A Greater Love (Mandala by Pearl S. Buck)

"following your sympathies rather than your antipathies." In this section, the grandmother talks about never giving up on love - to keep on loving till you leave your body.

A Greater Love:

Following up on the above, Brooke, the granddaughter, who is the leading character of this India- based novel follows her heart to a rich Rajah, who has lost his power as a royalty, but still is a leader among his former subjects. "Raj" is married , but he comes from a legacy of harem husbands. Jai, his son, is killed in a war with China, but Raj's heart-braken wife is, against all odds, convinced that their son is still alive. She notices the close relationship between Brooke and her husband (still unconsumated), and after several interviews with her, she is impressed with her intelligence and convinces her to join her husband in the search for Jai. Their daughter, antagonistic about her arranged marriage, warns her Mother about the 'too close" relationship, but Mom is more concerned about finding her son. Also, Mom has fallen for an idealistic young priest, who is devoted to his working with the lower caste and to his celibacy.
There is no body or really any hope, but a strong possibility for reincarnation of Jai is presented, and Brooke is very intriqued.
After the relationship, is consummated and an almost affair between the daughter and an young idealistic American hotel man, the priest is told about the affair. Since his people are subject to the Raj, and he knows that the adulterous husband will lose his leadership capabilities, plus he is concerned about his grieving friend the wife, the young priest decides to talk to Brooke about "greater love". At about the same time, Brooke is meeting a former "lover" of her grandmother, who lets her know that there was no sex, even though he would have been very happt to be her lover. And all this time, Brooke thought grandma was having a series of affairs as a widow. This was another presentation of "greater love" to Brooke at about the same time. Because she understood that the "subjects" would lose a leader that wants the best for them and still controls the economy, she decides to leave
India and love from a distance. Before she goes though, she finds an infant that is more than likely a reincarnation of Jai.

Oh yea, the daughter, is amazed when her arranged fiance, becomes jealous of the American , and does the unthinkable andcomes after her. The American realizes the hopelessness of a relationship with the daughter, and with relief steps out of the way of the now infatuated fiance (which in turn turns on the daughter).

Pearl S. Buck is a brilliant writer and a very wise person!