What is the significance of lotus in Spiritual Journey?
First and foremost, one need to observe keenly how a lotus grows and understand each phenomenon of its growth process in a spiritual manner.
A lotus grows in a place where the soil turns into mud and it stinks. This stinky mud or soil holds the roots of lotus plant very firmly and stays at the bottom of the pond or container in which the lotus plant is growing. Above the surface of this muddy layer, about 1 feet to 4 feet water surface will be present through which the leaves that grow from the muddy soil, penetrate through this water layer and surface to the top. Once in a while the lotus flower comes out suddenly and creates joy to the onlookers by blooming so beautifully in presence of bright sunlight. The lotus leaves and the lotus flower grows well only when the muddy soil is still and do not reach the surface of water layer.
Generally the people who are on the spiritual journey turns away from the external world. Now, this external world is actually like the stinky soil or mud and from it we need to build strong roots and even though we stay in it, we should treat it as nutrition or obtain inspiration from that and grow away from it. It is like being in the world but not of the world. We should be still to the external world so that it does not interfere with our journey of passing through the water, that is passing through the mind or thoughts. We should travel through the mind or thoughts and surface out from that which means we should go beyond the mind. Then in the bright sunlight which means when we focus on the kutastha or space between the eyebrows on the forehead and start meditating, all of a sudden one fine day a lotus will blossom, that means any of the chakras gets activated.
So the growth of lotus tells us the following on our spiritual journey:
Once the lotus blooms it will not declare that it has bloomed. The bees will automatically come to visit it. Once we achieve success in meditation our peace and stillness that we obtain from it itself is the recognition. We do not require any other recognition. People can see that stillness and peace and will come to us to understand how it is possible. Or the Cosmos will create opportunities wherein we can share the joy of meditation with others and show them a way how to achieve it.
First and foremost, one need to observe keenly how a lotus grows and understand each phenomenon of its growth process in a spiritual manner.
A lotus grows in a place where the soil turns into mud and it stinks. This stinky mud or soil holds the roots of lotus plant very firmly and stays at the bottom of the pond or container in which the lotus plant is growing. Above the surface of this muddy layer, about 1 feet to 4 feet water surface will be present through which the leaves that grow from the muddy soil, penetrate through this water layer and surface to the top. Once in a while the lotus flower comes out suddenly and creates joy to the onlookers by blooming so beautifully in presence of bright sunlight. The lotus leaves and the lotus flower grows well only when the muddy soil is still and do not reach the surface of water layer.
Generally the people who are on the spiritual journey turns away from the external world. Now, this external world is actually like the stinky soil or mud and from it we need to build strong roots and even though we stay in it, we should treat it as nutrition or obtain inspiration from that and grow away from it. It is like being in the world but not of the world. We should be still to the external world so that it does not interfere with our journey of passing through the water, that is passing through the mind or thoughts. We should travel through the mind or thoughts and surface out from that which means we should go beyond the mind. Then in the bright sunlight which means when we focus on the kutastha or space between the eyebrows on the forehead and start meditating, all of a sudden one fine day a lotus will blossom, that means any of the chakras gets activated.
So the growth of lotus tells us the following on our spiritual journey:
- Be in the world, but not of the world. Do not treat the world as something unwanted, treat it like a nutrition for your life.
- Always stay still in the world or else your vision can become muddy if you get ruffled up and will not be able to see clearly where and in which direction you have to travel.
- You cannot avoid thoughts or mind. You have to pass through the thoughts or mind to go beyond it.
- Take advantage of the light that appears at your kutastha and enable the lotuses located at various chakras to bloom
- Everything that blooms also will eventually vanish
- Go beyond everything and become Nothing finally.
Thanks to the lotus (in the figure below grown in our house) that taught me this revelation.
Once the lotus blooms it will not declare that it has bloomed. The bees will automatically come to visit it. Once we achieve success in meditation our peace and stillness that we obtain from it itself is the recognition. We do not require any other recognition. People can see that stillness and peace and will come to us to understand how it is possible. Or the Cosmos will create opportunities wherein we can share the joy of meditation with others and show them a way how to achieve it.
