And Siddhartha Gautama became Buddha when his inner lotus blossomed in full bloom.
A spotless lotus bud, born in murky waters, plunges to life from beneath the mud, not allowing the dirt that surrounds it to stain its growth and as the virtues of consciousness develop therein the lotus attains full blossom. This is the symbolism of Buddha emanating from a lotus in bloom. Lotuses are symbols of ‘spontaneous’ generation and divinity.
It is often said that the essence of all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this one phrase – Om mani padme hum
Loosely translated, Om Mani Padme Hum means: “I bow to the jewel within the lotus.”
OM is the sound of creation, the vibration of nothingness – no thought, no dream, no projections, no expectations, not even a single ripple – the whole lake of consciousness is simply full of emptiness;
MANI: Mani means jewel, symbolising the altruistic goal of achieving enlightenment.
PADME: Padme means lotus, and it symbolizes wisdom. The lotus flower grows out of the mud, but is not soiled by the mud. It reminds us that we can live in this imperfect world and not be affected by it. This helps us to practice perseverance and concentration, remembering our goals, and our true nature.
HUM: Hum represents cyclical inseparability, for the hum of the “Hum” contains the primordial sound “OM”.
Om Mani Padme Hum is not a chant. It is something that is supposed to sink deep in being, just as roots of the lotus go deep into the earth in the pond bed. The deeper the roots seek, the fuller the lotus bloom.
Om Mani Padme Hum is like a seed going deep beyond the conscious so that it can send its roots to the sources of life and finally to the universal consciousness. Then it blossoms, petals steady over the ripples on the surface of pond scum,
The “unbloomed” knows no bliss, with something missing: Despite access to all the pleasures and comforts and luxuries of the world, unless the inner lotus opens, we are incomplete, not whole.
Be like a lotus ! Opening up to the sky, unaffected by muddy waters, slime and pond scum.
OM MANI PADME HUM
