In my possession is a batik painting by Jon Bagul—seven lotus flowers, each blooming in a different color. I commissioned this piece not just for its beauty, but for the meaning it carries. Each lotus is a quiet explosion of light and symbolism—together, they form a meditation on life, growth, and the endurance of the spirit.

A good lotus painting does more than decorate a wall. It opens us up—to beauty, to stillness, to a deeper awareness. It reminds us, without words, of the miracle of being alive. Through its gentle presence, it speaks on an emotional level, offering both spiritual and practical insight into who we are and where we stand. The lotus, with its stalk strong yet flexible, represents the unbreakable bond between hearts. Poets have compared its fibres to the ties that bind lovers, friends, or family across time and distance. You may bend—but you do not break. It also stands for purity amidst chaos.

A gentle being, untouched by the mud from which it rises. In this way, the lotus reminds us: the mind can emerge from darkness. From greed. From hatred. And in doing so, it must search for light. It must rise. When it does—what blooms is not just a flower, but a being of understanding. Like the life of the lotus, we move in cycles. Death and rebirth. Fall and rise. From the murky depths to the calm surface. The seven lotus flowers in this painting are not just colors.

​They are stages. Stories. Reminders. That even in muddy water, beauty happens.