Margie, the seeds from my lotus seed pods were always hard and brown, but I did wait until the pods turned brown on the plant to cut them. If you let the pods stay on the plant long enough they nod downwards and the seeds fall out into the water, or the stems fall sideways, again tipping the seeds out.
If your seeds are soft, it means either they were picked a little too early, or they were kept too moist. They might be ok, just preparing to germinate (which they do under water in nature).
Still, there's no harm in trying to germinate them, what have you got to lose?
