Improve your life in six seconds

Om Mani Padme Hum.

Or, in its original ancient language of Sanskrit — ॐ मणिपद्मे हूँ

If you’ve done any yoga in the past, this chant might be familiar to you. There are debates about its meaning, but “Mani Padme” is often translated as “jewel in the Lotus.” The Lotus flower is ubiquitous across India, East and South-East Asia. Growing in flood plains and slow-moving rivers, the seeds settle on the bottom of a water puddle or pond and can remain dormant for a long time. The oldest known germination is from 1300-year-old seeds that were found in a dry lake in north-eastern China; probably why it’s seen as a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. Its reputation is also helped along by the fact the Lotus has been cultivated for over 3,000 years for its edible seeds, which are often used as a paste in Chinese pastries and in Japanese desserts.

As the Lotus flower grows up through the mud, it opens its pale white and pink petals to reveal an unblemished centre. Buddhism teaches that everyone has the potential to become enlightened; the way the Lotus grows in dirty ponds symbolises our own opportunity for purity and awakening. It is why the Buddha is sometimes depicted sitting on a Lotus flower. Overcoming pain and hardship in life to become enlightened, just as the flower grows in muddy water yet isn’t soiled by the mud. Many Hindu gods are…