The Lotus Still Blooms Read Free

rises out of the mud of this world. It is a symbol of purity and spontaneous Divine birth. It is said to be the throne of the Buddha. May it come to be your throne of wisdom and love, as the lotus still blooms in you.
    We all have spiritual gifts, and I have long been told that one of my greatest is to take complex concepts on spiritual subjects and teach and explain them in a practical and understandable manner that can be utilized in one’s day-to-day living. May this be the case for you. While you read and study this book, I hold this prayer for you:
     
May you be filled with loving kindness.
    May you be well.
    May you be peaceful and at ease.
    May you be happy.
     
Joan Gattuso
Molokai, Hawaii

We see the Buddha as physician to the world . . .
In the Four Noble Truths he gives his clinical observations
on the human condition, then his diagnosis,
then the prognosis, and finally the cure.
     
—EKNATH ESWARAN
    THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

    THERE ARE SO MANY “secrets” being revealed today. There is the land-mark work The Secret . Although interesting and inspiring, it certainly does not contain any hitherto unknown esoteric secrets. Napoleon Hill’s classic Think and Grow Rich offers numerous secrets that, if you discover them, will lead you to wealth and fulfillment. In recent history there have been any number of books that offer the secret to success, the secret to happiness, the secret to perfect weight, the secret to raising brilliant children, the secret to brilliant career moves, the secret to attracting a loving partner.
    What is it with all these “secrets”? Are they really secrets at all, or is the secret simply to throw out the bait and see how many looking for a quick fix will grab the minnow? My colleagues and I chuckle and wonder why something is called a “secret” when it is something we have known and taught for decades. A minister friend of mine says, “People can feel important and special if they believe they are being let in on a secret that others don’t know.” He’s right, in my opinion, and certainly book publishersand authors (including me) will use whatever ploys and hooks are needed to sell books and sell lots of them.
    In Buddhism there are treasures, often called “precious jewels,” but they are not necessarily secrets. In my understanding all the hyperbole about secret teachings pales in the light of the magnitude of the eternal truths contained within the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path, which are followed by thousands of advanced teachings available to the true seeker.
    In Tibetan Buddhism there are deep teachings given only to advanced practitioners, usually monks and nuns, after years and years of study. The master teacher decides if the student is ready, and only then is this deep, complicated material taught. That is not what The Lotus Still Blooms is attempting.
    Although the teachings on these pages are not swaddled in hype and the promise of a quick fix and easy riches, they do, as the Buddha taught, point the way to awakening and enlightenment. They outline a path to embrace and walk that begins to answer life’s profound questions, not just for a moment but for all time. Hopefully these lessons will inspire you as you begin to practice and learn these eternal truths. Hopefully they will give you tools and formulas that are applicable to absolutely every aspect of life. They are not secrets but truths. They are without equal. They are fabulous and thrilling. They are the Four Noble Truths. They are noble because they are without equal. They are truths because these four are perhaps the greatest summation of the mystery enfolding human existence. They contain the diagnosis, the prognosis and the cure for the human condition.
    Here is the answer that was first taught 2,600 years ago by the Buddha. It still excites me to the extent that my heart rejoices. I am enlivened to share these truths with you. They are clearly and succinctly stated so that you may