How Is My Life Like A Lotus Blossom?

As you think about the question, imagine yourself sitting in the center of a lotus blossom, take in a deep breath and exhale slowly… imagine the tension flowing out of your body and the relaxation flowing in with each breath. As you feel more and more relaxed and your mind becomes more peaceful... begin to feel yourself becoming lighter... and lighter... and lighter still... until you feel like you are floating out of your body... drifting above your body... floating out of the room... above the building... up, up, up into the atmosphere.

As you look down from above, the people and the trees and the cars and the buildings appear smaller and smaller until you can't make out the details anymore. You only see the shape of the land below. Drifting... floating... feeling great freedom and contentment... knowing you are safe and protected by the White Light.

Find yourself now drifting over a tropical swamp land. From above, you see acres and acres of wetlands with tall reeds growing amid the merging and diverging streams of water, and clumps of cypress and willow trees, hanging heavy with moss, along the black water’s edge.

As you look down from above, you see an abundance of life and activity in the swamp. You might see tall, white-feathered cranes with long, graceful necks, standing on one long, thin leg in the shallow water, some with their heads tucked under their wings... flocks of various species of water fowl skimming over the reeds, skidding across the water as they come in for a landing, then gliding gracefully before settling on the surface and ruffling their feathers. You might see various kinds of reptiles that live in this swamp: alligators, snakes, frogs, lizards. They are all part of this active environment. You may also see animals such as squirrels, raccoons, panthers, deer, bear, going about their day in search of food. You see a harmonious, balanced ecological system where all is in perfect order. The cycle of life, death and rebirth is all around you and you are part of it.

As you drift over the deepest, darkest part of the swamp, something bright catches your attention. You drift down now into that area. As you look down, you see in the middle of all the trees and cattails, a small clearing. A single beam of sunlight shines through the shadows onto the swamp floor. Resting on the surface of the water, you see a single, pure white flower sitting majestically on its green lily pad. It is a beautiful lotus blossom shining at the end of the beam of light.

Move in closer now. Notice the sounds of the swamp... frogs croaking... birds chirping, squawking, singing... water splashing... the rustling of bushes... chipmunks chattering. Feel the warm, moist air surrounding you. Smell the musky odor. Become one with the surroundings.

As you move closer to the blossom, you find that you are sitting in the lotus blossom. Observe its beauty. Stroke its velvet petals... smell the sweetness of its center. And now observe its seed pod, and notice that one of its seeds is about to burst out of the pod to begin its life's journey. Imagine now that you become the seed just as it bursts forth and drops into the murky water of the swamp. Drifting... floating... slowly falling downward.... into the silence... sweet peace... forgetfulness... oblivion. The seed that you are falls gently upon the soft mud of the swamp floor where it is slowly sucked deeper and deeper into the slime and muck, where all is silent and dark.

Above you, as you lie in slumber, a photon of light from the sun penetrates the dark water... penetrates the slimy mud... and strikes you, the seed, with the spark of life. Suddenly, the seed that contains everything you are to become begins to unfold. As the cells multiply and grow according to an ancient plan, your roots, your stem, your lotus bud begin to take on physical form. Then the shell that has encased you bursts open and you begin your long journey to return to your Source.

The stem, which carries the essence of the flower, struggles upward through the muck and mire of the swamp floor... over and around and through obstacles of decaying plant and animal life... past slimy creatures that live and lurk in the mud... upwards... ever upwards... struggling... growing... sometimes overcoming obstacles... sometimes pausing just to breathe... always moving upwards... ever upwards.

And then, just when it seems there is no end to your trials and tribulations, you break free of the confines of the mud and into the murky water of the swamp. Your journey is not yet over, it has really just begun. Far, far away in the distance, you can barely make out a light, but you can't reach it. In the murky water, there are creatures rising up from the depths, swirling around you, bumping into you. But you persevere, overcoming one challenge after another, reaching ever upward toward the source of the light.

Just when it seems you have no more strength left, you burst through the surface of the water into the Pure White Light that gave you life. In humble gratitude, you unfurl your lily pad and lay it out upon the water... you open your sepals, which have protected your true essence... and one at a time, you open up your velvet, white petals to reveal your self fully... all that you are... for all to see... and touch the face of God.

Stay with these feelings and images for as long as you like. Try to understand your own life cycle and spiritual path in relation to that of the lotus blossom.