Whom do you want to be?

Only one lotus braved the blast of winter and bloomed in the garden of Sudas the gardener. He took it to sell to the King. A traveller said to him on the way, “I will buy this untimely flower, and take it to my master Buddha. Ask your price." The gardener asked one golden masha, and the traveller readily agreed. Just then the King came there. "I must take that lotus to Lord Buddha," he said to the gardener. "What is your price?"

The gardener claimed two golden mashas. The King was ready to buy it. The traveller doubled the price and the King’s offer ran still higher. The gardener thought in his greed he could get much more from the man for whom they were eagerly bidding.

He hastened with his flower to the grove where Buddha sat silent. Love shone in his eyes, on his lips was wisdom beyond words. Sudas gazed at him, and stood still. Suddenly he fell on his knees, placing the lotus at Buddha’s feet. Buddha smiled and asked, "What is your prayer, my son?” "Nothing, my lord,” Sudas answered “only a speck of the dust off your feet.'

*****

That’s how Gurudev Tagore ends the story and my wandering in the story begins. For me, it’s not the story of devotion, not the story of greed, nor the story of wisdom; it’s about finding out who I am in the story and who I should be? We remain just the reader’s of some stories, but we want to become the characters in some other. The real confusion and contemplation start there.

Should we become the gardener? One who is the owner of the lotus? He did what other gardeners might also have done. Owning a garden and watering plants every day. He did not do any extra effort. But he understood how precious the flower is, he knew how to handle it in the best way, he knew where he would get the best value for it. In the end, he realized what’s the actual best value he can get. Should we become the gardener?

Should we become the Lotus which is the root point for the entire story? It stood different from other flowers. It dared to bloom against all the odds of the season when all the other buds were sleeping, unwilling to blossom being in their comfort zone. It showed that one who dare to risk, dare to question and overcome the odds gets great value. Should we become the Lotus?

Should we become the traveller? He was the one who was ready to pay a price higher than the King to devote the Lotus to his Master Buddha. He had a sense of devotion and gratefulness towards Buddha and wanted to express it by offering a rare flower without caring about the higher price he had decided to pay. He was the one who dared to compete even with a King to show his devotion towards his master. Should we become the traveller?

Should we become the King? He is the one, who, being the head of the kingdom, did not exercise his power to snatch the flower, but instead, bid for the flower fairly with the gardener. He too, like the gardener was devoted towards and grateful to Lord Buddha and wanted to express that by offering this rare flower. Should we become the King?

Should we become the golden masha? That is the money that tried to buy the effort of the flower in blooming against all odds. That is the money that tried to buy the smartness of the gardener. That is the money that made the traveller and the king think that the devotion can be expressed with something that can be bought by it. Should we become the golden masha?

Finally, should we become Buddha? One who had seen and undergone the pain and effort of the lotus, one who had seen the greed of many such gardeners, one who had experienced the devotion of thousands of such travellers and kings, one who had dropped millions of such golden mashas and one who had come to the grove, away from everyone, beyond everyone and one who answered all of these with just a smile and shine in his eyes. Should we become Buddha?

Maybe you should remain you. Maybe you should remain a question without even seeking an answer.