On Lotus Pond - buddhist temple gardens

this time i visited the buddhist temple in reservoir in the northern suburbs... i still remember it was just last winter when my husband and i went there and found the lotus pond bare, the monk who saw us then said that the flowers usually come out either in spring or autumn, so i kept that in mind.....it was drizzling when i arrived there, waited for a while for the rain to stop then i started walking towards the gardens, i was alone i guess, because it was raining and of course, the state election was going on and everyone must be either in the voting centres or holed up in their own homes..... there were a lot of flowers floating on the pond, either yellow or white, i was hoping to find some purple ones, which is my favourite colour....took a few shots then it started raining again, ah, it's time to go before i soak....


"the lotus is called Nelumbo, sole member of botanical species Nelumbonaceae, it consists of only two kinds, Asian and American...

Because they emerge from slime and corruption, then grow up through the purifying water to emerge into the sunlight, they are seen as metaphors for the development of the individual being towards enlightenment. The flower stands for renunciation of the entanglements of samsara, and for the pure aspiration that is the desire for enlightenment for the sake of others."  (www.khandro.net)