The lotus and the cross are closely linked in their symbolism.
The lotus is one of the most ancient symbols in the East and represents the unfoldment of soul as it turns to the light of the infinite. The lotus is rooted in the miry bed of the pond and sends its stem through the water to the surface to carry aloft the magnificent lotus blossom. The lotus opens only when the light of the sun touches its petals. Even so, the soul of man can only unfold in the presence of God's light, beauty, and love. Each petal of the lotus represents a divine quality.
By meditating on the lotus, man remembers that his life can be like that of the lotus: Even though he is in the world, he does not have to be of it. When the mud of the world falls upon the lotus, the mud runs off the lotus petals because the lotus has a waxlike coating. Even so, when man coats, or waxes, his consciousness with the love of God, no impurities of the world can sully the soul, or pure consciousness.
Another example that serves us well in our daily life is to remember that none of the harsh criticisms, judgments, or unrighteousness of the world can disturb our inner purity and connectedness with the light?when we refuse to react to worldly mindedness.
The cross is a universal symbol, not limited to a particular religion and can be discovered in ancient carvings of stone, wood, or metal. The ankh of the Egyptians, the shastika of the Hindus, the Celtic cross, and the cross of the Christians are various representations of the same universal truth.
In its mystical connotation, the cross is the symbol of spiritual perfection. When properly drawn, all four sides of the cross are equal, representing the four directions of the universe. The mystic cross is within every being and is represented by the chakras, or seven centers of illumination within the human body temple. Also, physically, man himself is the cross. When he stands with feet together and arms raised horizontal to the ground, his body forms a natural cross.
According to Yoga, the purpose of life is to raise the consciousness from earth-consciousness to God-consciousness. In this ascension of consciousness from chakra to chakra, the mystic current of life rises through these centers, piercing each chakra in its journey. This process causes self-transformation from limited self-consciousness to limitless consciousness.
As consciousness reaches the heart chakra, man experiences the crucifixion of ego-consciousness. Thus, mystically, he dies on the cross before consciousness can ascend and merge with God-consciousness. It is by unfolding our innate divinity and qualities that the lotus opens in fullness and man regains the consciousness of absolute perfection in unconditional love and oneness.
