Những Đóa Hoa Vô Ưu – The Sorrowless Flowers – Tâp I

Preface

Twenty-six centuries ago, Prince Siddhartha was born in Lumbini Park, under a “Sorrowless” tree. On that occasion, Prince Siddhartha had already had the chance to rule a kingdom, but He had refused. He renounced all luxurious materials and wandered through the forest by himself. After six years of ascetic cultivation, eventually He discovered the “Middle Way” for his cultivation path and became a Buddha. Even though the Buddha passed away 2500 years ago in Kusinagara, a small village in Northern India, His teachings of love, wisdom and worry free approach never died. And, Buddhism is still a great religion which has been enlightening human beings for more than twenty-five centuries. When the Buddha appeared, wonderful events happened. The forest of ashoka trees bloomed with beautiful flowers at the same time with the blooming of the Udumbara forest. An “Udumbara” tree is said to bear fruit without flowers. It is said to bloom once in a very long period of time (about 3,000 years). Some Buddhologists believe that in symbols and analogies, sorrowless flowers and Udumbara flowers are just one. However, botanists confirm that these two plants are totally different. There are no distinguishes between these two flowers in the Measureless Life Sutra, volume One. The sutra mentions: “It is extremely difficult to encounter the Udumbara flowers in measureless kalpas because they only appear at the right time.” The udumbara flower is a symbol of the rare appearance of a Buddha. This flower is said to bloom once every three thousand years. For this reason, it is often used as an illustration of how difficult it is to come in contact with true Buddhist teachings as well as the rarity of encountering a Buddha. No matter how Udumbara and Sorrowless Flowers are similar or different, we still be certain that each word of the Lord Buddha is a rare and wonderful petal of the “Sorrowless flower” that penetrates deeply into our heart. As a matter of fact, the Buddha once said: “Just as the ocean, although vast, is of one taste, the taste of salt, so as my teaching, although many-faceted and vast as the ocean, is of one taste, the taste of worrilessness of Nirvana.” Nirvana in Buddhism is not a place to come, it is a condition of total cessation of changes, of perfect rest, of the absence of desire, illusion and sorrow, as well as a state of the total obliteration of everything that constitutes a physical man, and a state of no more rebirth.

The purpose of this small book is to highlight all the petals of the “Sorrowless Flowers” that the Buddha handed down more than twenty-five centuries ago. These petals of the “Sorrowless Flowers” of the Buddha will have great effect in our life, if we really want to listen to Him and do accordingly. In fact, if we really want to listen to Him and do accordingly, then these petals of the “Sorrowless Flowers”, which the Buddha handed down to us, will help us release from all sorrows, as well as bondages, superstitious practices and all other sufferings and afflictions in this world. These petals of the “Sorrowless Flowers” in this book will help us see the core ideas of a sorrowless life that any Buddhist would like to adopt in his life. These petals of the “Sorrowless Flowers” were the embodiment of the virtues of the Buddha. During the forty-five years of teaching, the Buddha translated all His words into action and caused the blooming of the forest of the “Sorrowless Flowers” for the next many generations. Certainly, everyone already experienced being worried and miserable. If so, let us read this book together for its theme is dedicated to those who worry themselves unduly, even until the time of approaching death. Worries and miseries are two disasters that go hand in hand at all times. If you feel worried, you are miserable. If we really would like to cultivate exactly the way that the Buddha cultivated almost 26 centuries ago, we hope that this little book can help us all hear the whispers of Sakyamuni Buddha telling us to renounce the worldly life but, not to run away from life, but to face it with mindfulness. Renouncing the worldly life means renouncing mindless and careless actions that lead to problems. Renouncing the worldly life means renouncing its noise, its stresses and strains which damage our nervous system and lead to hundreds of thousands of physical and mental illnesses. Renouncing the worldly life does not mean that we renounce our life. It means that we are making an inward journey in the worldly life. Only that we are able to see ourselves as we really are, and then we can learn to overcome the weaknesses and limitations to build a stronger life. A lot of us have been searching for solutions to our various problems in vain because of our wrong approach and method. We think all problems can be solved externally but, that is wrong. Most problems are internal and can only be solved when we try to make an inward trip to examine ourselves first.

This book is only designed to show readers some of the petals of the “Sorrowless Flowers” for any Buddhists who want to have worry free life, especially lay people. Remember that the Buddha was a real human being, not a myth. He gave a message on a sorrowless and liberated life to mankind in the world. Everyone should respectfully keep these “Sorrowless Flowers” handed down by the Buddha, for they are the results of His Great Wisdom. The nature of enlightenment of the “Sorrowless Flowers” will help us see clearly the roots of all sins, causing ignorance and thus, we can eliminate what needs be eliminated. According to the Buddha, all the worries, miseries, afflictions, discontents and disappoinments in life are caused by the three poisons of desire, anger, and ignorance. His eternal message has thrilled people through the ages. For Buddhists, His message has become petals of the “Sorrowless Flowers”, which are more needed for a sorrowful, suffering and afflictive society today. In fact, not only Buddhists, the whole world today turns more and more towards these “Sorrowless Flowers” handed down to us from the Buddha, because these flowers alone represent the conscience of humanity. We hope that this little book can provide us with the essence of Buddhist thoughts. More than two thousand five hundred years passed by, but these “Sorrowless Flowers” of the Buddha never wither; on the contrary, they have only added to the vitality of the Truth that He once lectured. These “Sorrowless Flowers” clearly represent the Great Teacher’s teachings and, continue to blossom in a world full of worries, miseries, afflictions and darkness in the same manner as a garden of flowers in the spring brings the vitality to all human kind.

People can examine the Buddha-dharma with whatever suits them. Someone compares the Buddha-dharma with a bridge well built of flexible steel that is never destroyed by time; others compare His teachings as a radiance that goes through a world of suffering and darkness. For this book, we respectfully consider the Buddha’s Teachings as the “Sorrowless Flowers” that have the ability to eliminate all sufferings and afflictions for all human beings. The Buddha was born in Lumbini Park, under An Ashoka Tree. During His life, he had tried His best to bring these “Sorrowless Flowers” to all human beings. These “Sorrowless Flowers” show us His teachings are quite opposed to the sorrowfull and gloomy attitude and, is misunderstood by some people. For these reason, the “Sorrowless Flowers” of the Buddha will last as long as the sun, the moon and beings still exist upon the earth. If we are willing to follow these “Sorrowless Flowers”, that is willing to live and to follow teachings of the Dharma, surely escape worries, misery as well as sufferings and afflictions. And, we will be able to dwell our minds in an eternal nirvana. Like it or not, this very moment is all we really have to work with. Unfortunately, most of us always forget what we are in. We hope that we are able to bring these “Sorrowless Flowers” to our daily activities and are able to live our very moment connected to ourselves, as well as are able to accept the truth of this moment in our life. So, we can learn from it and move on in our real life.

Anaheim, August 3, 2011
Thiện Phúc

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