Lotus

The lotus (aravinda, bhisapuppha, kamala, paduma, pokkhara, puṇḍarīka or muḷāpuppha) is a beautiful flower with the botanical name of Nelumbium speciosum and which is native to many parts of Template:Wiki.

The Milindapañha describes the lotus as ‘shiny, soft, desirable, fragrant, liked, sought after, praised, unsoiled by water or mud, adorned with petals, filaments and pericarps, frequented by bees and growing in cool limpid water’ (Mil.361).

Lotuses grow best in still muddy ponds and when mature put forth exquisite blossoms – white, pink or Light red – which rise above the surface.

This characteristic is often mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures as being analogous to the Enlightened person who lives in the World of Ignorance and Craving and yet rises above it to become pure and beautiful (Th.700).

The Buddha also often compared the way drops of water slip off the lotus leaf to the way the Enlightened person remains unaffected by the temptations and vicissitudes of the World (Dhp.401).

The roots of a lotus are in the mud and the stem grows up through the water, and the flower opens above the water. This symbolizes the growth of the soul from the dirty physical world through the course of Buddhist teachings, and through discipline and perseverance of those teachings, finally opens into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. In Buddhism the lotus flower is analogous to the human heart. It is said that the heart is like a closed lotus, and through the practice of Buddhist teachings, the heart begins to open like the flower does in sunlight.

Buddha is often depicted to be sitting on top of a open lotus flower. This serves to indicate his divine Template:Wiki because the flower has bloomed and is free from the mud and dirt of the physical world. This alludes to the purity of enlightenment.

For purposes of meditation, the lotus position is the most recommended for a successful session. The lotus position is stabilizing and straightens the spine which is believed to align the charkas. The index finger is pressed against the thumb so that if the person meditating begins to slouch, pressure will be felt in this area. This allows for the maintenance of perfectly straight spine. It is also good for developing control over rhythmic breathing patterns. The lotus position is considered advanced as it requires good flexibility among the knees and ankles that must be maintained for the duration of the meditation.

For these reasons and simply because of its sheer Beauty, Buddhists have always had a particular regard for the lotus. The lotus is often confused with the water lily, which is called indīvara, sogandhika or uppala in Pāḷi.

The lotus (Template:Wiki) is an aquatic perennial plant that belongs to the family Nelumbonaceae. It is also called Sacred Lotus and Indian Lotus. In Sanskrit (the Template:Wiki Language of India), the lotus is known by various names like, Pundarika, Padma, Kamala, Utpala, etc.

Surrounded by various myths and Template:Wiki, the lotus is considered divine and one of nature's Mystical creations, that represents the purity of the Mind and soul. In the Template:Wiki religions and cultures, especially, in Buddhism and Hinduism, lotus is the embodiment of perfection.

It defines the capacity of the soul to expand and embrace the Beauty of Life with a clear Template:Wiki.

The lotus flower sheds its seeds and blooms at the same time. In Buddhism, it is said to represent the principle of cause and effect, wherein every action or Thought is believed to cause an effect or Template:Wiki, that can be experienced either in this Life or in the Template:Wiki lives.

This magnificent flower emerges from the dirty and unclean bottom of a pond, but still remains untouched and unstained by the dirt and mud surrounding it in the pond. This unique quality of the flower is believed to represent pure spirit, Rebirth, Beauty, Template:Wiki, Template:Wiki, and Template:Wiki.

Lotus Flower Meaning in Buddhism

The lotus flower forms the Template:Wiki of The Eightfold Path, one of the highest teachings of Lord Buddha. In Buddhism, it is the Symbol of purity, Faithfulness, and Spiritual Awakening.

The flower lifts itself above the muddy water, which represents the act of rising above all Desires and attachments - the key to achieving Spiritual Enlightenment.

Though the flower has its root in the mud, it grows upward in the direction of Light, which represents the aspiration to rise above and move towards the Light.

