The Sacred Lotus
I took this picture yesterday and the striking beauty of this exquisite plant emerging from the murky depths of my filthy, slimy pond leaves me in awe every time. It’s no surprise that it is surrounded by myth and legend and is considered one of nature’s mystical creations.
It has major symbolic connotations; one being a metaphor of life as we know it.
The lotus grows upward in the direction of the light and represents the souls journey from darkness to transcendence.
This magnificent flower makes a journey through silt and filth with style and grace, representing a lesson on how to live life with real class. To transform the human condition from struggle and resistance to one of ease and grace. Yes life isn’t hunky dory and happy clappy all the time – there are hardships, challenges, lost love and loneliness and we can feel really stuck in the mud – unable to see our way out of the darkness. Sure we can crawl under our misery and feel sorry for ourselves or we can be like the lotus; make the best of a lousy situation, lift our heads to the light and rise above. There is a message here of hope.
I love that it symbolises the transcendence of the soul but also puts the immediate challenges of life into perspective. Like the lotus if we lift our eyes to the light (to the truth of who we really are) of our own true nature , we will surely morph into something greater. A beautiful spiritual being having a human experience.
A famous Buddhist Mantra – Om Mani Padme Hum
Which means – Hail, the jewel in the lotus.
There is a Zen proverb I like:
“May we exist like the lotus,
At ease in muddy water”
I really get it – my greatest lessons were also blessings and in the past were learnt during dark times. How else can I see the light but without the darkness….
For me it’s all about letting go… living in the moment, understanding the transformational potential that the darkness holds and not worrying about events I have no control over.
My three ponds are absolutely full of these fascinating plants.
If anyone would like some for their pond inbox me. I am planning a consolidation of the pond situation in the not too distant future.
Love and Light