This Vesak day, we ponder on the Buddhist symbolism of the lotus. According to legend, Gautama Buddha's first steps made lotus flowers appear everywhere he stepped. It grows in muddy water and is a regular fixture in river banks all over Asia. The lotus roots thrive in the muddy murky environment and rise, blooming in a display of beauty and grace. The beautiful yet hardy flower represents the purity of the body, speech and mind through difficulty, floating seemingly effortlessly above the murky