April 28-C, 2023

It is said that 
the Buddha held up a Lotus flower
before a crowd
and said, "You can look at this flower,
and either see it,
or see it not."

Only Mahākāśyapa smiled.

Seeing is smiling. 
Is laughing.
Is rolling on the floor,
or the ground,
howling with delight and wonder,
amazement and joy.

And Jesus warned
that in the realization
of all that was missed
after death
there would be weeping
and gnashing of teeth--
not because of the sentence of hell,
but because of the unforgettable
knowledge of having lost the chance
of life.

"You can look at this flower--
at all of life--
and either see it,
or see it not."

What are we missing
about what we look at?

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