Why Worship with Flower?

Why Worship with Flower?

In evolution, plants with flowers were recent.

They had a reason for existence.

Propagation of the species with added tolerance to extinction under adverse conditions was the purpose.

Flowers tend to bloom seasonally when there is scarcity of water.

Fruits are formed to take the next generation of seeds.

Nuts are often bitter, so that animals do not eat them.

If they eat them they are not digested in the digestive system.

They make the flesh of the fruits attractive so that they eat and spread the seeds far away from their origin.

Fact that they are edible should not be taken as a license to store them in cold storage.

If one destroys a flower he/she in fact upset the balance of nature.

Buddhist offer the flowers at the shrines of Buddha, to remind themselves of the unsatisfactory and transient nature of life.

They recite a Gatha as they do that.

Actually plucking of water lillie flowers, make the plant to go into hibernation and often end up with death of the mother plant.

That is my discovery.

My bone of contention is even if they are not producing fruits, say jasmine they attract a plethora of insects who live on the pollens and nectar.

Not only we destroy the flowers we destroy the insect life, too.

Buddhist who say “Let all living beings be happy and content” are violating one principle while acquiring merits on Anitta Meditation while offering flowers at the temple.

One can argue that merits acquired with offering flowers are devalued by demerits of interfering with insect life.

Why not remind oneself of Annita every time one sees a flower.

Why one has to pluck them?

Attachment to the flower is as bad, in Buddhist way of thinking.

Why pick fresh flowers?

One can easily choose the fallen flowers, instead.

Which show their demise glaringly and epitomize the principle of Anitta, much better.

There is a paradox here.

If one sees a beautiful flower and set in motion Anitta principle, instead of enjoying the very nature of natural beauty, to me it is sadistic.

 

Let them blossom in the place they have chosen for themselves.

Enjoy the beauty.

Don't be a sadist or a lovebird, unless you have cared them yourself.

If you cared for them, it is hard to pick them or destroy them, even if they are in the plenty.

Adore them but do not treat them like plastic toys.

They are living creatures and there is a purpose of their existence.

I do not mind a little girl wearing them on their hair to enhance their natural beauty.

But teach them the nature's secrets while fixing one or two flowers on the head or hair band in the hairdo.

Tell them a plastic flower lasts long.

Do not tell them the Anitta Concept too early and make them sadistic in formative years.

This is where I come in conflict with Buddhist notions.

Why only animals are sacred.

Evolutionary-wise plants are more sacred, since they support all life including animals.

This is why I say Buddhism does not teach science, especially biological science in its core themes.

This might upset some mafiosi Buddhists but it is not as bad as Victor Ivan stating kill all the cows when they are at the end of the milking cycle, old and feeble, for beef.

Take him to task if a Buddhist gets agitated by my above comments.

It is far better extend some Metta to Me and My Flowers.

That will make you feel better.

It feels much better if you have few flowers in your garden.

This April I had five exotic flowers.

It put my April joy at a high level, all together.