The lotus in the swamp

There was a swamp. There were fish & frogs living in the swamp.

From this dirty mud and water, there grew a lotus. There was dirt all around. It did not matter to the lotus. The water did not stick to the leaves. It would form small droplets that would eventually slide away.

The lotus flowered. There was nectar in it.

From the trees nearby, there were bees. They came over sensing the nectar. They collected the nectar and took it away to their hives.

The fish & frogs in the swamp saw the lotus. But they did not know about the nectar, nor did they seem to care, though the lotus was right there with them.

Reference:
Swami Haridas Giri Upanyasam, referring to a story by his Guru, Gnanananda Giri