“We shall find peace. We shall hear angels. We shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.”
– Anton Chekhov
It’s Christmas! What a wonderful opportunity to share love, joy, and positive energy with our friends, family, and loved ones. The holidays are a perfect time to remind ourselves to savor the simple pleasures in life, to cherish the special people around us, and to cultivate compassion and gratitude in our hearts, every day.
“They say that it’s an inexhaustible well. The thing that comforts me about it is the idea that all of this is from a singular Source. And that this Source is ultimately kind. And even though we may not understand the intentions of this Source, we are all connected and bound by it.”
When I consider this statement by Watts, I place it in what I would call the “present eternal” tense. This is, of course, not an actual grammatical tense in any existing language, as far as I know. But for me, it holds a very special place in the lexicon. It is a way to say, “This is true, right now; but it is also true in a manner that transcends the limitations of time and space.” For example, when we tell someone that we love them, from the depth of our heart, I believe that we are speaking in the “present eternal” tense. This is because true Love exists outside of the limits of time and space. Similarly, when God told Moses that His name was, “I AM,” I believe He was indicating that He, in the same way, inhabits this transcendent, eternal realm.
Now, let us consider the sacred lotus. Its roots are sunk deeply into the earth, anchored firmly in the loamy mud at the bottom of a lake, pond, or slow-moving river. The lotus flower derives stability and nourishment from the depth of its roots, and yet its blossom lives far above this stratum, perched weightlessly and elegantly on top of the water. There it lives, peacefully aloft, supported by a bed of leaves, suspended effortlessly above all of the darkness, dirt, and tumult swirling below. When the ground dissolves beneath it, it floats. This is the lotus blossom’s sacred nature, now and always. It was created to live in the sunlight, to transcend the darkness of the water below, just like we are.
The lotus flower also has the rare ability – an ability usually reserved exclusively for animals – to produce its own heat. Consequently, it can regulate its own interior temperature and thereby moderate its own internal state of being in response to, even in direct contrast to, its environment. In addition to this, a dormant lotus seed can remain viable for hundreds of years, with some documented cases of dormant seeds over even 1000 years old re-awakening and successfully flowering. It doesn’t take much to see why this wondrous flower has been a source of fascination and inspiration – as well as a mystical symbol of transcendence and longevity – for artists, poets, and spiritualists alike.
So, the next time you feel stuck in the mud, exhausted by the murky tumult that swirls all around you, remember: you are a sacred lotus. When the ground dissolves beneath you, float. This is your sacred nature, now and always.
“Life is a travelling to the edge of knowledge, and then a leap taken.”
– D. H. Lawrence
It is good to be prepared. It is important to gather as much knowledge and information about any given situation as is reasonably practical. But then, when the time comes, it is just as important to be ready and willing to take the leap. We must come to peace with the fact that, in this life, we will almost always be acting upon imperfect knowledge. This is inevitable; it is simply part of the human experience. But don’t let this keep you from taking action. Jump into life with enthusiasm. Engage with the present moment fully. And whether, at any given moment, you happen to be facing a challenge or a triumph, a conservation of energy or a state of full exertion, always seek to find a way to cherish this particular, individual step the journey. Strive to live your best life, every day. Endeavor to embrace each moment with optimism, creativity, gratitude, and joy. To do this the most pure expression of appreciation toward the universe, and toward God, that we could ever hope to make. To do this is an act of faith. To do this is an act of courage. To do this is an act of love.
It is quite mystical, really, how something physical – a place, a type of flower, an inanimate object; even a color, a sound, a flavor, or a scent – can become so full of meaning and beauty, merely from having accompanied a moment in your life when you felt great joy.
The great 19th century German author and poet Goethe once suggested that we “must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste.” Perhaps we should also, then, ask turtles (and flowers, as well), how it feels to savor the warmth of sunshine washing over one’s body and face. When I look at these sweet turtles, so pure in their enjoyment of the sunlight, stretching their necks out as far as they possibly can in the hopes of getting even a few inches closer to the source of their ecstasy, I am reminded again of what a pleasure it truly is to feel the warmth of sunshine on one’s face.
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