MIRACULOUS FLOWER OF UDUMBARA

We would like to relate one more story that people do not understand and consider it as MIRACLE:

People talk about UDUMBARA flower12 to refer to the state without sorrow, it is people’s skillful imagination of a Buddha born under the UDUMBARA tree i.e. a Saint without sorrow.

For many generations, people have imagined a HEAD OF RELIGION and then fabricated UDUMBARA flower to praise the Sakyamuni Buddha as a Saint from Tusita Heaven reincarnated into this world, and hence the phenomena of UDUMBARA flowers blossoming.

At present in Vietnam, people grow many UDUMBARA trees which continuously blossom in all seasons. As such, it shows that people have skillfully praised the Buddha but their praise turns out to be lies to deceive people. Therefore in this life, you should never listen to what people say, instead carefully observe their deeds before you decide to believe.

When people see UDUMBARA flowers at the temples for worshipping the Buddha and the king Tran Nhan Tong in Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam blossom in all seasons, they say Vietnamese Buddhism flourishes.

Let’s read one part of the praise of Vietnamese Buddhism by Ngo Van Quan: “The Buddha was born, the energy of His pure mind has made UDUMBARA flowers blossom. Buddhism was transmitted to Vietnam with support of the Buddha, the Patriarchs, the Holy men, the enlightened ones of the nation, whose energy of pure mind has made the country and people of Vietnam sublimate. Maybe it is also thanks to the Buddhist minds of the members of the Centre nationwide to take an oath and be determined in applying Buddha’s teachings into life, thus help people sublimate in their spirit, ardently build the country. This very mind of compassion has made this type of flower continuously blossom.” Is such praise true?

Is Buddhism of Vietnam developing or declining? If we are not wrong, Buddhism of Vietnam is being perplexed before two paths and does not know which path to take: the Southern school (Theravada) and the Northern school (Mahayana). Theravada suppresses the mind while Mahayana is superstitious. And the original path of Buddhism to master life, aging, sickness and death could not be found for practice.

And whether UDUMBARA flowers blossom or not has nothing to do with the heart/mind of people. If, as people said, it were thanks to UDUMBARA flowers blossoming, so why did the Buddha need to practice? Six years of extreme austerities made his body moribund, if it weren’t for the bowl of milk of a tending cow child, could he attain full enlightenment?

 In the limitless hardship of practice, particularly when having not known the practicing method, he had to seek method like the blind using stick to feel their way. Therefore the Buddha had to bravely take an oath: “If I do not attain full enlightenment, I swear despite the bones being broken, I will not leave this tree”. And so whether UDUMBARA flowers blossom or not has nothing to do with the practice of the Buddha.

As such, people in this world often make such fabrication and absurd praise, however others accept and blindly believe, they don’t even know they are in craziness of imagination

12 [translator] means “without sorrow” flower.