Amaryllis Susan

Two months ago, as i was checking out of the garden store, i espied an amaryllis bulb named "Susan." Ooh. I liked that. I have a cousin named Susan, and several friends named Susan. But at $15.99 per bulb, i just couldn't justify spending that much money.

Then the check-out lady said, "Oh, i could give them to you for half-price." After all, it was January. And they were the last two amaryllis bulbs on the shelf. I bit. I bought them.

Now "Susan" is blooming, and she is beautiful.

My inner accountant is amortizing the cost of the bulbs. At 2 stems per bulb and 4 flowers per stem, that's $1.00 per flower. If they bloom again next year (never a sure thing), the cost goes down again.

On the other hand, the beautiful flowers are priceless.

The Buddha's teachings are also priceless. Even though we offer dana (a donation) to our meditation teachers, the Dharma cannot really be bought and sold. Peace of mind is priceless.

I gaze at Susan and feel content.