A Musing Ode to No Mud, No Lotus
My muses deserve to be praised
I have a tendency to hold words and phrases deep in my heart. I love the play, comfort and inspiration a simple word or phrase can hold. I love the truth, complexity and confusion a simple word or phrase can hold. I love that a simple word or phrase today can mean something completely different tomorrow.
They are transient like us all.
It is unfortunate that the human tries to contain, contextualize and memorialize words in stone.
They are conditioned like us all.
My favorite Thich Nhat Hanh quote is “No mud, no lotus.” I clung to this wonderful transient flower from my first deep BREATHE IN.
I could tell a tale of our romantic meeting. I could gush about our sweet memories through the years. I could offer logical reasons why we bonded so deeply.
But, that would be me making shit up in this moment reflecting back on those moments.
I don’t know why this little ditty held my heart. All I know is its roots of wisdom deepens a little every day while its bloom still sparkles in my eyes.
My transient “No mud, no lotus” is my guide.
So, I offer a little ode to my beloved Thich Nhat Hanh and the lotus he handed me.
A Musing Ode to No Mud, No Lotus
No mud, no lotus A poetic truth gently handed to me No mud, no lotus A joy and sorrow sprouted into the seeds No mud, no lotus A birth and death rooted to be freed No mud, no lotus An offering of the earth to tend and release No mud, no lotus A remembering to embrace the lotuses to be No clouds, no rain No rain, no pond No pond, no mud No mud, no lotus No lotus, no mud No beauty to see nor truth handed to me No truth to me, no mud to free No mud to free, no lotus in me 🪷
