The pure lotus growing in muddy water is a metaphor for enlightenment.
The lotus arises from all its impediments.
It actually needs the impurity of the water for its nourishment.
In the same way, in our own personal development, we can’t just work with what we like about ourselves.
We have to work with our muddy water.
+Bernard Glassman and Rick Fields
Do not give up your vices. Make your vices work for you. If you are a proud person, don’t get rid of your pride.
Apply it to your spiritual quest.
+Joseph Campbell
IN LIGHT OFALLTHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING in our world and in our country these past few days, weeks, and months, I am hard pressed to even begin to write yet another article for this newspaper. These words of St. Augustine of Hippo keep ringing in my head: “The times are bad! The times are troublesome! This is what humans say. But we are our times. Let us live well and our times will be good. Such as we are, such are our times.” Indeed, such are our times.
As I consider all that is happening these days, so much of which is out of control and so much of which is out of my control, I find it helpful to try to see the meaning and purpose behind all the violence, vitriol, lack of respect, and just plain evil in our world. There are religious and spiritual writings that may be of some help in dealing with all that’s going on. I find it painful, if not just incredulous, that even some of these writings are used to excuse or explain away the pain and suffering. So sometimes I find it helpful to use metaphors like the lotus flower in the muddy water and the simple advice to save my vices.
I see so much pain and suffering in our world as the impurity in this muddy water that can actually nourish us if we let the intense sorrow wash over us and literally cleanse our minds and hearts as we allow ourselves to let go of whatever it is that keeps us from offering compassion and care to our brothers and sisters in our families, neighborhoods, cities, country, and indeed the world.
When I see people peacefully demonstrating against the injustices in our world perpetrated by individuals, groups, and even governments, I find that a healthy way to make my vices, my anger, my grief, and my self-righteousness work for me. It gives me a healthy way to direct my pent-up passions that can actually be working for the good of others rather than continuing to be a source of anxiety within me. It also helps me in my spiritual quest to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
It seems to me that if we want to live in peaceful times, we must truly focus on what it means for each one of us to be a peaceful person because, as St. Augustine says, “Such as we are, such are our times.” If we look around at all that is happening these days, we are obviously not peaceful people. Let’s all work on that! Peace! Shalom! Salam! Pace! Paz! Pax!
Sister Mary Thill is a Sylvania Franciscan Sister. She can be reached at mthill@sistersosf.org. ✲
