(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of September 22, 2007, a Shanxi television station broadcast a news story headlined, "Udumbara Flowers Blossoming." In the broadcast, they presented live footage of the tiny flowers blossoming on the glass pane of a window with curious onlookers struggling to have a glance. The story about the blossoming of the Udumbara flowers was first mentioned as early as 2006, in Falun Gong truth clarification materials. For this news to be publicly broadcast by a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) news agency is unprecedented. Whatever the reason, this news report is good news - especially for those who have been brainwashed by the atheist Chinese Communist regime.
Because I felt this story was something good for Dafa, I made sure to mention this news to everyone I met. My wife would always try to dampen my enthusiasm, saying, "Even if we recognized that the Udumbara flowers did indeed bloom, so what? How does it relate to you?"
Yes, the Udumbara flowers really did bloom, but how does it relate to me?
The truth is, while the blossoming of Udumbara flowers is an irrefutable fact, it actually draws out the question which makes one pause and ponder. Just as it was mentioned in the news program, the legendary Udumbara flowers were described in the Buddhist scriptures as only blossoming every three thousand years. For several decades, cultivation of Buddhahood in China has been continuously propagandized by the Chinese Communist Party as idealistic and superstitious. Under the CCP propaganda, labeling things as "superstitious" and "idealistic" are ways to suppress people's faith and spiritual beliefs and to promote atheism.
According to what we have seen of the Chinese Communist Party, nothing can be openly publicized if the CCP does not approve of it. However, they have tacitly approved of the Udumbara flower story, as well as acknowledged the fact that "the flowers were the legendary Udumbara flowers as described in the Buddhist scriptures." In this broadcast, these situations, which are normally propagandized by the Chinese Communist Party as fictitious and superstitious, were actually shown as concrete facts. Since these flowers blossom only once every three thousand years, it is no wonder that our human society has never seen them before and even labeled them as a myth. However, with the evidence right before us, we can honestly say that they truly do exist. The CCP has actually incorporated the Buddhist classic literature's explanation into its news report. They have confirmed the fact that the flowers are real and are blossoming right here and now in China.
One wonders, why didn't the flowers bloom earlier or later in our history? Why did the flowers bloom at this critical time?
I am a true believer in Buddhas. For this reason I say to people that the existence of Buddhas is real! The blossoming of the Udumbara flowers confirms to us that what Buddha Sakyamuni said was true, the evidence of which can be found in the Buddhist scriptures.
According to the Buddhist scriptures, "Udumbara flowers blossom once every three thousand years, if a Tathagata or King of the Golden Wheel appears in the human world; this flower will manifest due to their great virtue and mighty blessings they bring to the human world." Since this quote is not taken word for word from the scriptures, please kindly excuse any inaccuracy. It does, however give an understanding of the vast profoundness and the immeasurable beauty and wonder of the Udumbara flowers.
Since we acknowledge the fact that the Udumbara flowers have blossomed, we must also acknowledge the fact that the Buddhist scriptures' recording was accurate and real. So that must also mean that Buddha's prophecy about the King of the Golden Wheel, the teachings of karmic retribution and reincarnation are also all real. It is also said that the blossoming period is the time when the King of the Golden Wheel descends to the world to provide salvation to all sentient beings. Who is this Great King of the Golden Wheel? Regarding his coming to this world to rectify the cosmos and to provide salvation to all sentient beings--what does all this mean and how does it all relate to us? What method is the King of the Golden Wheel using to rectify the cosmos and provide salvation to mankind? During this time, wouldn't the teachings of the King of the Golden Wheel manifest as well? Who is the great King of the Golden Law Wheel? Who is teaching the practice of Falun Dafa--the Great Law of the Law Wheel?
What about all those who have interfered with the King of the Golden Wheel in rectifying the cosmos and saving the sentient beings, as well as those who have persecuted the disciples of the King of the Golden Wheel--where will their souls go?
From these thoughts, we cannot say that the blossoming of the Udumbara flower has no relevance to us. I urge all of us, all people, to clear our minds and calmly and rationally think about all this and ask ourselves one more time, "What does the blossoming of the Udumbara flower tell us?"