All religions are unanimous in regarding the heart as the seat of the Divine. The Hindu scriptures have declared that the heart is the temple of God. The sacred Upanishads have referred to the heart as a cave in which the Divine dwells. It is stated in the Bible that the man with a pure heart can see God. The Muslims regard the heart as located between the two fingers of God. The Guru of the Sikhs, Nanak declared that only a man with a pure heart can be regarded as a true Sikh. In this way, the various faiths have affirmed that the heart is the abode of God. Many great souls have experienced the heart as a lotus. Although rooted in mire, growing up in muddy water, the lotus shines in purity. When the lotus opens its petals and looks up, it seems to say: “O Lord, please come and dwell in me.” Though born in mud it does not wallow in it. Surrounded by polluted water it is not polluted by it. This is the great lesson the lotus teaches man: “Though you are living in a corrupt world and are born in the sludge of an unrighteous society, you must turn your mind towards God and make your heart a shrine for God.” – Divine Discourse, Jul 14, 1984