The Peace of White Lilies

On the first weekend of summer, we drove down about an hour to the sleepy town of Southern Pines. We spent no time in the little Southern town, although we have heard good things about it and plan to go check it out at leisure one day (we figured there won’t be much open during this pandemic, anyhow), but we went there with one purpose in mind only: to have a 2-mile walk (and a picnic sandwich) around Reservoir Lake, the David R. White Greenway trail.

I won’t bore you with all the details of that walk – an easy, wide, dirt trail around Reservoir Lake, not as populated as state park trails around the NC Triangle area – but I will share some of the pictures I took. There were not many creatures out that day, although the day was not hot, but crisp and fair, but the one thing that just left me speechless were the thousands of water lilies. I love water lilies and lotuses because they are such an oddity. They almost need no soil and they come from the dirtiest, nastiest, smelliest, marshful depths to only be one of the most delicate, fragile, and absolutely perfect creations that ever existed on this earth.

In these times of such unrest and turmoil, they were like a pathway to freedom and peace …

Enjoy …

We did the David R. White trail (green) - about 2.2'ish miles

The first peek at Reservoir Lake. It looked so peaceful. Not a sound, not a boat. Just pines, oaks, and water 

They don't call this area "Southern Pines" (next door to Pinehurst) for nothing. Huge Southern pines lined the lake and the trail

The trail was mostly shady, easy and flat. Wide enough that we could dodge other people and puppies without too much closeness

At one point, this opening revealed some creatures: ducks and turtles, and white water lilies beyond. More peaceful.

The ducks shared the log happily with the turtles. And this cute mallard had an awful itch he had to get to! 

More ducks were asleep in the shade of this beautiful branching tree.

About mid-way on the trail there was this tiny stream, flowing lazily into the lake. Just a trickle made a peaceful sound in this mostly quiet area. 

The trail is peppered with these peekaboo "windows" into the lake, where more waterlilies and ducks disturb the spotless surface.

Carpets and carpets of white and green water lilies everywhere, beautifully laced together in perfect harmony.

You don't have to be a Buddhist to believe in enlightenment. For Buddhists, enlightenment equals becoming a Buddha. As living creatures, we're all on a journey to seek enlightenment. 

Water lilies are a close cousin of the lotus flower. When I see them, it reminds me of the most ubiquitous mantra of Buddhism, "Om mani padme hum". 

There are many translations and interpretations on the web for it, so look it up and find your own. For me, the most eloquent one says this: "We have within us the seed of purity, the essence of a One Gone Thus (Tathagatagarbha) (sic), that is to be transformed and fully developed into Buddhahood." (quoted here: https://www.shambhala.com/snowlion_articles/om-mani-padme-hum-dalai-lama/)

Click the last picture to see the entire album.