The Blind Eyes and the Rose

One afternoon on a noisy street in Hong Kong, golden sunlight like honey stretched across the sidewalk. A young girl sat selling flowers before a small shop, her beautiful eyes staring straight ahead without blinking, devoid of sight. Beside her lay bouquets of velvet roses still holding dew, releasing a gentle fragrance. A few steps away, a man around thirty years old, dressed in worn clothes, leaned against a tree trunk, his gaze quietly following her. He did not dare approach, standing only from afar, watching her sell flowers to passersby, observing how she carefully touched each bloom with her hands before smiling.

The young man was named Lam, a wanderer living without home or shelter. He was so poor that many days he could not afford a single meal. But since meeting the blind girl named Hoa, something extraordinary stirred within his heart. He wanted to do something for her, wanting to see her smile every day. Yet he knew he had nothing, unable to approach her as an ordinary person. So he devised a plan: pretending to be wealthy. Whenever a car parked nearby, he would step forward as if just alighting from it, buy a bouquet, and gift it back to her, creating the illusion that he was a refined and generous gentleman.

Days turned into months, and Lam’s affection for Hoa grew deeper. One afternoon, when he came to buy flowers as usual, Hoa suddenly asked, "Sir, why are you so kind to me? I am blind; am I worthy of someone like you?" Lam was startled, his heart tightening, yet he kept his voice calm. "Do not say such things. You are very beautiful; you simply have not seen the world yet." Hoa lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion. "I visited a doctor who said it costs five hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars to restore my sight. But I have no such money." Hearing this, a fierce determination rose within Lam. He took her hand, his voice trembling but resolute. "Alright, I will find that money for you. Just wait for me."

Overjoyed, Hoa asked permission to touch his face to visualize him. Her soft hands glided gently over Lam’s features, from his forehead and nose bridge to his lips. She smiled softly. "I remember now. No matter what happens later, I will recognize you." Lam stood still, tears welling up, but he dared not cry, fearing she might sense his vulnerability.

From then on, Lam began a life of arduous labor. He took any job available, from carrying loads and unloading goods to driving a motorbike taxi. However, five hundred thousand dollars was too large a sum to earn quickly. In his despair, he stumbled upon an opportunity to borrow the money, though through means that were not entirely righteous. He struggled internally, sometimes telling himself, "What I am doing is wrong, but for Hoa, I accept it." Ultimately, he decided to secretly borrow the money from others and bring it to Hoa so she could undergo eye surgery.

After Hoa’s surgery was successful, Lam dared not visit her again. He had to work far away to repay the debt, living in wandering destitution, his clothes torn and his face gaunt. Many times he passed by the old street, seeing Hoa had opened a large flower shop, her eyes bright and her smile radiant. He rejoiced for her but suffered immense pain, knowing he was no longer worthy of her.

One day, while wandering the streets, Lam accidentally passed by Hoa’s flower shop. He stopped abruptly, looking inside to see Hoa smiling and chatting with a polished gentleman. His heart shattered, yet he forced himself to enter, intending to buy a bouquet and leave immediately. Hoa saw him, paused briefly, and asked, "Are you buying flowers?" Lam shook his head, turning to leave. Seeing his ragged appearance, Hoa hurriedly offered him some loose change, assuming he was a beggar. Lam blurted out, "I am not a beggar."

That voice startled Hoa. She instantly recalled the familiar tone from the past. Trembling, she asked, "Sir... are you Lam?" Lam shook his head, trying to deny it. But Hoa reached out to touch his face, and in a single second, she recognized everything. Her eyes filled with tears, her voice choking. "It is you! You are my benefactor! How did you come to this state?" Lam could not speak a word, tears rolling down his thin cheeks. He turned and ran away, unable to face her. Hoa stood there sobbing, her husband rushing over to ask what happened, but she only shook her head, overcome with emotion.

Since then, Lam disappeared from Hoa’s life. She continued to live happily with her husband, but always engraved in her heart the image of the benefactor who sacrificed everything for her. As for Lam, he still wandered the streets, but in his mind, the image of the blind girl from those days, with her gentle smile, remained forever the motivation for him to keep living.

The Meaning of the Story

This story illustrates that each sentient being possesses different senses, perceiving the world in their own unique way. The blind use touch and hearing to understand reality, while those with sight rely on vision. This reminds us that the world does not offer only one perspective, and kindness, along with silent sacrifice, can emerge from the most humble of people.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang