~ Lotus Petal Wisdom ~
( by Venerable Beop Jeon, the Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism )

When raindrops fill a lotus petal, the petal sways for a while together with each drop, and when the water has pooled to a certain extent, the petal pours the pure crystal-like water away without any regret or attachment.

Then when the water falls again onto the lotus leaf below, there again it wells up and rolls right on off again, emptying into the lotus pond.

Observring this spectacle with no-mind, I thought, "The lotus petal takes on only as much weight as it can hold; anything more and it empties everything out completely!"

I have been completely struck by such wisdom.

Were the lotus to instead take the water greedily, the petal would end up tearing or its stem would snap.

The principles for living in the world are exactly the same...

Lotus flowers are a common symbol often found in Buddhist sculptures and paintings. They are seen in many forms. The lotus grows from mud (representing ignorance) up to the clear sunlight (representing enlightenment).