Story: The Little Lotus That Wanted Perfect Water

Once upon a time, in a quiet pond at the edge of a village, a tiny lotus seed dreamed of blooming into the most beautiful flower. The seed looked around and saw that the pond’s water was murky, filled with drifting leaves, drifting insects, and the occasional swirl of mud from the fish below.

“This water is too dirty,” the little lotus thought. “I will wait for clean water. Only then will I grow.”

Day after day, the rain would fall, but the water never stayed clear for long. Other lotus seeds sprouted bravely, pushing their shoots through the mud, unfolding green leaves that floated on the pond’s surface. They drank in the sunlight and reached higher and higher.

But the little lotus stayed curled up, waiting for the perfect moment. “One day, the water will be crystal clear, and then I will grow,” it promised itself.

Seasons passed. The pond stayed the same—sometimes a bit clearer after a rain, sometimes muddier when the wind stirred the bottom. The little lotus felt smaller and smaller as it watched the other lotuses bloom into radiant flowers, visited by bees and dragonflies.

One day, an old frog swam by and saw the seed sitting idle in the mud. “Why don’t you grow?” asked the frog.

“The water is too dirty,” said the little lotus. “I need clean, pure water to bloom perfectly.”

The frog chuckled. “Little lotus, lotuses do not bloom because the water is perfect. They bloom because they push through the mud, the muck, and the murk. The dirtier the pond, the stronger the lotus. Waiting for perfect water is like waiting for the wind to stop blowing—it may never happen. You already have all you need.”

Hearing this, the little lotus hesitated. Then, for the first time, it stretched out a tiny root into the mud. The mud was cold and thick, but it held nourishment. Slowly, the little lotus pushed upward, feeling the warmth of the sun above.

Days turned into weeks, and soon a small green shoot broke the pond’s surface. The little lotus lifted its first leaf to the light. It was not perfect, but it was alive. Before long, it blossomed into a delicate flower—just like the others, bright and beautiful against the muddy pond.

Lesson Summary:

There is no perfect condition for growth. Cultivation does not wait for purity or perfection. Like the lotus, we must bloom in the mud, using whatever circumstances we have to rise and open our hearts to the light.

Divad