Orchids and Monk Jindai: Planting Orchids Is Not About Getting Angry

In the history of Zen, there was a well-known monk named Jindai. He had one hobby, which was growing orchids. In the monastery where he served as abbot, people could see all kinds of orchids everywhere, in a great many varieties. When pilgrims and visitors came to the temple to hear the dharma and pay homage to the Buddha, seeing the orchids covering the shelves, their subtle fragrance overflowing, serene and sweet, they could not help but praise them endlessly. Because of this, people called the orchid-loving Monk Jindai the "Orchid Monk." 

One day, Monk Jindai was invited to go outside the monastery to preach the sutras and expound the dharma. Before setting out, he called one of his disciples over and said to him, I am going to preach the dharma and will not return until dark. You must take good care of these orchids for me, and remember to water them. 

The disciple knew the monk cherished the orchids, so after he left he watched over them very carefully, and was especially cautious when watering them. Truly, the feared thing happens: the more careful he was, the more he made mistakes. In a moment of inattention, he tripped over something, and actually knocked over an orchid shelf. The whole shelf of orchids came crashing to the ground, the clay pots shattered, and the flowers and leaves were scattered. Looking at the broken flowers and muddy mess all over the ground, the young novice was terrified and did not know what to do. When the other disciples of Monk Jindai saw this, they came over to help him clean up, and said to this disciple, when the master returns at dark, just confess your mistake honestly; the master will not blame you. 

That evening, Monk Jindai returned to the monastery. The disciple reported to the master what had happened during the day. He thought that when the master learned that his beloved things had been destroyed, he would certainly be angry and enraged, so he asked the master to punish him. After hearing this, Monk Jindai only smiled calmly and said, since you did not do it on purpose, and you also know that having something destroyed is not a good thing, in the future you will naturally be more mindful in your work. Why would I blame you? I do indeed like orchids and regard them as friends. But the purpose of my growing orchids is to offer fragrant flowers to the Buddha and to beautify the monastery and the hearts of everyone, not to get angry and troubled. Worldly things are impermanent and vanish in an instant. There is nothing that is not subject to birth and destruction. How could I cling to beloved things and not know how to let go? That is not the family style of our Zen school at all! 

After hearing the monk's teaching, the disciple suddenly gained insight, became even more diligent in his practice, and in the end also achieved something in Buddhist studies. 

The Buddha said, all conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew, and also like lightning. Nothing in the world, whether we consider it beautiful or ugly, like or dislike, is free from arising and ceasing, and nothing lasts forever. Therefore one should not cling to the outer appearances of things, but should follow conditions and be at peace in the mind. This is not only the demeanor a Zen practitioner should have; even ordinary people should know to accord with the changes of things and not let external things disturb the calm of their inner world.