A captivating history of one of the world's most iconic and mysterious flowers Bewitched by a lotus which flowered from three-thousandyear- old seeds in his English garden, Mark Griffiths set out to track the origins and significance of this sublime plant in this beautifully-illustrated book. The Lotus Quest takes Griffiths from the headquarters of the Linnaean Society in London to a mountain top in northern Japan. As he travels in search of this ancient flower, Griffiths looks at the lotus's significance in ancient Egypt and India, the plant's medicinal uses and the inspiration it has provided to Western artists. As he tracks the plant, its story unveils a stunning vision of Japan's feudal era with visits to shrines, ruins, gardens and wild landscapes as well as meetings with priests and archaeologists, philosophers and anthropologists, gardeners and botanists, poets and artists. He even dines on the lotus in a Tokyo cafe. By the end of Griffiths' journey, when he reaches the hauntingly beautiful Japanese temple of Chuson-ji, readers will finally understand why the lotus has obsessed people throughout the ages.

The Lotus Flower is a collection of poetry about healing; mother nature; love; relationships; spirituality; religion; depression amongst many other subjects. The Lotus Flower stays close to mother nature throughout. The poems were written in order to heal from mental health illness and gain a new life of spirituality and wisdom. The poetry depicts life in its minute form and brings small things to life. The poetry is written from a feminist point of view covering many areas of femininity and mother nature. Beginning with the poem 'My Brand New Book, ' shows my second chance in life of writing and living, still staying natural to my environment and my experiences. As the poems develop and come out of their shell I write about depresssion and relationships, asking the question: Who am I ? continuously. The title is inspired from the poem 'About Ancestor Voices' and it was after this poem my poetry was growing into another dimension, especially the lines: ' The lakes are laid with the Lotus, As they have fought from the depths of waters', Carrying hope, light and purity in their shield like petals.'The poetry develops into 'My World' and 'A Poetess Grows' showing the development in the poetry reflecting life. As it develops I express the importance of childhood and religion. As identity in finding life back is explored I return to religion and back to nature. After writing 'The Phoenix' the poetry expresses love and resurrection and how much we can learn from mother nature.

Originally published in 1976, Leon Hurvitz's monumental translation of the Lotus Sutra is the work scholars have preferred for decades. Hailed by critics as an "extraordinary" and "magnificent" achievement, Hurvitz's translation is based on the best known Chinese version of the text and includes passages of the original Sanskrit that were omitted from the Chinese. Beloved for its mythology and literary artistry, the Lotus Sutra is one of the most popular and influential texts of Mahayana Buddhism, asserting that there is only one path to enlightenment, the bodhisattva path, and that all followers without exception can achieve supreme awakening. The text argues that the Buddha cannot be delimited by time and space and that a common intent underlies the diversity of Buddhist teachings. Through parables of the burning house, the wayward son, and other tales that have come to be known throughout East Asia, the sutra skillfully concretizes abstract religious concepts and clarifies bold claims about the Buddhist tradition. Urging devotees to revivify doctrine through recitation and interpretation, the sutra powered an organic process of remaking that not only kept its content alive in the poetry and art of premodern Asia but also introduced new forms of practice and scriptural study into contemporary Buddhism. Stephen F. Teiser's foreword addresses this vital quality of the sutra, discusses its background, and reflects on the enduring relevance of Hurvitz's critical work.

A reissuing of The Lotus Flowers, poetry by Ellen Bryant Voigt.

Vietnam created the most sophisticated ceramics in Southeast Asia. Though they borrowed from China, Vietnamese potters explored their own indigenous tastes and developed their own production techniques. Blessed with the smooth gray-white clays of the Red River Valley, they created pieces that are amazingly light and thin-walled, with skillfully painted, incised, and carved decoration. Two particularly popular decorative themes were dragons (from whom the Vietnamese believed they were descended) and lotuses (considered archetypal symbols of Buddhist purity, because the flower emerges unsullied from the mud). Through a series of judicious purchases that began in the 1970s, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, has created an extraordinary collection of Vietnamese ceramic art. Essays by three noted experts introduce the collection. John Stevenson, co-author of Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition, describes the evolution of Vietnamese ceramics and the contexts in which they were produced, and analyzes their aesthetic attraction. The Museum's senior curator, Donald A. Wood, explains the rich symbolism of decorative motifs found on Vietnamese ceramics. Independent scholar Philippe Truong, of Paris and Saigon, assesses the current state of the field.

Join our little plant as she goes on a journey of discovery. With a little help from some new friends she will find out she knows quite a lot.

