“In 1879 the Bengali scholar S.M. Tagore compiled a more extensive list of ruby colors from the Purana sacred texts: ‘like the China rose, like blood, like the seeds of the pomegranate, like red lead, like the red lotus, like saffron, like the resin of certain trees, like the eyes of the Greek partridge or the Indian crane…and like the interior of the half-blown water lily.’ With so many gorgeous descriptive possibilities it is curious that in English the two ancient names for rubies have come to sound incredibly ugly.” TwoEyeCertainNamesSoundWaterHalfTreeBloodPossibilityColorRedSacredRoseAncientUglyChinaSeedsListsCuriousIndianGreekScholarInteriorsGorgeousLiliesRubiesLotusesBengaliTagoreCranesSaffronPomegranatesSacred TextsWater Lily Author:Victoria Finlay
“The lotus' stem is as long as the depth of water, So men's height is just as great as their inner strength.” MenLongWaterDepthHeightInner StrengthStemLotuses Author:Thiruvalluvar
“I want you to learn the lesson of the lotus. This flower springs forth from muddy waters. It raises its delicate petals to the sun and perfumes the world while, at the same time, its roots cling to the elemental muck, the very essence of the mortal experience. Without that soil, the flower would wither and die.” WorldWantDiesWaterSunFlowerLessonsSpringRootsEssenceRaisesMortalsSoilDelicateI Want YouPerfumePetalsMuddyElementalsLotuses Author:Colleen Houck