Grasping

Today I am sharing a message which I received from "Glimpse of the Day".

To contemplate impermanence on its own is not enough: You have to work with it in your life. Let’s try an experiment. Pick up a coin. Imagine that it represents the object at which you are grasping. Hold it tightly clutched in your fist and extend your arm, with the palm of your hand facing the ground. Now if you let go or relax your grip, you will lose what you are clinging to. That’s why you hold on.

But there’s another possibility: You can let go and yet keep hold of it. With your arm still outstretched, turn your hand over so that it faces the sky. Release your hand and the coin still rests on your open palm. You let go. And the coin is still yours, even with all this space around it.

So there is a way in which we can accept impermanence and still relish life, at one and the same time, without grasping.

So what is in your mind after reading this? 

What if we change the coin to dollar notes and leave them on the palm?

Would the notes stay on the palm? 

Would the wind blow them away? 

Would someone snatch them away? 

I guess I haven't got the point. 

I know it is something to ponder about. 

Perhaps you could enlighten me.

This is a baby sparrow which I did not grasp at but it rested on my palm.

It was the bird that was grasping, not me.

Is this what it means by letting go and yet holding on?

A baby sparrow has a tendency to grasp.

Lotus's Opening Hours

Three months ago, I posted photos of my very first lotus flower. At that time, I was totally caught unaware of the blooming hours. By the time I decided to take out the camera out in the afternoon, the petals were already closed. I was disappointed. I had to wait till the next day for it to bloom again. See what happens with a little procrastination.

Now that it is blooming for the second time, I am jotting down the opening hours of a Lotus Bloom for your information.

First Day

It starts to bloom at dawn.
The petals open to the maximum by around 8:30am.
It remains like this only for a few hours.

The flower petals closes almost entirely by 2pm on the same day.

Second Day

On the second day, it remains closed in the morning.
This photo was taken at noon.
It remained the same at 4pm, looking rather shy.
It closed at night.

Third Day

On the third day, the petals open up much earlier compared to the second day.
This photo was taken at 9am.
Notice the lack of freshness?
In Buddhism, flowers are used as a reminder that all things are impermanent.
They arise, mature and pass on...

The petals did not close up on the third day.
Instead, they begin to fall silently from 5pm onwards.

Fourth Day

Where have all the petals gone?
They have made way for the seed pod to develop. 

In summary, the opening hours of a Lotus Bloom are as follows:

• First Day : Morning
• Second Day : Late Afternoon
• Third Day : Morning

Timing may differ depending on which part of the world you are at.