By Thich Nhat Hanh
In the old times people liked to drink tea, lotus tea, right among the lotus flowers. The lotus ponds were very big, and thousands of lotus flowers would bloom every day. If you wanted to have the best kind of lotus tea, this is what you would do: in the morning, or at noon, you would take a small boat into the middle of the pond where the lotus flowers were blooming, and you would take out your tea and entrust it to the heart of the lotus flower. And then in the afternoon, the lotus flowers would begin to close, and the lotus flower would keep the tea all night. Meantime, the perfume of the lotus flower would penetrate into the tea. Read more…
Vesak – the full moon festival honoring the signal events in the Buddha’s life, is celebrated by millions around the world on the full moon in May, taking place this year on May 24.
The Pali word metta means loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, fellowship, and non-violence. Pali commentators define metta as the strong wish for the welfare and happiness of others. Through metta one refuses to be offensive and renounces bitterness, resentment and animosity of every kind, developing instead a mind of friendliness, accommodation and benevolence which seeks the well-being and happiness of others. True metta is devoid of self-interest. 
