Recently, our Art Socialization Group explored a theme they dubbed, “No Mud, No Lotus.” It was based on a quotation by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist:

“Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud.” – Thich Nhat Hanh 

They explored the quotation and talked about the origins of the lotus flower and the meaning behind it. Usually these flowers grow from a murky pond, but they look so clean against the background of the dirty pond. They symbolize rebirth. So they related the life of the lotus flower to their own journeys and how each person is like a lotus flower coming out of the mud.

A New Journey

The path to recovery and rejuvenation is often miraculously made against the backdrop of a murky past. Here is some of the artwork our group created based on this theme.