The Eternal Bond of a Flower and a Blade of Grass

Teachings from Namo Amituofo, recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

On the fourteenth of July, two thousand and twenty-three, Namo Amituofo offered these profound teachings regarding the nature of existence and the depth of karmic connection.

The Fragile Beauty of Devotion

A single blade of grass and a delicate flower may appear insignificant to the casual observer. They seem to be mere trifles of the natural world, yet their story is one that touches the heart with a profound and sorrowful beauty. In a past life, this blade of grass was once a human being—a young man from a wealthy and noble family. He was a kind-hearted and virtuous youth, well-regarded by all who knew him for his integrity and respect for others.

This young man fell deeply in love with a woman from a humble, impoverished background. Despite her lack of material wealth, she possessed a heart of immense compassion. She dedicated her life to serving those whom society had forgotten, particularly the elderly. She would cook for them, clean their living spaces, and maintain their environments with such care that she earned their deepest gratitude and affection. Their love was pure and sincere, yet it faced the harsh reality of social expectation. Because of the opposition from the young man's parents, they were never able to marry. They chose to live their lives in solitude, remaining unmarried and continuing their path of helping others and performing acts of goodness.

A Vigil Across Seven Centuries

When the woman eventually passed away due to illness, her spirit did not wander into the darkness of the six realms of existence. Instead, she found refuge within a small flower placed in a vase on the young man's writing desk. She became a flower spirit, existing solely to be near him, offering him comfort and easing the heavy burden of his longing. Even after the flower withered, her spirit remained by the desk. Whenever the man looked at the flowers, he would feel a strange sense of peace, often smiling to himself without knowing why. This connection helped him endure his sorrow and loneliness.

As time passed and new flowers were placed in the vase, her spirit would always inhabit the most beautiful bloom. This cycle continued, day after day, year after year. When the man reached the end of his life, he finally perceived the truth. He realised that for all those years, there had always been one flower that refused to fade, and it was because the woman's spirit resided within it. With a final, knowing smile, he passed away. He was willing to be reborn as a blade of grass growing beside that very flower, becoming a grass spirit so that they could remain together forever. In this way, they spent over seven hundred years in companionship.

The Golden Light of Deliverance

Because they had both cultivated goodness and performed acts of charity during their human lives, they were spared the harshness of the elements that wild plants must endure. They were protected, living as cherished flowers and grass within the safety of a vase. One day, the vase was moved to a sunlit window to allow the plants to thrive. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light descended from the heavens, bathing the flower and the grass in its warmth. The air was filled with the continuous, resonant sound of the Holy Name, "Namo Amituofo."

This sacred sound awakened the flower spirit and the grass spirit from their long slumber within the space of their existence. In an instant, they were restored to their human forms. Before them stood Namo Amituofo, radiant in the Buddha-light, and in that moment, they were granted the vision to see their past lives. They realised that they were originally beings from the Western Pure Land who had descended to the world with a vow to save suffering beings. However, after arriving, they had become lost in the Five Desires, the Six Dusts, and the entanglements of human emotion. They had fallen into the cycle of reincarnation, eventually becoming the flower and grass spirits we have described.

Awakening to Our True Origin

Upon seeing the Buddha, they were like those waking from a long, deep dream. They knelt before Namo Amituofo, weeping in repentance for their delusion and ignorance. They had suffered through the six realms of existence, losing their precious human bodies and forgetting the compassionate vow they had once made to save all beings and lead them to the Western Pure Land. They had been blinded by emotion and desire, wandering far from their true nature.

Practitioner Su, who had been their master when they were fellow disciples in a past life, now appeared through his Dharma Body. Through his vow to save the world and his diligent practice, he had moved Amitabha to accompany him, radiating light to perform Chao Du and lead immeasurable and boundless beings out of suffering. The flower spirit and the grass spirit were among the countless beings saved by this magnificent grace.

The Call to Diligent Practice

My children, this story may well be a reflection of our own journeys. Perhaps such a story has already unfolded between us in the past. Today, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must cherish this rare opportunity to be saved! Ask yourselves: do you wish to remain as one of the many beings in this space waiting to be rescued? Or will you seize this magnificent Dharma affinity, working hard at your diligent practice to become like Practitioner Su—someone capable of saving the beings with whom you share a karmic connection?

The path is clear. By following the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, you can rediscover your original nature and fulfil your wish to reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Do not let this moment pass in vain.

Namo Amituofo