Taoism/Parables of Huang

Parables of Huang

Parable on Golden Flower, River of Love, and Immortal Gardener

Many legends are stacked about the secret of the Heart Flower. Some legends call it the Flower of Life, some speak of it as the Golden Flower, others claim that it is the Flower of Immortality. All these names are not accidental: they reflect the blessed fragrance of this flower and reveal the veil of secrecy surrounding it…

… One man once lived in a small valley, hidden in the mountains. He lived lightly! Many called him a saint, others — a monk, others — an Enlightened One.

But he did not say any such thing about himself and did not even think this way.

He sometimes called himself a gardener. Although… he did not have a garden. He cultivated only one single flower — the Golden Flower of the Spiritual Heart, which gives Immortality.

That man lived — simply. He lived — and rejoiced in being, which he was contemplating! He was friends with the mountains in which he lived, with the winds that swept over his small valley, with herbs and flowers that blossomed there in spring and adorned his abode all summer. He was friends with the stars that smiled at night, and with the sun that shone during the day. He was friends even with the clouds and snows that sheltered his rest in late autumn and cold winter.

Sometimes animals came to him or birds arrived — they, too, were his friends. Or people came, who needed help and healing. And he helped everyone, never refusing anyone.

For a long time that man lived. And then, when he grew his flower and the time came, he departed to other Immortals and became the Gardener, Who sows seeds and grows sprouts, from which new Golden Flowers appear.

And he had retained for people the memory of his Golden Flower, which gives Immortality, and the Source of the River of Love, which flows and nourishes growing Flowers.

… The secret of the Golden Flower was attractive to people. They went up to the mountains to find the Flower of Immortality. They found there different flowers, ruthlessly tore them up, made from them powders and infusions, decoctions and ointments… But these potions did not make anyone an Immortal…

Others believed that the magic force lurks in the roots. And they dug up roots and in vain destroyed these tender creatures…

So no one could find the Golden Flower… Its secret remained unsolved…

… But one day the young man had come to that place, whose beloved was seriously ill. He was told that she was dying. But one healer said that she could get better if he would give her the Flower of Life.

The young man went to the mountains and there had found a beautiful flower. So tender was its corolla that the young man had decided that this is the very Flower of Life! He knelt down before the flower on his knees…, but he could not break it: compassion for life did not allow him to destroy this beauty!… The young man dropped his hands and whispered: “Forgive!” And it was unclear whether he was addressing his beloved, or the flower…

At that moment, the Voice sounded: “Man, who respects life, is worthy of help!”

The voice belonged to the Divine Gardener. Like all Immortals, He could appear at any time and in any place.

He Himself fully consisted of Light and Calm. The Bliss originated from His every movement and word.

“I’m glad that you spared this flower!” — He said.

“The girl, whom I love, dies…” — the young man whispered, barely audibly.

“They told you to give her the Flower of Life. But the Flower of Life cannot be torn down and carried! It can only be grown from one’s own heartfelt love, nourished by the River of Love!”

“But my beloved is dying right now… And I will not be able to help her…” — the young man answered.

"Do not grieve, I will help you. Over there — is the source of the River of Love. And there — the clean brook flows. Put water in your palms and say from the spiritual heart to this water: “I love you!” Then pour on this flower and say to it: “I love you!” After a while, dewdrops will appear on the petals. Collect the dewdrops from the flower — this will be enough to heal your beloved! And while you wait for the appearance of dewdrops on the petals, enter the River of Love — and try to understand the Laws of Love, according to which man can live happily on the Earth!”

The Gardener explained to the young man how to immerse himself in the Flow of Living Light of the River of Love — and disappeared.

The young man stayed for a long time in that Flow and listened to the Living River, the singing streams which told about the mysteries of being — that is, about the Laws of Tao.

And he understood how love transforms human life!

But one who does not have the love of the heart, cannot enter the River of Love! Souls, in which the light of love does not burn, are unable to come into contact with the Flow of Living Love — and therefore they are deprived of happiness.

Those who live by giving their love away — they live and grow in the Flow of the River of Love, in which Light, Joy, Bliss are streaming! And they can be happy — only they!

And when, filled with happiness, the young man realized all this and had transformed himself — he saw transparent droplets on the petals of the flower. He carefully collected those dewdrops from the petals — and went to his beloved. She took the Gardener’s medicine — and was healed.

… They lived in peace and happiness: because in the River of Love their life flowed!

… When their son had grown up and become a young man, he decided that he should thank the Immortal Gardener for the miraculous healing of his mother: for the life given to her, which means his life too.

And he set off to find that small valley in the mountains.

He rose ever higher — and admired the beauty that opened before his gaze. The majestic mountains welcomed him with their sun-lit peaks. He was embraced by a gentle wind flying over the open air. He was presented with a fragrance of flowers decorating valleys. He walked — and the stars smiled to him at night, and the sun shone by its light on him, every day shining his way.

He had found both a small valley in the mountains where the Immortal Gardener once lived, and the Source from which the River of Love originated.

And he then thought: “How much I would like to grow myself the Flower of Life — and then tell people about the Path to true happiness!”

And then he saw the Immortal Gardener. The Gardener said: “Let your wish come true! Because you dream not only about your own personal good, but about the good of other people! I will show you how — from the Silence of Tao — the Flower of Life blossoms in the human spiritual heart! I will show you the depths, out of which its root comes! And then — you can grow your Flower and tell people about the secret of the Flower of Life — the Flower of the Heart, which grows out from Infinite Tao and blossoms in the human soul! You, too, can become a Gardener!”