The Four Types of Lotus – A Parable on Human Potential

🪷 ຕອນທີ: ດອກບົວສີ່ເຫຼົ່າ – ທັມມະສຳຫຼັບຜູ້ມີພື້ນຖານຕ່າງກັນ

ເມື່ອພຣະພຸດທະເຈົ້າຊົງຕັດສະຮູ້ ແລະ ເລີ່ມສະແດງທັມມະໂປດສັດ ແລະ ເລີ່ມສະແດງທັມໂປດສັດທົ່ວໂລກ ພຣະອົງຊົງພິຈາລະນາດ້ວຍພຣະຍານວ່າ ສັດໂລກນັ້ນມີພູມປັນຍາບໍ່ຊ່ຳກັນ ບາງຄົນສະຫຼາດ ບາງຄົນໂງ່ ບາງຄົນມີອິນຊີແກ່ກ້າ ບາງຄົນຍັງອ່ອນບາງ 

ພຣະອົງຈຶ່ງຕັດອຸປະມາປຽບມະນຸດທັງຫຼາຍກັບດອກບົວ 4 ເຫຼົ່າ ດັ່ງນີ້:

1. ດອກບົວພົ້ນນ້ຳ — ປຽບຄືຜູ້ມີປັນຍາແຫຼມຄົມ ພຽງໄດ້ຟັງທັມກໍ່ສາມາດເຂົ້າໃຈແລະເຂົ້າເຖິງໄດ້ຢ່າງວ່ອງໄວ 

2. ດອກບົວພົ້ນນ້ຳ —ປຽບຄືຜູ້ມີພື້ນຖານດີ ຕ້ອງຟັງທັມ ຈຶ່ງຄ່ອຍໆຊັບຊຶມ ແລະ ເຂົ້າໃຈ  

3. ດອກບົວໃຕ້ນ້ຳ — ປຽບຄືຜູ້ມີທຸລີໃນດວງຕາຈຳນວນຫຼາຍ ຕ້ອງອົບຮົມສັ່ງສອນ ສະສົມສັດທາແລະປັນຍາ ຈຶ່ງຄ່ອຍໆເຂົ້າໃຈທັມມະ 

4. ດອກບົວໃຕ້ຕົມ —ປຽບຄືຜູ້ທີ່ນຍັງມືດບອດດ້ວຍກິເລດໜາ ທິດຖິແຮງ ຍາກແກ່ການອົບຮົມໃນຊາດນີ້  

ເຖິງແມ່ນພຣະອົງຈະມີພຣະເມດຕາອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ ແຕ່ກໍ່ຊົງຮູ້ດີວ່າ ທັມມະເປັນຂອງລະອຽດອ່ອນ ບໍ່ແມ່ນທຸກຄົນຈະຮັບໄດ້ ຈຶ່ງຊົງເລືອກສະແດງທັມແກ່ຜູ້ທີ່ "ບົວພົ້ນນ້ຳ'' ແລະ “ບົວໃກ້ພົ້ນນ້ຳ” ກ່ອນ ເພື່ອໃຫ້ທັມມະຄ່ອຍໆແຜ່ຂະຫຍາຍໄປໃນໝູ່ຊົນ 

ຄະຕິທັມຄຳສອນ 

"ຈົ່ງເປັນດອກບົວທີ່ເຖິງແມ່ນຢູ່ໃນນ້ຳ ກໍ່ພະຍາຍາມຊູພົ້ນເໜືອນ້ຳຂຶ້ນສູ່ແສງແຫ່ງທັມ"
"ຄົນເຮົາຍັງຕ່າງກັນດ້ວຍວາດສະໜາ ແຕ່ທັມມະເປີດໂອກາດໃຫ້ທຸກຄົນຝຶກຜົນສູ່ປັນຍາໄດ້ສະເໝີ"

🪷 Episode: The Four Types of Lotus – A Parable on Human Potential

After His enlightenment, the Buddha reflected on whether He should teach the Dhamma to the world. Through His deep wisdom, He saw that beings differ in their ability to understand—some are wise and ready, while others are clouded by ignorance.

To explain this, He offered a profound metaphor, comparing people to four kinds of lotus flowers:

1. Lotus above the water – Those with keen wisdom who quickly understand the Dhamma upon hearing it.

2. Lotus at water level – Those who can understand through gradual learning and reflection.

3. Lotus under the water – Those who are not ready yet but may grow with time, effort, and guidance.

4. Lotus buried in the mud – Those so overwhelmed by defilements and wrong views that they cannot comprehend the Dhamma in this lifetime.

Although the Buddha had great compassion, He understood that the Dhamma is deep and subtle, and not everyone can grasp it. So He began by teaching those who were ready—like lotuses reaching for the sun.

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Dhamma Reflection:

"Be like a lotus—though born in water, strive to rise above and reach the light of truth."
"We may differ by conditions and karma, but the Dhamma is open for all who seek wisdom."