It’s no wonder the Lotus Flower is such a popular symbol in Eastern religions. This summer I’ve kept track of several individual flowers in Balboa Park’s reflecting pool. From bud to seed pod they are worthy symbols of the values at the center of the Hindu religion. In the Hindu creation myth Lord Brahma emerged from the naval of Lord Vishnu who was sitting on a Lotus. The lotus flower is a symbol of eternity. The Goddess Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of learning is almost always shown sitting on a lotus. The reflecting pool in Balboa Park is clean and clear, but in India the swamps are murky where the lotus grows in the wild. The Lotus flower is a symbol of enlightment amid ignorance.