The Goddess of The Lotus

Lakshmi

Lakshmi, one of the most popular Hindu goddesses, is associated with fertility and growth, prosperity, well being in physical health, royal power, love and devotion, beauty, illustriousness and abundance in general. Invoking Lakshmi brings bountiful abundance. She is the great Mother of Fulfilling Desires and is associated with the heart chakra.

Her outward appearance is described by Hindu Goddesses author, David Kinsley as: “Glorious as gold, illustrious as the moon, shines like the sun and lustrous like fire”. She is also described as moist with a perceptible sweet odor. She is depicted with as many as 18 arms but typically seen with just four. One hand displays the mudra for granting prayers/requests and another displaying the mudra for dispelling fear. Another hand holds lotus flowers and a fourth dispenses gold coins. Elephants are always pictured with her and are sometimes showering her in the fertilizing sap of existence. She is gold in color and is seen seated or standing upon a lotus.

Lotus flowers represent life’s unfoldment. The lotus flower is rooted and rises from the muddy darkness and blooms above the water, completely uncontaminated by the filth. Like the soul coming forth from the earth of the physical body. The lotus symbolizes spiritual perfection, a growing/expanding world permeated with fertile power and the blossoming of organic life.

Lakshmi was created during the churning of the “Ocean of Milk” by a tortoise with a serpent wrapped around its neck in effort to obtain valuable essences. Just as the churning of milk yields a richer substance – butter. Among that which appeared during the great churn was Lakshmi. Lakshmi aquires her strength from the primordial waters and floats freely in an environment of spirituality. Her authority embodies the potent power of growth, a refinement beyond the material world.

Indian tradition says that in a formless state, the watery world is chaotic and overwhelming. Creation only takes place when our world is agitated in such a way that form and growth can then take place. In other words, RASA is always there, even in a formless state, only when the potency is released can creation occurs. Lakshmi represents the transformation of the formless into organic life. Lakshmi is the rasa which gives our desires their distinct flavor and beauty.

She causes us to create/manifest our wants in the outer world. She nourishes and supports whatever we truly aspire to do. She aids in our projects by promoting their fulfillment and offers shower after shower of grace in varying intensity. Be careful what you seek, eventually it will be given to you.

Perhaps the most beautiful search in out lives is for Divine presence everywhere, in everyone. My teacher once said, “If we seek anything, we should seek everything. Ask for nothing less than perfect existence, consciousness and bliss.” The quality of our consciousnesses is our greatest wealth, not our possessions. We can’t hold on to them anyway. Honoring Lakshmi is to unfold the full powers of perception, to see extraordinary beauty in simplicity. She is abundance in all forms.

Give reverence to Lakshmi by recognizing the manifestation of beauty in the natural world. Keep your “home” clean. Not just the dwelling of your physical body but the dwelling of your soul. Work hard and avoid neurotic “wants”. Place an image of Lakshmi on your altar. Offer her beautiful flowers, sweet incense and light while recognizing the reflection of these powers reside within you.

Churning the milk with love,

Shani