5. CONTEMPLATING THE LOTUS BLOSSOM WITH A DISTANCE OF REVERENCE

The ancients often compared the pure monastic community to enjoying the fragrance of a lotus blooming in the middle of a deep lake. To fully behold its pristine beauty and sense the gentle, liberating scent of the lotus, we always need just the right distance. If out of excessive fondness, we draw too close, striving to grasp, pluck, or possess it, we not only inadvertently harm the natural, lofty elegance of the lotus, but our own hands are also easily stained by the worldly mud.

Just like Quach Thoai’s peony, no matter how beautiful and miraculous, the poet still chose to stand outside the hedge to “bow his head in deep reverence.” The word “proximity” in the Discourse on Blessings, when illuminated by the light of Right View, is precisely such a distance of reverence and mindfulness. Approaching Buddhism and the monastic community with a mindset of service without possession, of respect without attachment, the lay practitioner can maintain a pure heart to learn and transform. This is not alienation or indifference, but a profound respect, keeping the monastery always a pure realm to return to, and ensuring the monastic is always a true spiritual anchor amidst the shifting tides of life.

The crude words written here, like a tiny stream of thought arising from a heart that wishes to support the Dhamma, hope to be shared with fellow practitioners on the path of seeking enlightenment. Recognizing the boundaries of proximity is the very first step for us to cast off the narrow garment of distorted language, returning the original value to the teachings of the Blessed One. When every temple-goer is aware of their duty of self-cultivation, knows to take the True Dhamma as their teacher, and supports the Triple Gem with a mind free from the pursuit of fame, that is when the lotus of blessing truly blooms within consciousness, contributing to keeping the lamp of Zen forever bright for generations to come./.