{"id":4031,"date":"2013-07-13T01:52:58","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4031"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:52:58","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:58","slug":"45-the-flowere-vol-03-questions-and-answers-volume-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/03-questions-and-answers-volume-03\/45-the-flowere-vol-03-questions-and-answers-volume-03","title":{"rendered":"-45_The Flowere.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\nThe Flowers <\/font> <\/span><\/i>
\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n


\n <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Who
\nwill conquer this world of illusion and the kingdom of Yama<\/span>\u00b9<\/span>and
\nthe world of the gods? Who will discover the path of the Law as the skilled
\ngardener discovers the rarest of flowers? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The
\ndisciple on the right path will conquer this world of illusion and the kingdom
\nof Yama and the world of the gods. He will discover the path of the Law as the
\nskilled gardener discovers the rarest of flowers. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Knowing
\nhis body to be as impermanent as foam and as illusory as a mirage, the disciple
\non the right path will shatter the flowery arrow of Mara and will rise beyond
\nthe reach of the King of Death. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Death
\ncarries away the man who seeks only the flowers of sensual pleasure just as
\ntorrential floods carry away a sleeping village. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Death,
\nthe destroyer, overcomes the man who seeks only the flowers of sensual pleasure
\nbefore he can satisfy himself. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The
\nsage should go from door to door in his village, as the bee gathers honey from
\nthe flowers without bringing harm to their colours or their fragrance. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Do
\nnot criticise others for what they do or have not done, but be aware of what,
\nyourself, you do or have not done.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\u00b9<\/font><\/span> <\/font> <\/span>The God of Death.<\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 213<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/i><\/div>\n

Just
\nas a beautiful flower which is radiant yet lacks fragrance, so are the
\nbeautiful words of one who does not act accordingly. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Just
\nas a beautiful flower which is both radiant and sweetly scented, so are the
\nbeautiful words of one who acts accordingly. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Just
\nas many garlands can be made from a heap of flowers, so a mortal can accumulate
\nmuch merit by good deeds.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The
\nfragrance of flowers, even that of sandalwood or of incense, even that of
\njasmine, cannot go against the wind; but the sweet fragrance of intelligence
\ngoes against the wind. All around the man of intelligence spreads the fragrance
\nof his virtue. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

No
\nfragrance, not even that of sandalwood or incense, nor of the lotus nor of
\njasmine, can be compared with the fragrance of intelligence. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Weak
\nis the fragrance of incense or sandalwood compared to that of a virtuous man
\nwhich reaches up to the highest of divinities. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Mara
\ncannot discover the way that those beings follow who lead a life of perfect
\npurity and who are liberated by their total knowledge. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As
\nthe beautiful scented lily rises by the wayside, even so the disciple of the
\nPerfectly Enlightened One,<\/span>\u00b9<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 <\/span>radiant with intelligence, rises from the
\nblind and ignorant multitude.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\u00b9<\/font><\/span> The Buddha.<\/font> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 214<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/i><\/div>\n

There are some very wise recommendations here, for example, not to
\nconcern oneself with what others do nor with the mistakes they make, but to
\nattend to one’s own faults and negligences and rectify them. Another wise
\ncounsel is never to utter too many eloquent words which are not effectuated in
\naction \u2013 speak little, act well. Beautiful words, they say, that are mere
\nwords, are like flowers without fragrance. <\/span><\/p>\n

And finally, lest you get discouraged by
\nyour own faults, the Dhammapada gives you this solacing image: the purest lily
\ncan spring out of a heap of rubbish by the wayside. That is to say, there is
\nnothing so rotten that it cannot give birth to the purest realisation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever may be the past, whatever may be
\nthe faults committed, whatever the ignorance in which one might have lived, one
\ncarries deep within oneself the supreme purity which can translate itself into
\na wonderful realisation. <\/span><\/p>\n

The whole point is to think of that, to
\nconcentrate on that and not to be concerned with all the difficulties and
\nobstacles and hindrances. <\/span><\/p>\n

`Concentrate exclusively on what you want
\nto be, forget as entirely as possible what you do not want to be.  <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>7 March 1958<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 215<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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