“Taking root in the cold darkness of unknowing,
this flower is nourished
by the deep rich mud of our discontent.
Its long stem rises up
through the still dark water.
The swollen lotus bud opens to the light,
unfolding a blossom pure and radiant.”
The Yatra Series DVDs
Nourished by the mud of our discontent??? These words in the poem got my attention. There’s plenty of discontent in the world; pain, fear, and suffering, too. New problems come along with astonishing regularity, challenging our perception of randomness. Everybody suffers.
Some “look for the silver lining in the cloud.”
Some say, “Hey, the glass is half full, not half empty.” and they “count their blessings.”
But is it possible that the mud of our discontent is “nourishing”? Could it be that the mud is important in some way, and even beneficial? (drawing).
I’m not sure what the poem means or what the lotus flower symbolizes in Buddhism. The second DVD in the series implies that at least in one instance, the flower symbolizes wisdom. Wisdom is a product of the muck in our lives? Well, I wrote that, and then later came across this explanation: “The lotus flower, blossoming in murky waters, has been taken as an apt symbol of the Buddha, an enlightened being in the midst of this world of suffering. This image is thus shared across the different forms of Buddhism.” (Ruben L.F. Habito, Experiencing Buddhism, 2005.) Nothing about the murkiness except that it represents suffering. The concept of nourishing mud may be just poetic license in the DVD.
“Nourished” in the poem reminded me of the words of Jesus, “if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” (Matthew 7:9-11 (NLT)).
Could all of it be a Gift? Could even the mud in my life be providential in some way? I’ll guess Jesus is saying no, that his “Father” does not send stones (or boulders), at least not in response to requests. Which sort of begs the question of where do the stones and boulders come from?
But then again, maybe Jesus is saying, “Be assured that everything that is, is a good gift, not a bad gift.”? Can we really “Be thankful in all circumstances”? (1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)). Is the universe “unfolding as it should”? (“Desiderata”). And despite the “weeds growing in with the wheat” (Matthew 13:24-30 (NLT)), the harvest will be good? If I ever become a “blossom pure and radiant,” the essence of wisdom, will I know the answer?
Of course, our existence might be nothing but an absurdity – purposeless, meaningless, all suffering unnecessary. Maybe we are forever lost in a Valley of Tears, our lives merely a broken fragment of software running futilely in the background of some larger reality. Or maybe we are the followers of Lucifer, now in our place of eternal damnation. Or maybe we are the prey or the captives of some unimaginable Evil that feeds on our distress. Or maybe we are just biological machines arising accidentally from the molecules of matter (molecules ultimately arising accidentally or spontaneously from something-we-don’t-know-what), and still not evolved enough to be able to eliminate the difficulties that somehow arise relentlessly in every aspect of our lives.
Given those choices, I guess I’d rather be a growing lotus flower or a child in the womb of Providential Divinity.
The second DVD in the Journey Into Buddhism series has an interesting explanation of the role of evil. At Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the largest temple in the world, there is a stone carving of the Hindu creation epic “Churning the Ocean of Milk.” The narrator says, “Vishnu commands a giant serpent to be pulled back and forth by 108 gods and demons. It continues for a thousand years, until the nectar of immortality appears. This is the divine paradox. The forces of light and dark work relentlessly together in one’s life for spiritual awakening.”
In this Hindu story, the Preserver Vishnu allows darkness in the mix, and good and evil work together under the direction of the god. We’re not kept guessing about the why of evil. That is intellectually satisfying. But I have to ask if the end (spiritual awakening and immortality) justifies the means (being subjected to evil).
This story seems so different to me from a creation story I’m more familiar with, where misery enters the world as a result of the first sin by the first people, Adam and Eve. (And couldn’t Creator Yahweh, being all-knowing, have anticipated this outcome?) Did creation “fall” as a result of their sin and become ruined as some maintain? Or is the integrity of the creation never compromised and the intention of its Sustainer never altered despite the terrible effects of sin?
Can a creation be “good” if any part of it is bad? Maybe “good” is not the right word. Maybe a creation can be “perfect” at fulfilling a good purpose, even if part of the creation is bad. Maybe suffering can somehow be justified. We’re all still waiting for the answer on that.
Of course, basic Buddhism has no creator god, and apparently, Jesus had almost nothing to say about the subject of creation as far as we know. His “Father” or “Abba-God” provider is not so much a creator god as he is one who is creatively transforming our world and our inner lives via the “coming of the Kingdom.” I can’t recall any instance of Jesus specifying a Prime Cause for the human condition (did I miss something?). Instead he found an “Abba” to love.
All this talk about the growing lotus reminded me of the tomato seeds I planted last year in my garden – they didn’t do well. However, one gigantic and very fruitful tomato plant sprouted in the mucky mud of a compost pile, and who knows how the seed got there. Maybe there’s a metaphor in that.
Some of the most meaningful words I ever encountered in a church were on a banner which said, “Grow where you are planted.” And if I find myself planted in muck?
I don’t need to know why there is suffering in the world, or even how to deal with the muck in my own life, before I can choose to not contribute to it.
I rather doubt that attaining awareness or wisdom is a goal I would have chosen for myself. Solomon thought wisdom was the greatest gift. My guess is that love would be a greater gift, but until I become wise, I won’t know for sure. Maybe if one is wise and totally aware, one is also compassionate, capable of giving love.
I’d add a caveat here that after a book and a set of DVDs, I am hardly an expert on Buddhism or Hinduism. By the way, the scenery in the second DVD (Prajna Earth) with vistas of ancient temples is phenomenal.
-2009-
