Wondrous Nature’s Gift: Holy Lotus, Part 1 of 3

Dignified and elegant, beautiful and pure, ethereal, and refined, the lotus is one of God’s noble creations. The lotus is considered the most sacred flower in Buddhism and Hinduism as it symbolizes purity of the soul and divine beauty. In Egypt, the lotus symbolizes the Sun, which represents purity, creation, and reincarnation. The lotus, an aquatic plant in the Nymphaeaceae family, is a perennial flowering plant and comes in more than 800 varieties, many of which are edible or have medicinal benefits. Every part is a treasure for human beings. A rich layer of wax also covers the petals. Thus, lotus leaves and their flowers keep exceptionally unsullied, no matter what kind of filth and mire they grow in. Aligned with endeavors of spiritual practice, keeping oneself pure and free contamination in this mundane world. Through Her many works of art, Supreme Master Ching Hai kindly reminds people to be as pure as the lotus flower, to elevate faster spiritually. Using the example of the lotus, Supreme Master Ching Hai also encourages our Quan Yin practitioners to practice more diligently in this mundane world. “we have to live in this world with all temptations and struggles, and yet we have to keep discipline and purity like lotus, born from the mud, but so pure, so clean, and so fragrant. And that is how we have to become, to become saints in hell.”