American Buddhist Net

By Kavita Maharaj
Aug 01 2006

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change."

- Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta (563-483 B.C.)

The lotus does not grow in clean and clear waters. So, too, the soul does not grow unless immersed in the mire of this world.

From the mire, the lotus is fed. It is not hindered by the dank waters, but nurtured and made more beautiful against its swampy backdrop.

We are, all of us, born into this world and find ourselves in circumstances that could be seen as less than ideal. Each of us, no matter what our combination of circumstances, spend our life seeking the state of happiness. Prince or pauper, it matters not.

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Even the Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta sought happiness - for himself and for others. And through his seeking his soul progressed, and he became the founder of Buddhism.

The circumstances that move through our lives are our benefactors. Though often seemingly less than ideal, these circumstances are the dank of the waters which spur our growth.

They are the food for our souls. And without them, we would find our progress stagnated and our souls unable to blossom.

What is more, we are the creators of the waters in which we grow.

Our True Selves decide what would best feed our growth and then draw these waters to us. The mire is of our making. And so if you have ever asked, "Why me?" know that this can only be answered by you.

For you have chosen the waters in which you will blossom.

When we can understand this, not just intellectually but intrinsically, we begin to see each moment as providing a gift to our growth. Each moment is created from within, created with the purpose of providing the opportunity to move forward in practice along the yogic path. Each moment effectively moves you towards the soul's opening, towards the blooming of the lotus.

If you find yourselves wishing that your moments were otherwise, that your circumstances were somehow different, you have lost sight of your inner wisdom, of that which has drawn this moment to you.

To connect to this wisdom once more, release all judgments of the moment. Cultivate the curiousity of a child. See the circumstance, explore it.

Do not analyze it, for analysis is framed within the confines of the mind. And do remember the wisdom of these words spoken by David Williams, an Ashtanga/Power Yoga teacher: "Before you've practiced, the theory is useless. After you've praticed, the theory is obvious."

Practice in the waters in which you grow best. The rest shall become obvious.

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Kavita Maharaj is the owner and operator of Red Door Yoga. She can be reached at 751-1458 or www.reddooryogacanada.com for questions.