No Mud, No Lotus

June, 2016

How interesting that at this, the longest day of the year, I am drawn to write about darkness. "In a culture addicted to the light, there is no altar for darkness."

I have many times found myself influenced by not only our culture but my own preference to remain focused on "the light" parts of life and avoid the darker, more challenging emotions/feelings.  

Of course, who wouldn't rather feel joy or pleasure instead of grief or pain? Yet, how deeply my roots are embedded in the mud, similar to the lotus, surely affects my capacity to then open to the beckoning light from above.  At times, when I feel so entrenched in that mud, it feels a bit like quick sand, and it is in these moments, that only faith can hold me.

My faith is emboldened as the beauty of life unfolds and blossoms around me this time of year.  I am reminded of this:  "for a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, it's insides come out and everything changes.  To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction."  These little, hard seeds, full of potential, miraculously come apart and find their way through the hard earth reaching towards the warmth and sunshine above. And the beauty... the fragrance... how can I not be in awe and filled with the truth that is always there, but at times must lie dormant and hidden from my vision or knowing. 

This Summer Solstice and Full Moon bring much external light to us... may we all embrace this, but not forget to set a place at our altars for the darkness and trust that it brings equal value to the equation of this blessed journey towards ourselves.