Western Lotus - Flower of the Silent People

Westerners often say: “Lotus is the queen in the lake. And water lily is the country girl in the field.”

Lotus is honored, chosen as a symbol. As for water lilies, they only bloom quietly all their lives on the banks of ditches, fields, among leaves shimmering in the sunlight. But who knows, that very silence may be a philosophy of life.

When the lotus chooses a humble place for itself

Unlike the lotus, the water lily does not rise above the water. Its stem is short, its petals close to the water, its leaves float like hands holding the sunlight. The water lily does not need to stand tall to be seen. It only needs to bloom at the right time, in the right place, like the people of the West who live simply, peacefully, without showing off, without making noise.

Countryside features. Photo: THANH PHONG

There are values that do not need to stand out to last. There are people who “bloom silently” all their lives, but contribute to making the water surface of their homeland fresher and more peaceful. The lotus flower is a gentle reminder that beauty does not necessarily mean being tall, but being real.

When hidden beauty is the deepest beauty

Lotus flowers usually bloom early in the morning, when the dew is still there and the sun has not yet risen. At noon, when everything is bright, the flowers close their petals. As if its beauty is only for those who are willing to wake up early, willing to watch quietly, willing to live slowly. Some people say that lotus flowers are “friends of dawn”. Because only when the earth is still, people are not in a hurry, will lotus flowers tell their story.

In this life, how many people are like lotus flowers, working silently, contributing silently, not needing applause, just seeing society at peace is enough.

When lotus teaches us a lesson about contentment

The water lily does not require dry land or deep water. It only needs a small puddle or a still pond to grow and bloom. It lives just enough and is completely beautiful in that enough. In life, people sometimes search for good land, forgetting that happiness sometimes is just finding a peaceful surface of water to bloom.

Western lotus. Photo: THANH PHONG

The water lily does not compete with the lotus, nor does it compete with other flowers. It only does its part, catching the sun, reflecting on the water, bringing a bit of purple to the early morning of the countryside. Like many people in the countryside, they are attached to the fields and the water all year round. They do not seek fame, but only a decent, full, and kind life.

When lotus is the symbol of the gentle but resilient Western people

Don't think the lotus is weak. Its roots cling deep into the mud, its stem is flexible, its leaves can withstand sun, wind, and alum water. Wherever the lotus grows, the water becomes clearer, because it helps filter out the turbid silt.
The same goes for the people of the West. Amidst the many changes of the times, people still live peacefully, still sow seeds, still welcome guests, still smile. They are not noisy, but resilient like water lily roots clinging to the ground, flexible like water lily leaves spread on the waves.

When society knows how to appreciate the lotus flowers of everyday life

We honor the lotus, it is worthy. But do not forget the water lily, the symbol of the ordinary people who are making this life less arid. They are the farmers who silently protect the land. They are the teachers, the retired officials who still diligently sow knowledge. They are the small workers who live kindly every day.

If the lotus is a symbol of nobility, then the water lily is a symbol of kindness. Both are from the same family, both live in mud and water, but each species chooses for itself a different way to shine, a very Western, very Vietnamese way to shine.

Lotus blooms for those who know to stop

In the midst of today’s hurried life, if one morning you stop by the pond and see a blooming lotus, be quiet for a moment. Because who knows, that flower might be telling you: “Don’t live to be superior to others. Live to quietly beautify life.”

Because in this world , it is not only the noble lotus that makes the summer, but also the small, simple water lilies that keep the surface of our souls from drying up.

LE MINH HOAN

Source; https://baodongthap.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202511/bong-sung-mien-tay-hoa-cua-nhung-nguoi-am-tham-1051848/