I have been in Europe now for about five months. I had planned my stay badly, completely failing to take the weather into account. I have endured months of cold, snow, rain and leaden skies and by the time I leave in a few weeks the Summer will be well underway. Right now the Spring is just beginning. Like most people who have spent their lives in the tropics I really did not know how beautiful, not to say how welcome the Spring is. The Indian Spring (Pali vasanta) is not as dramatic as that in the northern hemisphere but apparently it was just as welcomed. This is what Udayi Thera says of the Spring in the Nidanakatha. ‘The Winter is ended, the Spring has began, men have gathered in the harvest and are taking it along the roads. The ground is covered with fresh green grass, the forest trees are in bloom, and the roads are suitable for traveling’ (Ja.I,86).
These are some pictures of the emerging spring flowers I have taken over the last week. 
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The Chinese saying "In the whole year, you start your plan in the Spring, In the whole day, you start your plan in the morning ". And also, that I turn on the TV, found that Tamil Programme always stated "Vasantham ", I do not know this Vasantham is welcome or related to spring ? Anyway, the pictures are nice.
In later days they started getting really poetic, this is from my translation of Jinacarita (13th c. Lanka), The Life of the Victorious Buddha (ahh, poetry):
"The season of Spring has produced colourful and delightful buds and foliage, a thousand delightful branches together with glorious, and deep-green coloured leaves, trees crowded with various extraordinarily fragrant and variegated blossoms, many very beautiful animals, and flocks of birds singing in the excellent groves.
There are now countless delightful lakes, full of very blue and agreeable waters, which are decorated with very fragrant blue, white, bronze, and red lotuses, having unstained and extremely pearly white sandbanks, with a multitude of sweet-sounding grey geese, and a variety of trees along the banks.
The banks themselves are resplendent with rows of flowers and blossoms, having plains covered with fresh and very green lawns, as though covered with pleasing lapis-lazuli, and skies full of light breezes. Reverend Sir! It is time to go to the Royal City called Kapilavatthu, which is prosperous with people having endless riches!"
There are also some great flower shots here: The Big Picture.
Beautiful pictures Bhante! I think the transition between seasons is such a wonderful experience, seeing a landscape change so dramatically. Where in Europe have you been based during these months? All the best.
Bhante, perhaps not the best avenue to forward this message however upon clicking the 'acarya godwin' link to the right of the main page, I was directed to a site that would have infected my computer with malware if I had not known otherwise. Perhaps the link could be removed in the interim?
Dear Sam,
Unfortunately there is someone hacking at the server, we are trying to stop them getting access at present.
As far as I can see at present though the redirect does not seem to go to any malware, but an empty page, as though someone was just trying to prove something.
(webmaster: Godwin Home Page)
Beautiful pictures Bhante. Warm Singapore sun awaits your return :) guekhar
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