The lotus and I

"The lotus is a symbol of purity. Its roots are in the mud, but the flower remains above dirty water. Live a lotus life. Be in the world, but unaffected by impurities" my all time favorite quote.

Pond Lake in Ithaca , Cornell's Campus

The story of "me and the lotus" started 10 years ago exactly. I had a drawing competition in my school and I wanted to participate in it. I didn't know what was the subject and the teacher told us to draw on the spot.
So there  I  was, on the class board there was a sticker of a green leave and frog. So it occurred to me ,to draw simply a lake and a lotus. It's a beautiful flower, why not draw it?? So, I did and i won the third prize : a Disney painting set !!!

Another story , why I love this flower , is later my dad brought me this cartoon video " The Swan princes" ..I watched it and  I  loved the swan and the whole natural setting , and ofcorse remarkably, the lotus flower caught my attention again!!

The third story , is when  I encountered a real LOTUS. I mean i touched it, I smelled,I saw it LIVE! It was like heaven. ( heaven might be greater than that)..But then it was like a heaven for me in this world ..  It was beautiful, pure,serene,& a bit traditional. Eastern. Well , lotus flowers always belonged to the eastern cultures, Egyptians or east Asians.. It is part of their religion. I thought it  resembled me..

I took this photo while in Ithaca, Farmer's Market

So , let me tell you what the ROSE lotus symbolized for the ancient Egyptians, it is the sun , the rebirth. it was the first flower of the universe, and from it sprang the first gods.In one creation legend, the sun rose out of a lotus that had grown from a watery chaos. In writing, the lotus was used to represent numbers. One lotus meant 1,000, while a bush with two lotus flowers meant 2,000. Interesting!!
But In Buddhism, lotus flowers mean purity of speech, mind and body rising above the waters of desire and attachment. The lotus is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols. Different colors of lotus are symbolically used to represent aspects of perfection. There are four colors, which are pink, blue, red and white. Red represents the heart--its purity, original nature, compassion, passion, love and other qualities. White symbolizes spiritual perfection and complete mental purity. Pink represents the Buddha and is the supreme lotus. Blue means wisdom, knowledge and victory over the senses.

In Hinduism, Lotuses symbolize prosperity, beauty, fertility, eternity and eternal youth. Like Buddhism, it also means purity and divinity. A lotus is often used analogously for how people should live. Lotuses are also used to represent chakras, or the body's energy centers.

Yes the lotus flower is significant .For me, how this water lily grows from down
the muddy & murky water , and fights to go up to see the sun, to breath the air, is like a human who is fighting for his dreams, aspiring to a change, or even for achieving an impossible.

The lotus carries the meanings of purity and perfection,new beginnings and the possibility of people growing to change into something beautiful.

And isn't this the story of every one of us ?

Another Lotus I found in Farmer's Market in Ithaca