誰能擇地 棄冥取明 如工採花 誰能知道 多採衆花 專意不散 命盡之後 如水入海 如蜂採花 不娆色香 但取味去 仁入聚然
shuí néng zé dì qì míng qǔ míng rú gōng cǎi huā shuí néng zhī dào duō cǎi zhòng huā zhuān yì bù sàn mìng jìn zhī hòu rú shuǐ rù hǎi rú fēng cǎi huā bù ráo sè xiāng dàn qǔ wèi qù rén rù jù rán
Key Message
As the bee takes nectar from a flower without harming its color or scent, the practitioner moves through the world without disturbing others, gathering only the essence of the Dhamma.
▸The Pupphavagga (Chapter on Flowers) uses the imagery of flower-gathering to illuminate the proper disposition of the spiritual seeker.
The Pupphavagga (Chapter on Flowers) uses the imagery of flower-gathering to illuminate the proper disposition of the spiritual seeker. Who can discern this earth rightly, leaving darkness to take up light, as a skilled craftsman selects flowers? Who can truly know the Way? One who gathers many flowers with a mind focused and undistracted will, when life is spent, return to the great ocean of truth as water flows inevitably to the sea. Most memorably, the bee that gathers nectar from a flower does so without harming its color or fragrance — it takes only what is essential and moves on. So too should the practitioner move through the world: gathering the essence of the Dhamma without disturbing the lives of others.