Om Mani Padma Hum - The Jewel is in the Lotus

Somewhere under the exhaust filled air of Deli there is a water garden nurturing a cluster of beautiful lotus flowers. Everyday one rises from the dark depths of the basin, out of the cool water, and into the world.  Petal by petal unfolding its damp blossom and awakening to the brilliance of the sun.  Day after day courageously moving forward into the world without hesitation. Night after night retreating its smog dusted petals and returning to the replenishing moonlit waters. 

Everywhere in the world people are moving through life from sun up to sun down and even after. Most days pass in a common and forgettable sequence of events.  The daily experience uniting us is the presence of our breath, diligently escorting us from one moment to the next. It is in the attention to that mechanism where one can emerge from the heavy depths of life to notice the simple joy of wakefulness. 

When we step out of our ego-centric minds and honestly observe the moment we are in we come one step closer to liberating our true selves.  This can often be a painful action and likely avoided for that reason.  However just as the mantra suggests the jewel truly is in the lotus.  That glowing treasured gem of awareness is found through the very process of waking our mind and body to the present moment just as it is.  However the gem cannot be polished without friction and its through challenges that one really grows.

So as we move in and out of each day like the lotus may we remember that every breath we take is all we really have.  And whatever your experience is, within it and within you, is a sparkling jewel waiting to be found. Bringing mindfulness to that breath brings consciousness to your life.