No Mud, No Lotus: The most Precious Lesson I’ve Learned from Thich Nhat Hanh.
One of the guesthouses I stayed in when I was in India had a cozy living room with a huge library.
I loved to chill there after a long day of touring and pick up books that other travelers had randomly left on the table and couches.
One of the books I stumbled upon was written by the renowned Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh — No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering.
I didn’t get to all chapters, as I had to move to another town, but that book and the words of Thich Nhat Hanh about suffering have changed my life forever.
In 2016, when I returned from India, I inked “no mud, no lotus” on my chest as a daily reminder when I stand in front of the mirror that without mud, the lotus flower can never grow.
Today, when I heard of Thich Nhat Hanh’s death, I returned once more to one of the most precious lessons I’ve learned from him:
Suffering is inevitable, but we can always transform it.
It is true that his heart stopped beating, but his words and endless wisdom will always remind me that I should not run away from my pain. I should not escape…
