Week of

The Lotus Always Blooms in the Mud

Every aspect of the practice of meditation reflects the continual manifestation of gentleness.You begin to realize that the sound of the meditation bell or timer, to signal the beginning or the end of meditation practice, is the sound of gentleness. Your meditation cushion or the chair that you sit in to meditate is the embodiment of gentleness.

When you have the softness of gentleness and the precision of the practice at the same time, the lotus of awakened heart is blossoming within you.The lotus always blooms in the mud.You are willing to give birth to this beautiful lotus flower in the muddy waters of your life. For the first time, you realize that you are a candidate to be a wakeful person.

From Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Life, pages 37 and 39.

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The CTR Quote of the Week is coming to you from the Chogyam Trungpa Institute at Naropa University. The compiler of the quotes and the moderator of the list is Carolyn Gimian.

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