One day, after a session of meditation, the Buddha silently held up a single flower before the monks gathered around him.
Many of the monks pondered deeply, asking themselves, “Why did the Buddha raise this flower?”, trying hard to grasp its meaning.
However, the Buddha’s foremost disciple, Sariputta, simply smiled.
The Buddha then spoke:
“Only Sariputta has truly ‘seen’ this flower without any attachments.”
This story embodies the essence of SONOMAMA—the practice of “as-it-is-ness”—and teaches us the importance of “seeing things just as they are.”
In our daily lives, we often encounter things and immediately rush to interpret or assign meaning to them.
While this is a natural function of the mind, it can often create a layer of separation, pulling us away from the simplicity of truth and leading to attachment or confusion.
The Buddha’s simple yet profound act of raising the flower invites us to pause and awaken to the value of looking beyond thought.
When we release the need to analyze or interpret, and instead meet each moment as it arises, we uncover a clarity and truth that lies beneath our mental noise.
A Question
Our minds are endlessly occupied, seeking meaning and interpretation.
How often, in your daily life, can you simply allow things to be SONOMAMA—as they are?
In those rare moments, the flower is just a flower. Everything is revealed in its pure state, untouched by thought or judgment.
It is here, in this unadorned presence, that true clarity begins to emerge.
What might you discover if you practiced meeting life this way?

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