Contents of My Mom's Life

The beautiful lotus that grows from the mud of the swamp is in itself clean and pure. A very important symbol in India and of Buddhism, the lotus
refers to many aspects of the path, as it grows from the mud (samsara), up through clean water (purification), and arising from the deep produces a beautiful flower (enlightenment). The white blossom represents purity, the stem stands for the practice of Buddhist teachings which raise the mind above the (mud of) worldly existence, and gives rise to purity of mind.

The photographer Clayton James Cubbitt, in trying to find beauty in destruction, has some extraordinary images in the aftermath of Katrina as he captures "the contents of my Mom's Life." Very much like the lotus.

Thanks to Jeremy Hiebert of lifestylsm who writes about creating the lives we want for the link.