In Buddhism the lotus blossom is a symbol of our aspiration, practice and realization of awakening to the Truth. We plant the seed of our intention to realize the deepest truth of life in the “mud” of our ordinary daily life. We tend and nurture that seed by practicing meditation and examining our lives through the lens of the Precepts. Through faith and perseverance, the seed sprouts, and sends out roots into the “mud” of our day-to-day life. Through our steady effort in practice, the plant grows up through the murky water, one day blooming as a lotus, our Awakening to the Truth.

As the lotus matures and the blossom fades it develops seeds which in turn fall back into the water to produce more blossoms: thus is the ongoing cycle of teaching and practice.