Flowers, Flowers and Flowers :-)

Some people might wonder why each time, I start my article with a picture of a flower. I feel that is the best way to begin the reading because when we feel a little bit tired or stressed with normal activities or our business, we want to try to find some open space with flowers and greenery so as to feel nice and freshen up our mind and body. By seeing the flowers and figuring out what the colors and patterns of the flowers and leaves are, tension will be released and we will feel relaxed. Therefore most of us feel happy seeing flowers and gardens. When the mind is full of stress, it seems all the surroundings look terrible and not pleasant due to the hectic state of mind. Then in order for relaxation, we need to switch our focus to something different; flowers or some pleasurable yet meaningful reading materials may help. I am not telling you that my article is pleasurable and meaningful to read but just telling you in general. I like to start my article with flowers which are mostly captured by me and I feel comfortable to write the article starting with flowers. It just gives me some kind of an open mind to express the joy of writing so I believe readers feel the same way as I do or at least the flowers bring a little smile to their face when they are reading.

Anyway, talking about flowers, the actual meaning can be more than that as usually flowers can be a good example of enlightened qualities as they come from the mud or earth but are not affected by dirt from mud or earth. They are pure and bright which always gives a pleasant feeling to whoever sees them. They do not have an intention but they fulfill everyone’s purpose. Just like for devotees, they are an offering to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for accumulation of merits. For another person, he/ she might sell them for an income for survival. They can also be a gift for friends or loved ones to make them feel happy and feel our care and concern. In this way, many purposes and needs are fulfilled unconditionally. Universally, we use flowers as symbols of beauty, clarity and purity. They are one of the best substances to use for the purposes of religions, traditions and different activities in the world. So flowers are the similar to great Bodhisattvas or enlightened manifestations, which remain in Samsara but do not contain samsaric defects. They inspire us be like the Bodhisattva who is pure like a flower and yet is within Samsara to benefit everyone of us accordingly. Just like Avalokiteshvara is being praised by all the Buddhas as being like a white lotus that comes from mud without being affected by the muddiness; pure and full of beauty and fragrance that gives joy to everyone.

Now I am back to Singapore, on the occasion of Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma, I went to release lives of animals.

About the turning of the wheel of Dharma, realization of enlightenment comes from Buddha’s speech and goes into the disciples’ ears and affects their minds, turns their minds to wisdom and they become enlightened. That is why it is called the turning of the wheel of Dharma. The teachings purify the mind and the sentient beings get liberated in this way. The real purpose of Buddhas to come to this earth is to teach and to transform the defiled mind into wisdom and cause everyone to achieve the state of enlightenment. In conclusion, if one applies the teachings of the Buddha, there is no way that we will not attain enlightenment. Definitely enlightenment can be attained. That is the purpose of the teachings.

I met many of our members, devotees and friends with smiling faces and I feel happy to see them all. We go to the small boat and released many animals with proper purification prayers and dedications. It really relieves the animals from death and they can go freely about their world for some time. There are three perfections of generosity; material gift, gift of fearlessness and protection and the gift of Dharma. This releasing of life is under the category of the generosity of fearlessness and protection. To make this perfect, one has to apply such an act with three seals; that is the realization that subject, object and action are not truly established. That is emptiness and with this seal then it directly becomes a cause of enlightenment. Without that is just accumulation of merits. Therefore these three seals are very important and that makes the perfection or Paramita (meaning is Gone beyond Samsara).

This Both Photo of flowers are taken at Denmark during my visit there.