Maaroo, First Mehla:
In the pure, immaculate waters, both the lotus and the slimy scum are found.
The lotus flower is with the scum and the water, but it remains untouched by any pollution. ||1||
You frog, you will never understand.
You eat the dirt, while you dwell in the immaculate waters. You know nothing of the ambrosial nectar there. ||1||Pause||
This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Maaroo on Ang 990
Many people have asked why we have used the lotus flower as our logo, so I will endeavour to explain our reasoning so that if nothing else it may enlighten some people as to the significance of the lotus flower in Sikhi.
The lotus flower traditionally and universally especially within the Indian sub-continent is understood to signify enlightenment, wisdom a greater/higher understanding, spirituality, higher human consciousness and purity. The lotus flower grows in murky waters with its roots down in the dirt filled depths, but even with all the dirt around it the lotus flower manages to grow up out of the murky water as if reaching towards the light and blooms into the most beautiful flower, pristine in its glory as it floats above the murky waters within which it is rooted.
For this reason the Sikh Gurus have used the example of the lotus in Guru Granth Sahib Ji approximately 420 times where lotus flower is symbolic of the human soul. The Gurus explain it as the soul being born in this Kalyug (Dark Age) which is like the lotus seed in the murky depths of a swamp. The consciousness of the souls that contemplate on the glory of the creator will rise as the lotus flower grows and strives to reach the surface towards the beauty and light of the sun, where the lotus like soul realises itself and opens itself up to a higher plane of existence above the murky water of Kalyug within which it is rooted. The lotus soul then basks in the full glory and grace of the Sun/Creators light.
This symbolism did not just stop there it was used throughout the Sikh world in art and architecture which is why the the Harmandir Sahib floats in the middle of a pool because it is actually symbolic of the lotus flower. Every Gurdwara has a dome of some description which is actually not a dome but a closed lotus flower. So the next time you visit the Harmandir Sahib look closely at the architecture of the buildings and you will notice that tops of the pillars in the parkarma (walk way) around the Harmandir Sahib, all have symbolic lotus leaves decorating them.
Similarly the reasoning behind using the lotus flower as the Forum's symbol is because the Forum was set up to move away from the lowly tribal style politics that exist in our Gurdwara Sahib's and the local Sikh community in general and to try and raise the level of understanding, thinking through educating and serving the local community we live in. The Forum is an attempt to move the Sikh community forward in a honest, professional and all encompassing way to harmonise the instabilities and divisions made within the local Sikh community by a few divisive, self serving, self proclaimed 'community leaders'.
The choice of colours was also very simple as the Forum was set up to educate and serve essentially, the black and white symbolise the word GURU, GU - meaning darkness and RU - meaning light thus meaning somebody or something that leads from darkness into light (enlighten).
Who knew a simple black and white flower could have so much symbolism?