Good morning!
We can enjoy a lot of flowers now – daffodils, forsythia, magnolias, pears, peaches,
cherries, … The Flower Festival on April 8 is the Buddha’s birthday. We read the
following verse in the Dhammapada last Friday at our class:
Who will conquer this earth and this Yama’s world with its gods?
Who will pick up the well-taught Dhammapada like a skillful one a flower?
The Dhammapada, 44
A disciple will conquer this earth and this Yama’s world with its gods.
A disciple will pick the well-taught Dhammapada like a skillful one a flower.
The Dhammapada, 45
Last night I watched a film titled Fruit of Faith based on Mr. Akinori Kimura’s story
of growing miracle apples without chemical sprays, usually applied 20 times a year.
He is now helping farmers in his way at home and abroad.
He wanted to cure not only his wife’s sickness – she was stricken in bed due to
chemicals – but also all of life in holy harmony, health, and happiness. The Buddha
tells of the fragrance of morality spreading throughout time and space:
The fragrance of flowers, sandal, tagara, or jasmin does not go against the wind.
The fragrance of the good ones go against the wind. A good person pervades all directions.
The Dhammapada, 54
Note: You can watch the quoted movie here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhiLI7TCFk
