So you're looking at the Tesla Roadster and thinking damn I want one. well you can get something very close. check out the photo of the new EV coming from Chrysler. it's body is from a lotus Europa. so it looks pretty hot. 0-60 in 5 sec. 100-200 miles range...

In the shadow of the lotus, peace and calm prevail

NEW DELHI
19 March 2008 (BWNS)

Every day, the people come. Thousands of them. At times it's a constant stream of humanity. Eight thousand people a day, 10,000, sometimes 15,000. On holidays 30,000, even 50,000. And once, 150,000.

Yet everyone is calm, orderly, sometimes waiting in line to leave their shoes in a hidden checkroom and climb the stairs to the building they call the Lotus Temple. Inside, the mood is one of serenity. Considering the vast numbers of people who make their way around the property, the peacefulness perhaps is surprising.

"We are impressed - the discipline," said Ramesh Cheruku, who with his wife and young son had come from Hyderabad in the south of India for their first visit to the Baha'i House of Worship, located in the capital city of New Delhi.

With more than 4.6 million visitors last year, the temple is one of the most popular spots on earth, in a league with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and not far behind the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Many of the visitors are from India, but people come from all over the world. They are Hindus, Christians, atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, and, of course, Baha'is. There are families, couples, single people, schoolchildren, tour groups.

Many come to see a stunning piece of architecture - and stunning it is. Still, their behavior suggests something more.

"Peace of mind," murmured Reeta Singhai when asked how she felt after her first walk through the temple, whose outward form is like a lotus flower. It has 27 "petals," arranged in threes so that the structure has nine sides, just like the other six Baha'i houses of worship around the world.

It is exactly this feeling of peace that the public relations director, Shatrughun Jiwnani, mentioned as he pondered the question about what appeals to visitors, most of whom are inside the temple only a few minutes.

"They suddenly find themselves in a place that is quiet," he said. They pause "and maybe for a few moments look inside themselves."

"You can almost start to hear your own thoughts," agreed Sarang Joshi. A native of India now living in the United States, he was impressed by what he called the "spiritual nature of the building."

"It's really interesting how that's captured by the architecture," he said.

Mr. Jiwnani said most people stay inside for only a few minutes, but such a visit can still be meaningful.

"Maybe two hours of quiet at home means nothing, whereas two minutes in the temple can move you," he suggested, noting that there are many people who visit frequently.

Never thought there was so much attached to a little flower until I began delving into the origins of the lotus. I am drawing one to use as a base for an art project I have devised. That's when I began finding the mythology linked to it. Apparently it has a lot to do with what is called creation mythology, which is really just the creation story as told by many different cultures and peoples.

The Lotus Flower - Padma
The Lotus Flower is the symbol of spiritual development. It is the symbol of the manifestation of beauty and mental purity (the ability to rise above) - for although it has its roots in the mud of ponds and lakes, it raises its flower in immaculate beauty above the surface of the water.

Sesen

A Lotus Flower. This is a symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth. Because at night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. According to one creation myth it was a giant lotus which first rose out of the watery chaos at the beginning of time. From this giant lotus the sun itself rose on the first day. A symbol of Upper Egypt

Buddhism
The roots of a lotus are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the 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. Though there are other water plants that bloom above the water, it is only the lotus which, owing to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to twelve inches above the surface.

Thus says the Lalitavistara, "the spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the lotus in the muddy water which does not adhere to it." According to another scholar, "in esoteric Buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus: when the virtues of the Buddha develop therein, the lotus blossoms; that is why the Buddha sits on a lotus bloom."

Significantly, the color of the lotus too has an important bearing on the symbology associated with it:

• White Lotus (Skt. pundarika; Tib. pad ma dkar po): This represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity (bodhi). It is associated with the White Tara and proclaims her perfect nature, a quality which is reinforced by the color of her body.
• Red Lotus (Skt. kamala; Tib: pad ma chu skyes): This signifies the original nature and purity of the heart (hrdya). It is the lotus of love, compassion, passion and all other qualities of the heart. It is the flower of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.
• Blue Lotus (Skt. utpala; Tib. ut pa la): This is a symbol of the victory of the spirit over the senses, and signifies the wisdom of knowledge. Not surprisingly, it is the preferred flower of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom.
• Pink Lotus (Skt. padma; Tib. pad ma dmar po): This the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity. Thus naturally it is associated with the Great Buddha himself.

Oh yeah...

Bring on the rain :D:D