The blooming lotus: symbol of Uncluttered Living

 

The beauty and elegance of the lotus flower has always been a rich and potent symbol for me. So when I was considering how I wanted to visually represent Uncluttered Living as a pathway to achieving simpler, richer, more mindful and less weighty lives for my clients, I was deeply drawn to the imagery of the lotus.

According to Buddhist philosophy, the lotus flower is a symbol of fortune. It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment that gives forth the flower’s first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the muddy darkness to achieve enlightenment.

The second meaning, related to the first, is purification of a spirit born into darkness or gloom. The stages of growth of the lotus flower represent different stages of awareness. A closed lotus flower represents the time before a follower finds enlightenment; an open flower fully bloomed represents full enlightenment, self-awareness and mindfulness.

Finally, the lotus flower represents rebirth, both in a figurative and a literal sense. The rebirth can be a change of ideas or practices, the dawn after one’s darkest day, a renaissance of beliefs or the ability to see past wrongdoings with clarity.

I see such strong parallels between this beautiful Buddhist symbolism and my aspirations for Uncluttered Living, as a business and as a philosophy to live by.  I too am trying to help people to break through the murkiness of physical and emotional clutter  to achieve mindfulness, lightness of spirit and ease of living.  It’s hard to believe that simply taking decisions and following through with actions about the possessions and habits you surround yourself with, can lead to such life-altering outcomes….but I believe they can, and I love supporting and encouraging  my clients on their own “lotus flower” journeys.