Highway Sunflower
The other day I was amazed to see a sunflower growing out of a grate on the side of a major highway (287 Eastbound). In the midst of din and dirt stood this symbol of sunlight and resilience.
The highway-sunflower reminded me of the saying, “No mud, no lotus,” which gives voice to the recognition that lotus flowers - beautiful, pristine, colorful and delicate looking - grow out of mud. The metaphor suggests that the chaos, ugliness, “icky” parts of life are the essential substance from which beauty emerges.
Bringing this concept into our meditation practice can help us to be with what arises in the practice. When the mind offers up a seemingly endless loop of calamity, catastrophe, discord and discomfort, we can see this mental mud as the ultimate soil of serenity, peace, and well-being. Shoveling the mud away, or covering it over with a temporary disguise give us no return for our efforts. For the alchemy to occur we need to shine the sunlight of our attention on our present moment experience. Slowly, over time, delicate, green shoots of well-being begin to emerge from the muck. If we return to our practice on a regular basis, like the sun rising each morning, those shoots grow into leaves and then the lotus flowers themselves emerge, in all their symmetrical grace, balance and beauty - our hearts opening and unfolding along with them.
And for all their seeming delicateness, the lotus flower is one of the few plant species to survive the ice age and is found across a wide swathe of the planet, a testament to its ability to withstand extreme climates.
We can bring the idea of the lotus out into our engaged lives as well, recognizing that the mud of our lives will produce enduring beauty. After all, if it weren’t for the traffic jam, I wouldn’t have spotted that sunflower, and I’m all the better for it : ). Goodness knows there is a lot of mud these days. Here's hoping that we'll be reveling in a field of sunflowers in the days, months and years to come.
If you'd like support in creating regularity in your practice, you are welcomed to join us 7 days a week for our live meditations. See schedule below.
May the mud of our lives produce enduring beauty to be shared with others,
Your CMP family
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