Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. -Hans Christian Anderson
At our home away from home in Bali, Indonesia, this Buddha statue greeted us daily with a splendid flower in hand. The flowers — quite often hibiscuses or frangipanis — had been carefully selected and placed by the homestay’s hostess, Ayu. Like the practice of making canang sari, Ayu’s ritual is another example of the spiritual offerings regularly performed by residents of this gentle island.
Tricia A. Mitchell is a freelance writer and photographer. Born in Europe but raised in the United States, she has lived in Valletta, Malta; Heidelberg, Germany; and Split, Croatia. An avid globetrotter who has visited more than 65 countries, she has a penchant for off-season travel. Tricia has learned that travel’s greatest gift is not sightseeing, rather it is the interactions with people. Some of her most memorable experiences have been sharing a bottle of champagne with distant French cousins in Lorraine, learning how to milk goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village, and ringing in the Vietnamese New Year with a Hanoi family. She welcomes any opportunity to practice French and German, and she loves delving into a place’s history and artisanal food scene.
A former education administrator and training specialist, Tricia has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in international relations. She and her husband, Shawn, married in the ruins of a snowy German castle. They’ve been known to escape winter by basing themselves in coastal Croatia or Southeast Asia.
Her writing has appeared in Fodor’s Travel, Frommer’s, and International Living.
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8 thoughts on “Photo du Jour: A Red Hibiscus in Buddha’s Hand – Ubud, Bali”
This post uplifted me for the afternoon. I remember these offerings, adorning statues all over Bali, from our trip there in 1992.
Tricia. Your photograph of Buddha sings. My garden will be complete when I find a smiling Buddha. So looking forward to your next daily photograph. Virginia
Virginia, how poetic – “Buddha sings…” Before we went on our trip, I was lucky to find an older Tibetan Buddha statue at a flea market in Germany. I placed it in the entry-way of our home to remind me that I was entering a serene place, following a busy day. I hope you’re having a great weekend. Your favorite peonies are just starting to reach their peak here. :)
Tricia how wonderful to find an old Buddha. My daughter had one in her garden. Every day we would put a little offering on the ledge – sometimes a flower, other times a bowl of rice. Buddha is very important to me. Enjoy the peonies. Virginia
What a lovely practice, Virginia! I look forward to having mine out of storage someday so that I too can adorn it with flowers. We’re visiting my parents now and my mom has the house adorned with peonies. :)
Travels With Tricia 
This post uplifted me for the afternoon. I remember these offerings, adorning statues all over Bali, from our trip there in 1992.
The practice is magical, isn’t it? I remember reading a statistic that some of the Balinese spend about 30-40% of their income on spiritual practices!
Glad the images brought back memories from your Balinese trip, Rachael. :)
Tricia. Your photograph of Buddha sings. My garden will be complete when I find a smiling Buddha. So looking forward to your next daily photograph. Virginia
Virginia, how poetic – “Buddha sings…” Before we went on our trip, I was lucky to find an older Tibetan Buddha statue at a flea market in Germany. I placed it in the entry-way of our home to remind me that I was entering a serene place, following a busy day. I hope you’re having a great weekend. Your favorite peonies are just starting to reach their peak here. :)
Tricia how wonderful to find an old Buddha. My daughter had one in her garden. Every day we would put a little offering on the ledge – sometimes a flower, other times a bowl of rice. Buddha is very important to me. Enjoy the peonies. Virginia
What a lovely practice, Virginia! I look forward to having mine out of storage someday so that I too can adorn it with flowers. We’re visiting my parents now and my mom has the house adorned with peonies. :)
a very serene photo! Lovely
Mimo – many thanks! I’m so enjoying your Cambodia series, by the way. :)