No Mud, No Lotus

Sometimes I'm not quite certain where inspiration will come from as I look for my weekly thought and theme for classes. Next week marks the celebration of Diwali, a 5-day celebration of lights in India. It's a big deal and I would love to be there one of these years to see it in full action. So, I began to think about light as I contemplated my weekly theme which led me to think about darkness. It seems that the past several weeks have been rife with tragic events: hurricanes, mass shootings, and deadly fires in the public realm, and a host of other occurrences in my own personal sphere. I kept wondering what my thought of the week would be, but unfortunately, the difficulties that are present are good fodder for spiritual growth and teaching.

As I thought about darkness and light, I recognized that it's the darkness that gives more power to the light. I love to head out on early morning bicycle rides, right at dawn just before the sun peaks over the horizon. Some mornings it's a striking pink and orange, others just a lightening of the sky. But it's when the sun first strikes the local mountains that always takes my breath away...they ignite in an earthy pink and it's the preceding darkness that makes it so powerful.

When we have the contrast, the light seems more effulgent. I once heard a powerful statement that "our hearts break open so the light can get in." The dark times that we experience are a natural part of living and further along this thought inquiry, I remembered the saying popularized by the Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, "No Mud, No Lotus". What this basically means is that the radiant and stunning lotus flower is anchored in pond water which is often muddy, murky, and lacks clarity. Yet, the flower buds, rising up through the muck and mire to blossom on the water's surface into its full beauty, apparently untainted by the muddy waters. Yet, it needs the mud, as it's the mud that provides the soil for the anchor of the flower and gives it nourishment to grow into its full potential. And once the lotus comes to the end of its bloom, it returns to the mud and becomes compost...readying the soil for the next cycle.

So, in a sens, we need the mud even when it feels like the only thing that exists is the mud itself. We can feel covered by it, unable to recognize the inherent and always present beauty that is ready to awaken. And boy, it seems like there's been so much mud of late!

This week has evolved into thinking about our own inner radiance and when things get murky, we turn back into ourselves with practices of loving kindness. And when we connect into our inner light, we recognize that it's the same light that all beings have within them. The mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum" is related to this week's theme and is often translated as "the jewel inside the heart of the lotus".  This well-known mantra reminds us that lying within our own hearts, within our own lotus is a multi-faceted jewel. When the light shines onto the jewel, it reflects and refracts the light in a way that is unique to us, our individual selves. The same light will manifest in a different way for all beings, but the source in common is the same light. We connect to our inner radiance with this unique gem sitting in the center of who we are. When the conditions are right and we manifest the metaphor of the lotus, we realize that although we may look different, we are inherently connected.

During these dark and muddy times, it's even more powerful for us to connect to each other and to shine light into the darkness of others. In the process, we know that the mud is a reflection of our challenges, but without it, the beauty of the lotus is unable to manifest. So let's tenderly and with tremendous compassion, honor the suffering within ourselves and to all beings. Let's honor the mud for it brings us into the light and beauty of all that we are.