The lotus pool is story told as a simile.In short, there was a lotus pool in which many lotuses grew.in the middle there was a lotus which was the most beautiful.

Now there came a man from the east,who thought himself to be clever,wise,and got into the pool to fetch the most beautiful lotus in the middle,the more he proceeded, the more the water and the mud seemed to extend, he could not get back to the shore, nor to opposite shore and gotstuck..                                                                                Similarly many men came, each thought the earlier one was a fool, from the west, north, south and intermediate directions. All of them got stuck.

A monk living on low food, and desiring to get to the shore of the (samsara).Standing on the bank of the lotus pool he saw the most beautiful lotus in the middle, also he saw the men stuck. He did not enter the lotus pool, but standing on the bank, he raised his voice and said fly up O beautiful lotus and the lotus flew up.

Please note this a simile, told by the venerable mahaveer in the sutra. Now in the crowd of nirgrantha monks and nuns, nobody could comprehend the meaning of this simile. Then he explained the meaning thus,

The lotus pool is the world, by the water in lotus pool he meant the karman, the mud in the lotus pool meant pleasures and amusements, the many lotuses in the pool was people in general, the most beautiful lotus in the middle was the king, all the men stuck were the heretical teachers, the monk is the law of the Nirgranth. Bank of the lotus pool was meant as dharmathirtha (church).Preaching of the law was the monk’s voice, the lotus flying up was the nirvana.

A nirgranth knows, understands, comprehends all the three hundred and sixty three heretical sects, religious views, and philosophies and remains aloof without entering the lotus pool…!!!

Moral: – Non attachment is the precious key to attain nirvana…