Weekly Inspirational Moral Story
The Wealthy Land Owner’s Flowers
Once upon a time there lived a wealthy land owner who had a passion for flowers, he was extremely fond of the chrysanthemums flowers and had the whole of his land planted with this wonderful things, he would spend a great amount of time and effort to cultivate and care for them.
In fact, our wealthy land owner paid more attention to the care of his chrysanthemums than he did to his wife and children, Many times his wife and children had been scolded and punished for accidentally breaking off one of the flowering blooms. This created a tense and unhappy household where everyone felt miserable.
On one particular morning when his children were playing as usual, a football accidentally broke more than one flower and our wealthy land owner became furiously enraged. He ordered his child into solitary confinement for a month.
The child became so upset and angry at his father for being so unreasonable that he decided to commit suicide as a punishment to his father.
This tragic news soon spread far and wide and came to a little village where it fell upon the ears of an enlightened Monk. Immediately the monk decided that he should help the wealthy land owner and his son.
Not content with a temporary measure, our Monk had resolved to effect a permanent solution to the landlord and his flowers. One rainy night when the chrysanthemums were in their full bloom, our Monk sneaked into the wealthy land owners garden with a sickle and cut down every single chrysanthemum.
Hearing a strange sound coming from outside the wealthy land owner looked out and saw someone destroying all his flowers. He instantly rushed outside to confront the flower assailant, wielding his sword, he demanded to know what the Monk was doing.
The Monk turned and calmly replied, “Even beautiful flowers become like weeds, eventually they become rank, if they are not cut”
“These flowers have become like weeds in your mind, your very passion for these flowers has blinded you to the truth around you”
Instantly the wealthy land owner realised how wrong he had been. He could see how his passion for his flowers had become all consuming and he could see the destruction it was causing to the life around him, It was like awakening from a dream.
From that time onward, he vowed to follow the Monk’s advice and bring peace to his mind, he was determined never to loose sight or be blinded by his desires to a point where he forgot the true importance of life.
Author: Dhamma Tāpasā
Moral of the story
We all sometimes find we loose sight of what is truly important, our Fears our desires our dreams can become all consuming if we are not carful, while this is fine and healthy in some cases, don’t become like the wealthy land owner and forsake that which is around you.