The lotus is the most beautiful flower, whose petals open one by one.
But it will only grow in the mud.
It represents for me what I have experienced emotionally and physically since my diagnosis with lupus, fibromyalgia, neuropathy and others....and my journal to healing with each surgery that I have undergone.
The lotus flower represents one symbol of fortune in Buddhism. It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment that gives forth the flower’s first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment.
The second meaning, which is related to the first is purification. It resembles the purifying of the spirit which is born into murkiness.
The third meaning refers to faithfulness. Those who are working to rise above the muddy waters will need to be faithful followers.
In order to grow and gain wisdom, first you must have the mud --- the obstacles of life and its suffering. ... The mud speaks of the common ground that humans share, no matter what our stations in life. ... Whether we have it all or we have nothing, we are all faced with the same obstacles: sadness, loss, illness, dying and death. If we are to strive as human beings to gain more wisdom, more kindness and more compassion, we must have the intention to grow as a lotus and open each petal one by one.
Suffering makes us stronger and teaches us to resist the temptation of evil. When we banish evil thoughts from our mind we are able to break free of the muddy water. The mud shows us who we are and teaches us to choose the right path over the easy one.
Finally, the lotus flower represents rebirth, both in a figurative and a literal sense. The rebirth can be a change of ideas, an acceptance , the dawn after one’s darkest day, a renaissance of beliefs.
"Be the Lotus. Rise above the mud!"
The mud for me has numerous meanings. It refers to the lupus and other illnesses that I battle everyday. It refers to the negative comments that I receive in messages. It refers to the nay-sayers...those who look to see me fail.
I hope that my words in this video help you to see that no matter what you might be going through...it is possible to rise above it, and become even stronger and more resilient....both in the face of negativity, as well as the face of illness.
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