Chapter 41 Start by contemplating a mountain hibiscus(39)

A few years ago in autumn, I lived in Chuzhong in Nantou for several months. It was the season when the hibiscus was in full bloom, and there were several beautiful hibiscus trees standing outside the courtyard wall.From morning to dusk, the flowers turn from white to red, counting the scale of the day, as if the footsteps of the god of time move lightly on the petals, leaving pure white, pink, and deep red footprints. Every day, we always have to meet the mountain hibiscus several times: in the morning, the mountain hibiscus has a white and flawless face, like a fresh girl; at noon, the mountain hibiscus is bright red, full of mature charm; Red's face was wrinkled, and she was about to die.From blooming to withering, the life of each hibiscus can be seen in the eyes.

Under the Hibiscus tree, there are often people who are curious about "why are the flowers red and white". The adults look up and compare and compare; the children ride bicycles and skateboards under the tree... from the old wooden window Looking at it, even the silhouettes of people under the red and white hibiscus trees become beautiful. "This mountain hibiscus is also called a day's flower. The flowers turn from white to red within a day. You can see that these brown flowers are yesterday's flowers that have not fallen." I said.Everyone is very interested in such a special flower.

Is it true that the mountain hibiscus will turn from white to red?I took off a hibiscus and put it in the car while I was going out. I observed it along the way, and a wonderful thing happened! The mountain hibiscus that leaves the branch still insists on changing with the sunlight and time, and turns red at noon, just like the color on the treetops.Why the mountain hibiscus can still turn red from the branches is unknown; we only know that such changes are constantly changing, rather than formed immediately. Aren't many things in life constantly changing like a mountain hibiscus?Birth, dwelling, change, cessation, becoming, dwelling, decay, emptiness.It's just that we don't often observe its emergence, maintenance, variation, destruction and other phenomena, so we can't understand impermanence clearly.

Therefore, it is easy for us to cling to the impressions and feelings of a certain stage, such as "it was not good at first, how did it become like this?" Faced with the changes of phenomena and the flow of causes and conditions, we only have to observe and re-observe, so as to understand impermanence and selflessness.If the personnel and affairs are complicated, the changes are too rapid, and it is difficult to observe it objectively because of emotions; then, you might as well start by observing a flower! Learn from nature, nature will be the best teacher.That year, the mountain hibiscus told me so.

(This picture is provided by Wu Xiaodan)