By sister initiate Chen Hsing-yin
from Taipei, Taiwan

"Greenie" is my name for a pot of African violets that I have grown for two years, during which time the plant has taught me a valuable lesson.

In my office, my colleagues and I have many potted African violets. Greenie was among my first batch. It belongs to the family of small African violets. But from the beginning, it outgrew the others and was tall, large, and leafy. Its flourishing, thick, hairy leaves resemble a lovely, fluffy puppy. My colleagues like to touch its leaves when they pass by. Greenie is my treasure and pride.

Because its leaves have always been very thick and healthy, I let it grow freely. Sometimes, I can sense my subtle relations with the plant. When I have practiced very well or come back from a retreat, I find that new buds and leaves keep sprouting from Greenie without much watering and fertilizing. However, when I have felt sick or dispirited, it also looks droopy. Because of this, I have always felt a special preference for Greenie compared to my other plants. But it was not until recently that I realized Greenie had become so big that its stem was starting to bend towards one side. I knew it was time to trim its leaves.

An African violet should have its leaves evenly distributed around the stem for it to grow straight and beautifully. So, I started to cut its leaves one by one. To my surprise, I had to cut off four-fifths of its leaves in order to maintain the balanced growth of the plant. To me, Greenie was just like a child of mine. My heart ached at having to cut it relentlessly in this way. But to let it grow healthily afterwards, I dug it up from its soil, removed the excess parts, and placed its now tiny body in water, waiting for new roots to grow before putting it back into the soil.

Greenie is like a mirror for me. When I revel in others' compliments and superficial richness, I seldom sincerely examine myself. Greenie's apparently flourishing but unbalanced leaves reminded me that I had confined myself to biases and was satisfied with selected achievements but ignored overall balanced development. A leaf may grow green and firm. But if all such leaves concentrate on one side of the stem, they become redundant and adversely affect the growth of the plant. Similarly, a single concept may appear right and harmless. But whether it is truly beneficial to the whole requires earnest consideration before a conclusion can be reached.

My experiences with Greenie have helped me realize that the road Home is like a tightrope in the air. We must make each step carefully on this delicate and dangerous path. Those longing to go Home must vigilantly remind themselves to maintain balance in order to arrive safely at their destination.