From time to time we use the lotus flower image as the background for our slides. On January 31, you will see this image again, and it is interesting to know the spiritual meaning of the lotus flower.
In Asian spiritual traditions, the lotus is a symbol for awakening to the spiritual Reality of Life. The roots of a lotus are in the mud; the stem grows up through the water; and the beautiful, heavily scented flower lies above the water, basking in the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. The white blossom represents purity. The stem stands for spiritual practices that raise the mind above the mud of worldly existence.
Within the next month or so, our website will have a new look. The new template will allow us to maintain and update the site more easily and to better serve users who access the site with a mobile device. Our web address (www.goldsmithglobal.org) will not change, and the site will retain all of its current features and functions. You will also be able to search the site. We are preparing a short video “tour” or the new site, and will post it once the new site is ready. We trust that you will be pleased with the new format and find it easy to use.
January 31 is the fifth Saturday of the month. When a month has five Saturdays, we do not move forward with our regular study program on the fifth Saturday, but may schedule special sessions to hear either supplementary recordings relating to our current study book, or recordings related to a current holiday or to another timely topic.
Although many of the chapters in our current study book, The Thunder of Silence, are based on several class recordings, in our regular sessions we are hearing just one recording for each chapter that captures the essence of that chapter. On January 31, we will hold two sessions – one at 8:00 a.m. and another at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, and at both sessions we will hear a second recording for the chapter we are studying at that time.
It is our joy to provide these additional sessions, and as always, we warmly welcome your participation.