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.
