I am inspired by the Buddhist saying, “No mud, no lotus.”

Spirit of nature, the last week has been a struggle between Winter and Spring, with overnight temperatures often below freezing and snow falling just yesterday. We can be confident this battle will soon be won by Spring.

There is another struggle we face today, one to save democracy, and on April 5th, many Follenites protested. I stood in the cold, joined by many others, holding signs in Waltham. My heart is still warmed remembering this pop-up community of people who want our government to support diversity and freedom. It was liberating to stand together in resistance. Spirit, we at Follen are a part of a much larger community. We are not alone.

Bryan Stevenson said: “We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation.”

Human Spirit, may we treat others with respect and honor their humanity.
May we be in community with others who choose empathy and compassion.
May we resist those who seek to dominate and destroy.
May we prevail in this moral struggle for decency and democracy.
Spirit, May what feels cold and hard and overwhelming be transformed by the power of peaceful resistance.

In this time when it feels like we are stuck in mud, may we rise up like the lotus flower.

May it be so.

 

—Jim F.