Tending the Lotus

By Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew

Vietnamese Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh told this story in his book The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching:

When a young man wanted to learn how to paint lotus flowers, he approached a master for instruction. The master led him to a lotus pond, inviting him to sit. The young man saw flowers bloom when the sun was high, and he watched them return to buds when night fell. The next morning, he did the same. When one lotus flower wilted, its petals falli...