles. She then cried loudly and made a big fuss, refusing to eat or drink. Very soon, she became emaciated and fell ill. Everyone was at their wits' end. Not even the best doctor in the country could cure her. As a last resort, the king issued a public decree, stating, "Whoever can cure the princess will receive half of His Majesty's kingdom."

Then one day, an old man came forward with a solution and the king let him in to see the princess. When the old man told the princess that he could realize her wish by making her a bubble necklace, she jumped up in delight and her illness vanished immediately. Then the old man said, "I am old and my eyes are failing me. I cannot see which bubble is more beautiful. Would Your Highness please go down and bring me the beautiful bubbles so that I can string them into a necklace for you?"

The two of them - the old man and the child thus beguiled - went together to the lakeside. The princess tried in vain to hold the bubbles in her hands, while, afraid to laugh out loud (laughter), the palace maids by their side snickered stealthily. Embarrassed, the princess said to the king, "Father, I don't want these bubbles anymore. I'm content with pearls and diamonds. I cannot hold these bubbles." Looking at his lovely daughter, the king replied, "You're right! They are merely bubbles." They then returned to the palace, with the princess fully cured.

By this same theory, we think that life and death exist only because we don't understand what they are. They're merely illusions, just as a mirage in the desert is an illusion. Sometimes, when you're driving on the highway, there may seem to be a pool of water somewhere in front of you. However, it's not really water, but rather a result of light refraction. Sometimes you may also see many people, horses or palaces in the desert. Or on the ocean, you may hear sounds or see palaces or mermaids. You may think that they're real, but they're actually illusions. People's vision is blurred by the enormous space.

Sometimes, when the sun shines, vapor rises from the roads and appears to be water. I was once deceived by this phenomenon when I was little. I was going to school on foot, and thought I saw water on the road ahead. I ran forward quickly, but there was no water when I reached that spot. When I looked ahead, again I saw water, but again the water disappeared when I ran up to that spot. Later I discovered that it was just a mirage.

Similarly, in this world, we transmigrate life after life, trying to seize all kinds of things and clinging to everything because we are not awakened; we don't know that all these things are just illusions. However, one day we'll know. We'll encounter situations that will awaken us. We only need to let our soul become focused and practice, and it will be awakened.