Ficus racemosa
Udumbara (Sanskrit) refers to both the name of a blue lotus (nila udumbara) and a flower from the ficus glomerata tree in Buddhist mythology.
According to legend, the udumbara flower blooms once every 3,000 years.[1] Thich Nhat Hanh places the legend in the context of enlightenment:
To see a fully awakened person, a Buddha, is so rare that it is like seeing an udumbara flower. In the Tu Hieu Monstery in Hue, there is a scroll which says: "The udumbara flower, although fallen from the stem, is still fragrant." Just as the fragrance of the udumbara flower cannot be destroyed, our capacity for enlightenment is always present. The Buddha taught that everyone is a Buddha, everyone is an udumbara flower.[1]
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References
- ^ a b Hanh, Thich Nhat (1990). Present Moment, Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living. Parallax Press. p. 28. ISBN 093807721X.
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