Oh how I love the beauty of a Lotus flower. We have, in San Diego’s Balboa Park, a long rectangular pond that has lily pads and Lotus flowers so serene and beautiful, it’s breathtaking. 

If you’ll indulge me, I’ll offer my view on how the Lotus flower is a good analogy for our growth as a human being. Most of this I’ve derived, over the years, from an Eastern understanding of the Lotus which represents the sacred unfolding of wisdom out of obstacles and suffering.  

Note to self: No obstacles, no wisdom. 

A Lotus flower has her beginnings in the dark, dank mud. We don’t see this initial beginning just as we don’t usually see the burst of life from the seed planted in the earths soil, yet this mud is her foundation.  

It is as if the dark, dank mud is her prized nourishment. When I think about that, it helps me put all my pain and suffering in perspective. It’s a reframe that allows me to stop resisting my crap and instead, use it as compost. 

Let’s think about a compost pile. 

Compost is comprised of a 2:1 ratio of old to new (brown to green in gardening lingo). Old, being dried leaves and dried grasses, and new being more fresh kitchen scraps. 

What if our fresh kitchen scraps are our desires. Our inklings for growth. Our heart calls toward the next step in evolving our Soul?  

What if the dried leaves that are done with their life cycle are so important that their ratio needs to be twice as much as the new desire?  

What if the dried stuff is all the crap that’s happened, the life lived, before arriving at a fresh desire? Two to one. Two parts crap to one part wish. That ratio is what breaks down, alchemizes, and creates nourishing soil for new growth (black gold in gardeners lingo). Nourishing soil to sprout, grow and beautify our dream. 

Talk about contrast! 

Is it not contrast that informs our next desires and yearnings? 

Why do we resist that so? 

One consideration is that compost, not having a human brain, doesn’t have destructive narratives and stories in the way a human brain does. Compost doesn’t resist the two parts crap to one part intention. Humans seem to resist. 

Hum? Interesting food for thought. 

Once the Lotus has sprouted, even while still under the waters muddy surface, she is lifted by the light of the sun. Between the light of the sun, and nourishment from the muddy earth, she finds her way to her full, beautiful blossoming self. 

This is analogous to a human life. We are lifted by the light, while simultaneously nourished by the dark, muddy earth. All the while desiring most to blossom forth into the unique beauty that is ours to express. 

This is also true of the Tree of Life, that each of us are. You can read more here if interested. 

The Lotus petals unfold one at a time. One at a time. No critical Lotus mind is saying, “you’ve got to have ALL your shit together before you’re considered worthy or beautiful”.  

The most inner part of the Lotus, never touches the mud, denoting that our own internal heart flame (alive as a spark in every single human being), maintains divine purity. 

From the perspective of a human mind, when we understand our resistance, we can move along. We can allow ourselves to be lifted out of the mud by the light.  

Resistance happens in our lower human ego mind. So let’s talk about creating cohesion in the human mind shall we? By creating cohesion in our mind, we do so in the whole of our being. Every cell rides the wave of that cohesive flow. 

And let’s do that face to face (via video :), I invite you to grab some tea and join me here.

Also, I reference a ‘worksheet’ on the video which you can access here.