Aversion is to the bud, not the flower!

Recently there was a religious ceremony in a Buddhist temple in an area not far from the city. Present at this ceremony were a number of government and opposition Diyawanna politicos as well as some mandarins holding high office.   

Arrived there to participate in the ceremony minutes before the proceedings getting underway, was a certain senior Diyawanna politico in the Colombo district, who had to suffer the loss of his purohita office recently for the sin of making an irresponsible utterance at a marketplace meeting. By the way, this politico had held high political office in several previous governments as well.  

At the time of his arrival at the ceremony, the organizers – the Dayakas of the temple – were presenting to the distinguished guests a bouquet of lotus flowers each. When this politico was about to be offered a bouquet of lotus flowers a well-known anti-government local politico told him: “Sir, please don’t accept it! The lotus flower bud is our bane!”  

The senior Diyawanna politico who greeted this unsolicited advice with a smile replied: “These are not lotus buds, but lotus flowers! So there is nothing wrong with accepting them!”  

Later, along with others he proceeded to the shrine of the temple and offered the flowers, 
they say.