The Lotus

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            “The lotus comes from the murkiest water but grows into the purest thing”
-          Nita Ambani

From ancient times, the lotus has been associated with purity and beauty as it is difficult to believe that such a clean and beautiful flower can emerge, untainted by the dirty and muddy water. As a result of this, the lotus is often mentioned or used as a symbolism in many religions.

Around 6 months ago, a friend of mine from Kuala Lumpur visited me, bringing with her a lotus plant. It was a gift from herself and another friend who initially grew lotuses as a hobby, which then turn into a business. 

At first, I was quite apprehensive in receiving such a gift as we never had a lotus plant at home before and I was concern that it will perish from neglect.

My lotus grower friend however assured me that the lotus plant is quite resilient and that it needed minimal care.  However, he did remind me to put fertiliser (for aquatic plants) into the pot every 2 to 3 weeks and to add abate to prevent mosquitoes as I wasn’t keen on rearing fishes.  

Whenever the lotus blooms, it is indeed a beautiful and breathtaking sight. My amateurish photography skill does not do justice to the plant.  Below are some photos of the plant: -





   
       The whole plant is useful: -
·          The stems and roots can be eaten as vegetable
·         The leaves can be used to wrap Chinese sticky rice.
·         The flower petals and stamens can be used as tea
·         The seeds can be eaten and made into paste
·          The dried lotus pod can be used as a decoration
   
                                                          Make tea with the stamens


This is indeed a beautiful and useful plant to have at home. If you have the space at home, do consider planting a lotus plant. A big pot can be used if you have limited space.

In my personal view, a lotus truly represents that no matter how hard life gets or how badly it treats us; emerging as a better person despite our bad experiences is a choice that we can make. Don’t ever let bad experiences turn us into a bitter and pessimistic person. Instead, turn the bad experiences into lessons that help to propel us into a better future.

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