Dhamma Talks - The Plant Of Love And Care :: Buddhapadipa Thai Temple

Love and care are very necessary nowadays. Sometimes we overlook these good things because we think that they are not important. What we desire, and grab, is just for our own happiness. We never care for others, most of the time we cause ourselves and others suffering by accident. That is because the way we find our happiness is not based on love and care for others.

Love and care grow like young trees. They do not grow in one day; it takes time. When the tree is grown up, it gives us shade, shelter protection from the wind, the rain, the heat and so on. It is the same with love and care, they take time to grow in our mind, we have to be patient, take care of them with a kind hearted mind. It is not only the trees, planted and grown up which can give mankind happiness and coolness, love and care planted and grown up in our mind also can give happiness and peace to others, endlessly, as is illustrated by this story.

There was once a kind hearted old man, who one day went to the Public Park and planted a young apple tree. It was quite a cold day in spring. Whilst he was planting the young plant, a young man, who was taking a walk in the park, saw the old man doing this planting, the thought arose in his mind, “This old man had better stay at home, he should drink hot tea or coffee. Why does he put himself to this inconvenience? The tree he is planting might take a long time, maybe ten years to bear fruit. He might not be able to live until the tree grows and gives fruit, because he is very old now. Why does he do this?” with this thought, he approached the old man and asked him, “Hello, I would like to ask you why you are doing this … to be honest … you might die before this tree grows and gives fruit”. The old man looked at the young man with a friendly eye and answered him, “Young man, I do not do it for myself. I do it for the young generation like you. Even though I cannot eat its fruit, I am happy and delighted that people will have shade to protect them from the heat of the sun, and the rain, and can eat the fruit when it bears fruit”, and he turned to the young man and asked him, “What do you think of what I am doing now, is it good?” When the young man heard that, he was silent for a while and then answered him with the admiring word, “Excellent, let me help you”, and then he helped the old man heartily, with the hope that this tree would grow with the love and care of himself and the old man.

This story tells us that before we show love and care towards others, we have to plant them in our own mind. When love and care are planted and grown up in our mind, we can love and care for others; understanding love and then being able to care for others with a good heart. This valuable love and care will grow and bloom in our heart like it did in the young man’s mind, so that he, together with the old man, grew the tree with love and care. Is it time for us to grow love and care?