Becoming a Lotus

28-12-23

“Please give Pema a hug for me!” My friend, Sharonne, texted when my trip to Nepal was finalised. Pema is the name of her sponsored shelter dog.

Pema means Lotus Flower in Tibetan. Although rooted in mud, the Lotus rises from its murky surroundings without carrying a trace of dirt.

Hence, the Lotus in eastern spirituality has become a symbol of rising above challenges while remaining free from defilements.

At our recent shelter visit to Street Dog Care, we were greeted by dogs that embodied the spirit of the Lotus.

Despite having suffered from human abuse and neglect, they came prancing towards us like we were their best friends.

To avoid getting knocked over by wave after wave of canine affection, I had to quickly sit on a little mound of soil upon entering the shelter.

Dancing at our feet in anticipation, each dog was vying for the chance to pull us into their earthy embrace.

Laughing humans, smiling dogs and swirling dust … what an absolute chaos but oh so delightful!

Rocky had an acid wound that was deep & red, but he offered his face and looked at me with the kindest eyes as I spoke to him. Could this dog be anymore aggressive as his abuser claimed?

Then there was one who pedalled frantically on two front legs to welcome us. He was probably a survivor of motor traffic or birth defect. Marcus quickly went over to receive his greetings to show the beige angel that he was not overlooked.

We couldn’t finish walking the length of the shelter without getting greeted, kissed or hugged by dogs.

Rough sleeping on the streets and not having ready access to cleaning did not defile the purity of these canine beings one bit.

On our ride back from the shelter in our little taxi, I was beaming from ear to ear. Mud splattered and in my down jacket punctured by canine attempts to hug me, I felt cleansed of all sadness by the Lotuses in the dog shelter.