In other words, it represents the journey from Template:Wiki (represented by the muddy pond) to the Light of Knowledge or Wisdom. A Buddhist Mantra describes the lotus saying, 'Om mani padme hum, which means Hail, the jewel in the lotus.

The different colors of the lotus have Spiritual and religious symbolism in Buddhism.

The pink lotus is the supreme lotus, which denotes the highest Enlightenment and is associated with Buddha; the blue lotus is said to symbolize Wisdom;

white lotus stands for Spiritual perfection, and the red one symbolizes the Heart.

According to a myth Lord Buddha appeared miraculously from a lotus. Some Template:Wiki also say that a lotus flower appeared at every place Lord Buddha placed his foot.

Significance of the Lotus in Hinduism

The lotus flower is regarded sacred and has religious connotations in Hinduism.

It represents the energy centers of our Body, known as chakras, and is associated with Beauty, Template:Wiki, Knowledge, Template:Wiki, and above all, Template:Wiki and Spirituality. The lotus is associated with several Hindu deities.

For example, the Hindu goddess of Template:Wiki, known as Template:Wiki is always depicted to be seated on a fully blossomed lotus, showering her Generosity upon mankind. She is said to be born of the pink lotus.

Even the Hindu God of creation, Brahma is believed to emerge from a lotus that sprung from the navel of Lord Vishnu, the sustainer or the preserver of the World.

In the Template:Wiki, the quality of the lotus flower to remain untouched by the water and mud of the pond, where it grows, is compared with the quality of a wise and spiritually enlightened person, who performs his duty without any material or emotional desires.

This quality of detachment enables one to remain unaffected by all worldly pleasures and gain, and achieve spiritual perfection.

The lotus bud is compared with a folded Heart or soul, which has the ability to blossom or awaken to realize the divine truth.

This symbolizes the journey from the Template:Wiki of ignorance to the light or spiritual illumination.

The Lotus in Egyptian Template:Wiki

In Egyptian Template:Wiki, the lotus was known by the name Seshen. It represents the Template:Wiki and Rebirth.

The flower blossoms with sunrise and closes as the Template:Wiki goes down, hence the association with Rebirth and the Template:Wiki.

It is also associated with several Template:Wiki, which describe the creation of Template:Wiki and the Template:Wiki God 'Aton Ra'.

According to one legend, the Template:Wiki actually rose out of a lotus, while another legend states that a lotus emerged from the infinite ocean, called 'Nun', and when the flower bloomed, it revealed the Egyptian Template:Wiki God. The goddess Isis is also believed to be born of a lotus. The blue lotus, especially, is highly revered in Template:Wiki.

The Template:Wiki also associated the lotus with Death. The Template:Wiki mentions that a dead person can be transformed into a lotus with the help of magic Template:Wiki and charms which symbolizes Template:Wiki and Rebirth. In Egyptian Art, the lotus was depicted as a Symbol of upper Template:Wiki, whereas the papyrus plant symbolized lower Template:Wiki.

The intertwined lotus and the papyrus plant were used to symbolize the unification of upper and lower Template:Wiki. The lotus flower also had its mention in the Egyptian system of numeration. A single lotus represented 1000, whereas two lotuses meant 2000.

Significance of Lotus Colors

Lotus is usually found in five different colors, white, red, blue, purple, and pink. Given below is the significance of each Template:Wiki. Although different cultures may have varying interpretations for each Template:Wiki, their paths correlate.

White Lotus

Perhaps the most enchanting flower with its unblemished pure white Beauty, the white lotus is the most revered in the World, and is known as the 'Womb of the World'. It is said to denote the purity of Mind (Bodhi), the calmness and serenity of Human nature, and Spiritual perfection. The white lotus is associated with the Template:Wiki representation of Buddha, which is goddessWhite Tara, as it aptly describes her nature. In an Template:Wiki text, the white lotus is described as: The white lotus, born in the water and grown in the water, rises beyond the water and remains unsoiled by the water. Thus, Monks, the (Buddha), born in the World, grown up in the World, after having conquered the World, remains unsoiled by the World.

