Wisdom Quarterly (DN 31); Adam Cole, NPR.org
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| Bee is electrically charged harmlessly drawing pollen and sweet nectar (smart-kit.com) |
Flowers
are nature's ad men. They'll do anything to attract the
attention of the pollinators that help them reproduce.
That means
spending precious energy on bright pigments, enticing fragrances, and
dazzling patterns. Now, scientists have found another element that
contributes to flowers' brand: their distinct electric field.
Anne Leonard, who studies bees at the University of Nevada, says our
understanding of pollinator-flower communication has been expanding for
decades.
"Flowers do a lot of things you might not expect,"
Leonard says. "We observe they have these distinct bright, beautiful
colors, patterns, scents."
But we don't often stop to consider
that this incredible display is all an attempt to attract bees and other
pollinators. These displays don't just consist of things humans notice.
There are also patterns in the ultraviolet spectrum, petal temperatures
and textures and shapes. LISTEN
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| Flowers for the Buddha, Buddhist Island, Sri Lanka (Simonmonk/flickr.com) |
"I sing the body electric," and so do birds and bees. I saw the flowers come to life -- the colors, the colors!
What if all such talk referred to expanded sensitivity of the human eye or brain? There is much more light than we are generally aware of. Think of the devas.
The humble bumble bee is not bumbling. It is generating a field and attracting pollen to itself. A harmless quest for nectar keeps Nature alive. We can learn from that.
The Buddha advises householders in the Sigalovada Sutra (DN 31):
Who acquires wealth in harmless ways,
Like a bee who without harm its nectar gathers --
Riches soon mount high for such a person,
Accruing like an anthill with stunning growth.
Like a bee who without harm its nectar gathers --
Riches soon mount high for such a person,
Accruing like an anthill with stunning growth.
With riches acquired in this way,
The layperson fit for household life
In four portions divides such wealth.
Thus does one friendship win:
One portion for one’s wants one uses,
Two portions on one’s business spends
[Satisfying the past, ensuring the future].
The fourth for times of need one saves.
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