Bhante Y. Wimala writes in this book: "The lotus has taken a long path through the mud and the murky water, seeking the sunrise to open its heart to the world and express its essence." The author, a monk from Sri Lanka, is founder of the Center for Conscious Evolution in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He sees himself as "a student in the classroom of the world."
We can learn spiritual truths from nature but we also must open our hearts to the lessons in the 86,000 minutes of each day. Wimale challenges readers to reclaim lost or suppressed childhood qualities such as curiosity, to recognize the inner beauty in others, to listen to conscience ("the witness of your spirit"), and to follow the Buddha's advice to dwell in "the divine abode" of love. The author also provides some interesting takes on sitting meditation, death, the mind-body connection, and being a citizen of the world.