Pink Lotus

The delicate pink lotus holds a supreme and sacred place, and is highly revered. It is purely associated with the highest deities across cultures, and is the earthly Symbol of Lord Buddha. This is also the reason, all the important Hindu gods and goddesses and also 'Buddha' are shown seated on a pink lotus. The pink lotus denotes the state of a person's Mind. i.e. a closed bud represents the stage where he is transcending to the Path of Spirituality, whereas a full-bloom pink lotus means Enlightenment or the stage where Nirvana is attained.

Red Lotus

The red lotus stands for the Heart (hridaya), and symbolizes selfless Love, passion, Compassion, and Kindness. A fully bloomed red lotus symbolizes big-heartedness and Generosity. It is also associated with Avalokitesvara, who is a 'Bodhisattva', the 'Lord who looks down at the World', or Padmapani, meaning, 'Holder of the lotus'. Avalokitesvara is also known as the God of Compassion, which aptly reasons his association with the red lotus.

Blue Lotus

The blue lotus Template:Wiki Wisdom and Knowledge, and stands for the victory over the senses. It has a special and sacred place in Egyptian Template:Wiki, and is rare to spot. It defines a person's control over his Mind and spirit, to let go the materialistic aspirations in Life and rise to a selfless soul. The blue lotus flower is not fully open, the bud is closed towards the center, which is never revealed. This state of the flower (the partially opened bud here) gives a message that one should not stop learning and attaining Wisdom in Life. It is associated with the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, known as Manjushri, and Prajnaparamita, the one who Template:Wiki the 'perfection of Wisdom'.

Purple Lotus

The purple lotus Template:Wiki mysticism, and represents the Esoteric sects of Buddhism. It is unique and rare, and stands as a Symbol of Spirituality in some cultures. This flower is portrayed either as a bud, i.e. closed towards the core, or full-bloomed, which reveals the Heart. The purple lotus arises from a single stem, five-fold, or triple stem. The triple stem indicates the three parts of the Garbhadhatu, (mainly: Lotus, Vairocana and Vajra), the five-fold stem defines Vajradhatu and its five Knowledge, whereas the eight petals symbolize the most important teachings of Buddha, which is The Eightfold Path of Buddhism.

The lotus flower also bears symbolism in Template:Wiki. People in China Love the flower for its purity and dignity. The Beauty of this flower inspires artworks, poems, architecture, and design in Template:Wiki. The lotus grows elegantly out of the muddy waters, unaffected and untouched by dirt and impurities, so it is considered supreme among all Flowers, and is often compared to a person with strong virtues and Moral values. In Template:Wiki Template:Wiki, Bing Di Lian, meaning "twin lotus Flowers on one stalk" is used to refer to a married couple.

• In Template:Wiki, lotus is replaced by the white water lily. It is sacred and associated with the Template:Wiki mother Mary. It represents divinity, holiness, purity, and Template:Wiki. In most of the Template:Wiki churches, white lily is depicted as the Template:Wiki of the Annunciation by Template:Wiki Gabriel to the Virgin Mary.

• Since several parts of a lotus are edible, the Native Template:Wiki defined this flower as the ultimate Power of the Template:Wiki, to transform energy into Food.

• In Template:Wiki times, lotus is one of the most popular Flowers, to be used for tattooing, mainly due to the meanings attached to it. A lotus tattoo Template:Wiki that it is always possible to overcome the trials and tribulations of Life to attain fulfillment and perfection.

• The lotus flower is revered by the Template:Wiki as well. In the Taoist Template:Wiki, the flower Template:Wiki a way of Life based on Morality, purity, Wisdom, and Harmony.

To sum up, lotus is one of the few Flowers that has fascinated mankind from time immemorial, with its exotic and Mysterious Beauty. Lotus also inspires the human Mind to achieve perfection, even in the adversities of Life.

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