Hello.
From yesterday, the seventy-two climates have changed to "the lotus opens for the first time."
As the name suggests, it means the time when lotus flowers begin to bloom.
As the saying goes, ``The lotus comes out of the mud and is not stained with mud,'' the lotus has attracted people since ancient times with its pure appearance. It grows stems from underground stems on the bottom of the water, leaves float on the surface of the water, and blooms.
Lotus flowers are now in full bloom in ponds and marshes around the world.
As the proverb says, ``Early bird is a blessing,'' you can only see the beautiful flowers blooming in the early morning. 
The lotus, which sprouts from mud and blooms beautifully, is a symbol of purity in Buddhism.
The root becomes a familiar vegetable, lotus root.
The lotus flower opens at dawn, closes in the afternoon, and blooms again at dawn the next day, repeating the cycle for three days.
Although it is fleeting, the flowers fall off four days after flowering, but their vitality is strong.
The "ancient lotus" sprouted from a seed that has been dormant in the ground for over 2,000 years and is now in full bloom.
Also, do you know the word "Urabon-e"?
It is the official name of "Obon", an annual event to welcome and entertain the spirits of ancestors who return home.
Urabon-e is a Buddhist event that is said to have started on July 15th, when a disciple of Buddha invited a monk to hold a memorial service for his mother.
Introduced to Japan in the 7th century, it mixed with the ancient custom of enshrining the spirits of one's ancestors, forming the present-day Obon.
In rural areas where many people lived by farming, it was difficult to welcome the ancestors politely, so it gradually began to be delayed by months. 
The pure form of the lotus, beautiful but its fleeting life.
I would like to love the flowers that welcome me, as if they were just in time for Obon.
Inheriting the spirit of the ancients who regarded the lotus flower as the “flower of the world of paradise”, we should appreciate each transparent petal while thinking of our precious ancestors, family members, relatives and friends…
I would also like to offer my heartfelt prayers for the souls of those who have been affected by the recent heavy rain disaster, and I sincerely hope that many lotus flowers will guide them to the Pure Land of Bliss.
