(Buddhist
value: Like a lotus flower that grows out of the mud and blossoms
above the muddy water surface, we can rise above our defilements
and sufferings of life)
Imagine
that you are a lotus seed buried beneath a muddy lotus pond.
There is mud all around you, and you can feel them clearly.
Above you, above this muddy pool of dirt, mud and filth, are
sunshine and air. You are not disheartened as you begin your
journey towards the surface.
With
a determined heart, you begin to wiggle in the earth. You grow
roots deep, deep into the mud. Your little stem grows up slowly.
Suddenly, "pop" you are out of the mud! Your stem
grows higher and higher, taller and taller. You rise up slowly,
fighting against the muddy water. All of a sudden, you are out
of the muddy pond! You reach up towards the warm sun, shining
down on you.
Your
lotus bud begins to grow on top of your stem. It expands and
grows larger and larger, finally bursting into full bloom. A
white lotus flower. You stand beautifully above the muddy water,
not dirtied by the mud from which you grow. You are white, fragrant
and beautiful.
Everyone
who saw you marvelled at your beauty! Your determination to
grow out of the muddy pond reminds them of the Buddha and his
journey towards Enlightenment. The Buddha, like a lotus, is
determined to grow out of the muddy surroundings, that is the
defilements and sufferings of life. He has done all that is
to be done and he is showing us that we can all do it too. We
may have defilements but we all have the potential of growing
out of our defilements and achieving wisdom, like the Buddha.
You
are a beautiful white lotus flower, and your role is to remind
people to rise above their defilements and sufferings, just
as you are arising above the muddy water and not dirtied by
the mud from which you grow.
