The lotus flower is a powerful symbol of transformation. Without muddy, soiled, murky waters, a lotus flower would not bloom. Its roots grow from conditions that are soiled and not pure.Similarly, the places in each of us that look or feel ‘soiled’ or imperfect can be a breeding ground for beauty, compassion, and wisdom to grow.
Similarly, the places in each of us that look or feel ‘soiled’ or imperfect can be a breeding ground for beauty, compassion, and wisdom to grow.
Befriending the less desirable parts within ourselves opens the heart and fosters a loving kindness towards oneself and others.
Ultimately, loving awareness is our truest nature, our innate home. Our journey is to find our way ‘home’ to a wise and compassionate heart, a refuge for everyone.
I am using this theme of No Mud, No Lotus in an up-coming photography exhibit at the GALLERY de FOX in Santa Ana during the months of May & June, 2017.
Specifically, the Show will highlight photographic images from a recent trip to the Kingdom of Bhutan, a small country located entirely within the Himalaya mountain range, bordered by China in the north and India in the south.
The Kingdom of Bhutan is known for its attention to the importance of ‘gross national happiness,’ used to measure the collective happiness in a nation. The term, ‘gross national happiness’ was coined by the fourth King of Bhutan in the early 1970’s and refers to the 4 pillars of: economic self reliance, environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and social development.
No Mud, No Lotus illustrates that peace grows when we are open to our pain and difficulties with wisdom and compassion. Essentially, compassion is a response to a deep knowing of suffering. There is an empathy here – a being able to feel, be honest about, and support awareness of our own pain, and from that, another’s pain. Compassion is not the same as sympathy. It is an inside job. Beauty resides here.
