“Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation “- RUMI

We as women have so much to do all day. As mothers, there is no end to our little-little tasks and daily chores. But one negative emotion is worry, which we are just not able to get out of our minds. ‘What if ….’ is a killer in all scenarios.

Just like most of us, I too started craving for silence. Silence not only around me but also inside me.
Finding me time was not a problem at all. But every-time I would close my eyes, my worries would conquer me and my peace of mind. ‘What if this happens or what if that happens – I would come out of my me time more exhausted and anxious.
 
A close friend invited me for tea at her home and took me to her balcony to show me something. I had never seen something so serene and QUIET!!! A SMALL LOTUS POND. We just sat there sipping our tea in silence. I came back home so rejuvenated.
I decided to have one of my own. I went to check out some nurseries and finally found one. I put guppie fish in it so that there was no mosquito breeding. A new lotus takes about a year to bloom.
Every morning I sit in my balcony and have my tea next to the lotus pond. I cannot express in words how tranquil it is. When I look at the lotus blooms – all I can feel is thoughtless awareness, stillness, silence, and tranquility – something that my soul was yearning for. There is no noise – even inside me.
The water is dirty and muddy, yet the lotus is so pure and unharmed. It is not bothered or worried about what is around it. It will bloom with as much beauty, grace, and calmness. This is a great lesson I learned from the Lotus.

Steps to set up a lotus pond –

  1. I bought 2 lotus saplings from a local plant nursery. Starting with seed would have only taken longer.
  2. I bought a big stone planter without any holes. I washed it with water a couple of times.
  3. Then I filled the planter with 1/4th soil and planted the lotus in it. Then I completely filled it with water.
  4. The water will look muddy but in a day or so, the mud will settle down.
  5. The lotus leaves will probably be immersed in water but they will grow accordingly in no time and rest on the water.
  6. I added guppy fish in it so that there would be no mosquito breeding. Guppy is a very delicate and colorful fish that sparkles in the sunlight. Though it is difficult to identify but if you can get a few female guppies, then they multiply pretty quickly.
  7. You don’t have to give any food to the fish. They will happily survive on algae.
  8. You have to have a heater for the pond in winters, or else all fish will die in cold weather.
  9. Most importantly, the lotus will bloom in bright sunlight. So put it only in a place, that gets a lot of sunlight.
  10. There is no need to change the water. You will get some algae during the rainy season that you can take out. The water never smells.
  11. Sometimes a new lotus plant can take up to one year to bloom. Wait patiently.
  12. Lotus does not bloom all throughout the year.
  13. You can wrap a pinch of fertilizer DAP in a small piece of newspaper and immerse it in the sand once a month. That keeps the lotus plant healthy and helps with the blooms.
 

‘Lotus – Out of the murky mud of life grows the purely beautiful lotus flower, trusting in its own unfolding.’ – Anonymous