Human Flowers

Sunflowers bloom into beautiful and bright flowers as the first ray of sunlight falls on their closed bud. Bright, cheerful and soothing, they instantly give pleasure to the eyes that see this wonder.  Humans are just like flowers. Sometimes we choose to live our lives closed up in the little shell of the self. We lock ourselves in a world of our own and ignore the ‘knocks knocks’ that come by on the door to our hearts every now and then. We think that shutting out the world from us means putting an end to all the problems and worries that come as part of being in it. Yet they continue to haunt, even more perhaps. Can there be any joy in this kind of lonely existence?

President Ikeda, a prolific peace activist says “There is no true joy in a life lived closed up in the little shell of the self. When you take one step to reach out to people, when you meet with others and share their thoughts and sufferings, infinite compassion and wisdom well up within your heart. Your life is transformed.”

Have you experienced this transformation in your life? My own experience allows me to substantiate president Ikeda’s viewpoint. From a closed bud I have flowered into a happier, confident and joyful person. The reason for this? - My circle of friends has grown dramatically in the last few years. I have begun to enjoy human interaction, something I shied away from for a good part of my life. This has led to my individual growth as well.

I have learnt that it is only through our interaction with others that we can bloom to our fullest potential. Like flowers, we derive nourishment for the soul, heart, mind and body from all that is around us and fellow humans are an integral part of it. Just as the spring sunshine warms the frozen earth back to life, so vibrant dialogue fills people’s lives with fresh energy and nurtures the flowering of human potential. No matter what position or where we belong. The human heart desires soulful conversation to keep it alive. Keep the door to your heart open and allow people to walk in and help you discover things about yourself. And give to others the same joy. It is only through this two way exchange that we will be able to work towards the flowering of all of humanity.

A new beginning

I’ve been seeing her at the park for almost 2 years now. Just like the other days, we smiled at each other as our paths crossed on the newly refurbished walking track. It didn’t end there. She paused for a moment, took out the earphones carefully tucked in her ears and said something (which I cannot recall). Our conversation thereafter lasted almost an hour in which time we shared many aspects of our lives. One of the things that I brought up in our conversation was my practice of Buddhism.  She listened with keen interest and curiosity. Even so, not wanting to sound too assertive I decided to cut short my discussion on the subject.

I turned the conversation around to children and asked if she had any. To which she said that she has a teenage son, who is autistic and incidentally his name is Siddhartha. She said that with a twinkle in her eye sensing my keen interest in Buddhism. (Siddhartha was the name of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.) A day of coincidences or what I thought to myself. She continued that I must have seen him around. He usually rides the bicycle in the evening. I paused and thought for a moment – “Oh yes, offcourse I’ve seen him. He resembles you quite a bit.” I paused again and then blurted out “But he doesn’t look autistic.” almost ashamed at myself for saying that. She smiled back politely and said “You will know once you begin to talk to him. That is why he doesn’t have friends.” My heart ached to hear that. I could feel her agony and pain even though she said it in a casual manner. Silent I wondered why we were so insensitive.

I decided to resume my discussion on Buddhism at this point. I told her how she could overcome this agony and help Siddhartha live a fulfilling life through faith. She interrupted, “So what you are saying is that he will be cured if he practices Buddhism? That is almost impossible. He is born with this.” I explained patiently that while I couldn’t guarantee that he would be fully cured, what I am convinced about is that he will be able to lead a happy and fulfilling life in spite of his limitations. That he would grow into a beautiful human being and have his circle of friends. That he neither be ashamed of it because he has his own unique mission in life. She nodded in agreement and remarked “That is what is important.”  I could see her face light up; sparks of hope arise in her. And then she asked – “So what exactly do you do?” To begin with, I told her about the chant that we recite and recorded it for her in her mobile. She promised to give it a try.

This was on New Year’s eve. We asked about each others plans for the evening which didn’t turn out to be much. It was already dark by now. We sat silently for a few minutes. Siddhartha passed by on his bicycle ringing the bell to draw our attention. His mother briefly introduced us and he turned around to wave at me. I waved and smiled back at him. I had made a new friend. Silence returned and I gestured to make a move. She looked at me and said “we have met for a reason today. The past year has been very difficult for me. I hope the new year is better. I am going to start it on a fresh note.” I smiled and reassured her that it would be a good year.

As I walked back home the words ‘met for a reason’ rung loud and clear in my ears. The reason and purpose will gradually unfold in successive years but for now I pray that the New Year is a new beginning in their lives; that my little friend Siddhartha finds many friends and becomes truly happy in life. This is the prayer that I nurture in my heart and wish to be fulfilled in the coming year.