To grow orchids, first cultivate your mind; only with an ordinary mind can you grow orchids well

The Sixth Patriarch Huineng's enlightenment verse: Bodhi is originally no tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand; originally there is not a single thing, where could dust ever cling? Orchids originally grow in mountain valleys and forests; humans created orchid culture centered on petal-type theory, endowing them with profound cultural attributes and passing down countless timeless lines that use flowers to express aspirations. Although we do not possess the Buddhist root of wisdom, we can absolutely manage to maintain an ordinary mind as much as possible and let growing orchids become our own process of Zen meditation and enlightenment.

Treat the turbulence of the orchid market with calm. Everyone positions themselves as an orchid grower, everyone takes growing orchids as a means of self-cultivation, and no one wants to keep saying all day that growing orchids will make them rich. Little do they know, how many people at the beginning of growing orchids were not only doing it out of hobby but also had their eye on the economic attributes of orchids? It is just that some dare to admit it, while others do not. When the orchid market went crazy, everyone rushed in, and a large batch of people made money; when the orchid market crashed, an even larger batch of people suffered heavy losses, and some even lost their entire fortunes, so the whole society was full of curses against orchids. Everyone might as well think back: was there ever anyone holding a gun to force you to buy flowers and grow orchids? It was all voluntary, only the starting point and original intention differed. So please put down these disputes over gains and losses, and think back to your original intention in growing orchids; I believe everyone will feel much relieved. It can be said that it is not the orchids that move, nor the orchid market that moves, but our minds that move. I will not make a living by selling orchids; it is just a hobby for me. Let the orchid market surge as it may, what does it have to do with me?

Treat success and failure in growing orchids with calm. Who among orchid growers can guarantee they have never killed an orchid, that every leaf on every pot is perfectly tipped, and every root has a crystal head? So do not be too confident and complacent about your own level. Cultivating orchids is a field of learning, a mystery that every orchid lover comprehends throughout their life. Where there is success, there must be failure; growing one pot well does not mean you grow every pot well. When I post, I also pick out the ones I think are grown well to show off, and basically keep the ones not grown well hidden from others. At the same time, when you encounter failure in growing orchids, you must never see through the vanity of the world, loudly lament that growing orchids is not easy, or even abandon orchids and leave. Instead, you should make a comprehensive analysis and consideration from aspects such as your own growing environment, the source of seedlings, growing habits, and whether you have been partial to hearsay or stubbornness, and correct one problem each time you find one. When next year this problem is truly solved, and you look at your beloved orchids producing new shoots and flowers, you will find how intensely your sense of achievement and happiness arrives.

Treat exchanges with orchid friends with calm. When people number a hundred, they come in all shapes and colors; when people number a thousand, every type is present. Even the dragon's nine sons each have their own gifts, let alone this great army of orchid friends from all corners of the world, different regions, and different backgrounds. The internet is a double-edged sword: it builds a platform for orchid friends to exchange and learn, continuously adds fresh blood to the ranks of orchid lovers, and promotes the flourishing of orchid culture. But it is precisely the illusory nature of the internet that makes some remarks people usually dare not speak or say naturally pop out; it may be due to one's true nature, or it may be a momentary impulse like speaking after drinking (I have done this myself). Thus disputes over different views are unavoidable, and in the end they turn into a battlefield of spittle filled with gunpowder smoke. If everyone could understand: we are all people of common consensus who share the hobby of growing and cultivating orchids, coming together is a kind of fate, and we all maintain a kind of grace and restraint, how harmonious the forum would be. Mencius said: "There are things one does not do, and thereby one can do things." My understanding of "not doing" can be letting go, being willing to give up, and daring to yield. But if there are some scoundrels who do not love orchids at all and only care about money, stirring up trouble and sowing discord from within, then that is no longer an internal contradiction among orchid friends, but has risen to the height of major matters of principle. I believe everyone will "do something," rise up together to attack them, and only be happy once they are driven into the eighteenth level of hell.

Treat growing orchids and life with calm. In this world, above there are parents, below there are children, and in between there is a spouse and relatives and friends. I must always keep firmly in mind my social attribute: responsibility. Whether life is in primitive society, feudal society, capitalist society, socialist society, or the future communist society, this is an unchanging basic moral requirement of being human, and one must find a balance between life and growing orchids. Therefore, we may take growing orchids as a lifelong hobby and a way of self-cultivation, but by no means should we invest in orchids and speculate in orchids to the point of losing our entire fortunes. There are many such lessons; no need to say more.

Always cherish a calm and ordinary heart. Whether you are a tycoon in the orchid world or a novice like me, if you can be an ordinary person, handle ordinary matters, and speak ordinary words, then you possess a healthy mindset. Otherwise, with thoughts too heavy and without a calm mindset to view things, burdened by fame and confused by desire, you will live very tiredly. I publish orchid knowledge and pictures every day, taking you to understand orchids in depth and teaching you to grow orchids easily. If there is anything about orchids you do not understand, you can ask me at any time or leave a message below. If my knowledge has helped you, I hope you can give me a like or repost it to help more people!