The Iron Lotus Way
The Iron Lotus Way describes my personal philosophy for living life to its fullest. It is a path of unlimited potential through discipline, love, and harmony.
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The Iron
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The core of the earth is made up almost entirely of iron. When it is put to the fire, its impurities are burned away and it can be transformed into steel, making it one of the strongest substances on earth. Like Iron, we are strong at our core and by walking through the fire—the struggles and challenges faced in daily life—we are purified, transformed and made even stronger. Although iron is virtually indestructible by outside sources, it can destroy itself by rusting when it is not used. Likewise, no one can destroy us, we can only destroy ourselves due to improper mindset, fear, and inaction.
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The Lotus
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The lotus symbolizes beauty, strength, and purity of the heart and mind. A lotus flower grows and blossoms in the thickest mud. It can live for a thousand years, capable of constant revival. Every night it sinks into murky waters and each day it rises, reaching for the sun and blooming, unstained, into one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. Like the lotus, we must live in the muck– the obstacles and suffering of every day life– but through perseverance and right thought, we use these trials to gain the personal growth, love, compassion and wisdom we need to reach for the divine.
The petals of the lotus open individually. Each petal of the Iron Lotus blossom represents a part of the individual: the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual. The Iron Lotus Way is to grow and nurture each petal in harmony, transforming the body, conquering the mind, mastering the emotions, enjoying meaningful connection with others and nourishing the spirit. This creates a beautiful, whole blossom that is powerful enough to push through the daily muck and revive itself each day with grace, joy, and lightness.
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The Way
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The Iron Lotus blossoms from the foundation of the Black Belt, a symbol of self-discipline, honor, and commitment to excellence. Because of the wisdom and strength of the warriors who have come before us, we are shown “The Way” as we journey through life. We are deeply respectful of the teachings handed down to us by the great masters and strive to live by the principles, philosophies, and knowledge attained through centuries of dedicated practice.
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The Iron Lotus Way is a path of transformation. Ongoing personal growth is achieved through right thought, internal poise, commitment and consistent action.
