Sower and the Devil
Albin Egger-Lienz, 1923

Dear friends,

Today, I would like to offer a commentary on a passage from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13, verses 24-30 and 36-43. This is a parable that Jesus told about the wheat and the weeds, and it speaks to us about the nature of good and evil.

In this parable, Jesus tells of a farmer who sows good seed in his field, but an enemy comes in and sows weeds among the wheat. When the wheat begins to grow, so do the weeds, and the farmer's workers ask him if they should pull up the weeds. But the farmer tells them to wait until the harvest, when they will separate the wheat from the weeds and gather the good grain into his barn, while burning the weeds in the fire.

This parable has been interpreted in many different ways over the centuries, but one of the key messages that we can take from it is that good and evil coexist in this world. We often like to think of the world in terms of black and white, good and evil, but the truth is that life is much more complex than that. There are shades of gray, and there is always the potential for both good and evil within each of us.

A key teaching of Buddhism is the concept of karma, which is the idea that our actions have consequences. Every action we take, whether it is good or bad, creates a seed that will eventually ripen and bring us either happiness or suffering. Just as the wheat and the weeds grow together in the farmer's field, our good and bad actions coexist within us, and we must be mindful of the seeds we are planting.

But the parable also teaches us about patience and compassion. The farmer in the story does not immediately uproot the weeds, but instead waits until the harvest to separate the good from the bad. In the same way, we should not rush to judge others or condemn them for their mistakes. Instead, we should be patient and compassionate, recognizing that everyone is on their own journey and that we all have the potential for both good and evil within us.

Ultimately, the parable reminds us of the importance of living a virtuous life. We should strive to sow good seeds in our own lives and in the world around us, so that when the time comes for the harvest, we will be able to gather a rich and bountiful crop of goodness and compassion.

May we all be mindful of the seeds we are planting, and may we all strive to live a life of virtue and compassion.