Louise Farrell was homesick. She had seen hundreds of examples of ancient architecture, mosques, and Hindu shrines. She was bone-tired and irritable, tired of the culture, the filth and poverty, the red dirt piled about everywhere, the crowds of humanity, and the odor of chapattis being baked over cow dung fires. Truth be said, she was eager to return to the clean, wide-open spaces of the Flint Hills of Kansas. Although her husband Richard had been told that no one could capture the essence of India in the written word, he had notebooks filled with his impressions of the history, the Vedic literature, the agriculture, the hundreds of dialects of the Hindi language, the political turmoil, and the warring religions of the country. How did it happen that a basketball coach and mediocre teacher of history from the Midwest wound up in India after one of the countless famines that had struck the country, this one more severe than others because of the rice crop which failed in Bengal after independence and partition? The United States sent aid to this fledgling democracy, of course. The problem was this: India could not repay its debts except in rupees. What was the United States to do with hundreds of millions of rupees that could only be spent in India, one of the poorest countries on the face of the earth? Senator Fulbright came up with the solution. The United States would send teachers to India to study and spend those rupees there. And so it was that Richard and Louise Farrell and their daughter Kitty went to India to study and to travel in order to learn about one of the oldest cultures on earth.

Divided into three chapters, Where the Lotus Blooms explores the natural elements of our world—fire, earth, and water—and unites them with our human experiences. Told from the voice of a first-generation Canadian woman, this poetry collection is inspired by Neha Chand’s life experiences, personal hardships, shedding a light on generational differences and exposing the patriarchy. Through detailed imagery, trauma is brought to life, as is the healing process. Through evocative lyricism and potent symbols, each poem offers a glimpse into Neha’s convictions and shares a piece of her soul. Yet she continuously speaks to our shared experiences and our interconnectedness, encouraging us to bloom just as the lotus does. It is through Neha’s words where our voices are heard and felt: She might not be your heir She may not rule kingdoms but like the earth she bears your violence like the rain she quenches your thirst She won’t carry your name But she will carry your sins She will hide them in her veil And sacrifice them, in her name She will heal your ego as she disguises her wounds She will ignite your passions while you succumb to yours she will raise warriors feed nations birth daughters who will carry her story

I am Indra Persad-Milowe, I can be reached at: Office: 978-741-7600. Website: acollectionofpoems.com Email: [email protected] I thoroughly enjoy, promoting my late Father's Book, Trinidad & Tobago's Author & Poet, Ramsundar Persad, "THE LOTUS BLOOMS" A Collection of Poems. This Collection of Poems were found, in a brown folder, in his bedside drawer, after his death dedicated to his wife Hema, and his daughters, Indra, Vidia & Saty. 1) Award-Winner in the Poetry: Inspirational Category of The National Best Books 2009 Awards. Sponsored by USA Book News. 2) Award-Winner in the Poetry: Inspirational Category of The 2010 International Book Awards. Sponsored by USA Book News. 3) Television Interview, 1/2 hour "Malden Square" with Indra Persad-Milowe, the eldest daughter of the Author & Poet. Produced by Barbara Tolstrup conversing about "The Lotus Blooms" A Collection of Poems by Ramsundar Persad. On MATV (P) – Public: Comcast 3/Verizon 28. Website: acollectionofpoems.com Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Blog: thelotusblooms.wordpress.com E-Book in ePub format is now available on: 1) Amazon Kindle 2) Barnes & Noble/Nook™ 3) BooksonBoard.com (for iPhone) E-Book is now available on: 1) Amazon.com 2) BarnesandNoble.com 3) BooksonBoard.com 1) July 2009 – Book Review: http://www.oldsouth.org/pubs/reporter/repsum09.html#9 2) November 2009 – Book Review – khaasbaat.com A Publication for Indian Americans in Florida. 3) November 2009 – Book Review – bostonsouthasian.com A Publication for Indians in Boston, MA. 4) January 2010 – Book Review – The 20th Annual Midwest Book Awards. 5) April 2010 – Book Review – Writer’s Digest 4 Published Books in Trinidad and Tobago by Author Ramsundar Persad: 1) Rites, Rituals and Customs associated with the Hindu Marriage Ceremony in Trinidad and Tobago was sold out on www.amazon.com 2) Famous Women in Hindu Religious Literature 3) Love Incarnate 4) Glimpses into the Hindu Religious Heritage 7 Published English Transliterations in Trinidad and Tobago by Author Ramsundar Persad: 1) Ram Bhakt Hanuman 2) Shri Lakshmi Chalisa 3) Shri Saraswati Chalisa 4) Great Personalities from Hindu Religious Literature – Shabari 5) Divali – The Hindu Festival of Lights 6) In Reverance to Lord Shiva 7) Krishna Leela Series – #1 Gopal Bhai and the Divine Lota of milk 3 Unpublished Works in Trinidad and Tobago by Author Ramsundar Persad: 1) The Greatness of the Gita – A Companion to the Bhagavad Gita 2) In Reverence to Mother Durga 3) Romance and Adventure from the Prem Sagar (Usha and Anirudh)

The Lotus blooms, pure and bright, Sutra’s wisdom, guiding light. One true path, to Buddhahood leads, Skillful means, fulfill all needs. Buddha’s life, eternal and vast, Teaching Dharma, present and past. Parables profound, lessons so clear, White Lotus Sutra, cherished and dear. The Noble Truths, a path so wise, Suffering’s end, in truth it lies. Karma’s law, cause and effect, Good deeds bring joy, evil we reject. Mindfulness and peace, in every breath, Meditation leads to freedom from death. Compassion and love, for all beings, Buddha’s teachings, wisdom it brings.