No Mud No Lotus

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:53:32 -0500

My Husband and I had the chance to see Thich Nat Hahn, a Buddhist Monk who is a wonderful inspiring teacher, at the Beacon Theater in October. It was one of those wonderful moments like going to “Light on Life” at City Center to see BKS Iyengar live and in the flesh. What an event! It’s like a rock concert for yogis. One of the things that really moved me in his Dharma talk was a reference he made that reminded me of the age old question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” He said if he had kids and could live in a world with no suffering he would not do it. Surprised to hear that from a man of Peace, I listened closely. He continued to say if there were no suffering there would be no opportunity to learn compassion and understanding that are so essential in life. He Used the example of the lotus flower.

“In Buddhist paintings and sculpture, the Buddha is often seated on a lotus flower. The lotus produces a beautiful flower even with its roots in the dirtiest water. The symbolism is that a person can rise above being rooted in the ugliness and suffering of this world, and should try to be pure and help others with the beauty of the spirit.”(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_significance_of_the_lotus_flower_in_Buddhism)

Putting it simply he repeated “No Mud, No Lotus”
I was so impressed by this Dharma talk that I really wanted to pass the information on to my kids. Gabriel (5) and Mikaela (3). I did my best. My three year old daughter Mikaela (2 at the time) took it one wise step further as she repeated a few days later, out of the blue, in her cute little “pebbles” voice “It’s okay if there’s no mud. It’s okay if there’s no lotus” I am astounded at what comes out of the mouths of babes. If you haven’t had a chance to see Thich Nat Hahn in person, you can see him speaking here by following this link.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aubF7v-MlMM

Namaste,
Frances

Bat Face

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:49:13 -0400

Our Friends in the forest learn a few simple words to help them have more peacefulness in their day

[Images courtesy of Jacci Howard Bear, About Desktop Publishing, http://desktoppub.about.com].

Cement Farm

Tue, 9 Dec 2008 10:47:48 -0500

Our friends on the farm find out how keeping a positive attitude even in times of trouble can help you feel better.

Family

No Mud No Lotus

Bat Face

Cement Farm