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On My Chest, the White Flower Reflects Sadness...
Update: 13/08/2024
As human beings existing in this world, we are fortunate to have both a father and a mother. From the very first moment of our conception, our parents cherished every month, every day, every minute, and every second, feeling more joy than the purest happiness this world can offer when they heard our first cry, signaling our arrival into the world. On the day we were born, our parents were anxious and fearful, only truly at peace if we were born safely. Otherwise, they would have been filled with sorrow and regret. We grew up from there, cradled in the warm, loving arms of our father and nourished by our mother’s sweet and pure milk as the years passed.
From a father, we receive strength, protection, support, and compassion. Up our mother, we grow in the love of life, learning to develop a heart full of love and compassion that resonates with the world. Father instills in us logic and faith, helping us walk firmly in life, even amidst countless challenges and storms. Mother provides us with warmth and shields us from the trials of time. On stormy nights, when the winds blow fiercely, Mother stays awake, worried that we may not sleep well. On rainy days, Father anxiously frets over our health. As we grow, they send us to school, exposing us to teachers and friends, teaching us the virtues and values of life, and igniting our understanding.
Then one day, we grow mature and self-sufficient, ready to step into the whirlpool of life, chasing after fame and fortune. Little do we realize that under the familiar roof, our parents wait longingly day and night. Seasons come and go, the moon waxes and wanes, and rivers rise and fall. It is only during fleeting moments of reflection, after we stumble and fall in life, that we remember our parents with a pang of nostalgia, longing to find comfort and encouragement from them after so many years apart. The midday naps in the countryside, the sparrows singing amid the fragrant scent of ripe rice, the paths where my footsteps once left their marks, remind me of the days when my hasty departure burdened my father throughout the years of hardship. Upon returning, with my current achievements, I hope to repay even a fraction of my parents’ lifelong care. I imagine reuniting joyfully with my family after years of separation, but I know not whether my parents are still in good health or if they have returned to dust.
Mother walks slowly, as if stumbling,
Her footsteps along the path of impermanence waving
I hold to the twilight tightly
Being afraid of the evening's sun will fade into mist and fog rightly
Is Father still there, or just an illusion,
Coming to me to ease my loneliness' imagination?
I am unfilial, having yet to repay my deep debts,
Be frightened that my parents' shadows may no longer remain in this liìe' steps”
Each Ullumbana - a Buddhist holiday honoring parents - brings a deep sense of longing and sadness for children far from home, separated from their parents in their homeland. Countless wandering children reminisce about times long past, times when life was pure and innocent, like a blank page of a student’s notebook. Back then, worries and burdens were unknown. In those distant days, Mother was always by our side.
At times, we feel content and proud of the money we send to our parents. But do we truly know? Money is not everything. In this world, people often lose things that no amount of money can ever replace. Yet many still believe that material wealth can repay their parents' kindness. They fail to recognize the significance of caring for their parents’ comfort. Perhaps life's busyness and the demands of material concerns have consumed people's time and minds, causing their hearts to grow cold toward the deep familial bonds.
Those children far from home, distanced from their mother’s loving care, when Ullumbana arrives, let your heart turn toward your mother. Whisper to her the things you have yet to say or never had the chance to express. Whether she is far away or no longer in this world, your mother can still hear your thoughts. Those unspoken words of love will always be heard through the invisible sound known as "telepathy."
I bow to you, Mother and Father! Your love for me remains eternal, soaring high like Highest Mount, vast and boundless like the Pacific Ocean.
I bow to you, Mother and Father! I have been so indifferent to your immense love and care. You have devoted your entire life to me, yet I have never once thought to repay your kindness. Now, I want to give back, but I know it will never be enough. Even if I spent my entire life repaying you, how could I measure up to your boundless love? A mother’s love for her child is as deep and vast as the ocean, while a father’s care is like a mountain peak shrouded in mist.
If your parents are still with you, you still have a world of happiness. Rejoice and pin a bright red rose on your chest, a symbol of love – love for your country, love for humanity, and most of all, love for your parents. The color of the rose reminds us to remember our roots, for it is like the blood in our veins, the lifeblood that our parents have given us, the blood that brought us into the world and nurtured us. From now and for all time, may you keep that red rose bright, just as you preserve the love your parents have for you. Regard them as sacred beings and feel blessed to care for them and offer your devotion.
But if you are unfortunate and have lost your parents, quietly pin a white flower on your chest. A white rose, like the heart of remorse and regret, symbolizes the profound loss of not having cherished their love when they were still with you. Pin the white flower and offer your best wishes to them, wherever they may be.