A Bee

The Buddha said, "even as a bee, having taken up nectar from a flower, flies away, not harming its color and fragrance, so may a sage wander through a village".  We should be like the bee as we move through our lives.  We land on places and with people over the course of our years.  As we do, and if we live the Dharma, we should not disturb the color or fragrance of those people or places.  We should do what we can in a compassionate, loving, and kind way to enhance their color and fragrance.  It is not for us to change them, but rather to accept them for and as they are.  Let our practice include an act each day that honors someone near to us, to enhance their life, its color and fragrance.  In so doing, the merit in our life increases and both of our suffering diminishes.