The lotus has been identified as a sacred plant in more than one region/religion because it is grounded in the muck but aspires its head to the heavens – just like many a gardener I know.

Perhaps the most important sacred scripture of Buddhism is the Lotus sutra – its core message is that Buddhahood or the enlightened self which is characterized by boundless compassion, courage and wisdom is possible and indeed inherent within everyone, without distinction of gender, ethnicity, social standing, educational opportunities, or other extraneous differences – one does not need to be white robed and aloof, spotless in virtue and fingernails, some of us with mucky boots get there too.

The Lotus Sutra teaches active engagement with mundane life for there too is the spiritual life, there too is enlightenment to be sparked. To live a good life is to live through life with all its challenges. Every human life, with all of its own unique circumstances and universal experience is spiritual life. Each one of us is the seed of enlightenment. It is inevitable, we will germinate when conditions are right, we will bloom and set more seed.