Lotus Flower by Deepgreen @ Dreamstime.com

Symbols are a means of bringing subtle, inner realities to a focus in outward expression. Within the fundamental unity of consciousness, certain symbols, such as the lotus lifting itself in purity above the muddy water, possess universal relevance and power.

Lotuses are perhaps the most spectacular plants in aquatic environments. The sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, a species of water lilies, also known as the East Indian lotus, Oriental lotus or lily of the Nile, is native to southern Asia and can grow at altitudes of up to 1,600 meters. The lotus flowers have color ranging from red, pink, pale yellow to white and blue.

The lotus is a perennial plant growing from a thick rhizome. Its rounded leaves can reach up to 50 cm in diameter. The first leaves that appear are flat and float on the surface. They are followed by thicker, funnel-shaped leaves that may stand from 50 cm to 2 meters above the water. The leaves are coated with a film, upon which water forms magnificent, glittering droplets.

The flower stalk rises above the leaves, ending in large, sweet-smelling blooms ranging in diameter from 15 to 25 cm, appearing one at a time. Each flower lasts from 2 to 5 days and darkens with age. After blooming, the petals fall, leaving a cone-shaped seed head. Each of its 15 to 20 openings contains a fruit.

The sacred lotus is an extreme important spiritual symbol in Eastern religions. It represents purity, divine wisdom, and the individual’s progress from the lowest to the highest state of consciousness.

Spiritual Awakening or Transformation

The blossomed lotus flower symbolizes spiritual growths, an awakening or transformation. The lotus grows out of mud, our ignorance, to blossom above the water, into enlightenment. As it grows upward in aspiration toward the light, its petals open out into a beautiful flower. Om Mani Padme Hum, meaning, “Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus” is the sacred mantra of the Tibetans. Given the mechanical efficiency of prayer wheels that symbolically repeat those words without pause, the lotus may be the most frequently invoked plant in the world. But above all, the lotus represents purity.

The eight-petaled lotus that is used in Buddhist mandalas symbolizes cosmic harmony, and the thousand-petaled lotus of the sahasrara or crown chakra represents spiritual illumination.

Lotuses appear in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Hindus refer to the god Brahma as “lotus-born ” for he is said to have emerged from a lotus that was the navel, or center, of the universe. A lotus flower rises from the navel of Vishnu, the maintainer in Hindu cosmology. Buddha sits on a throne of lotus blossoms. The lotus is also the symbol of the goddess Padma, who appears on Buddhist monuments as a creative force.

The lotus (Sanskrit and Tibetan padma) is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols and one of the most poignant representations of Buddhist teaching. In Buddhism we find the Lotus Sutra. It is also spoken about lotus-related Zen esoterica,

An ancient Indian text refers explicitly to a wonderful quality: 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.

The Lotus Flower in Hindu and Tibetan Art

In both India and Tibet we see the lotus flower in art like in yantras, devices used for worship and meditation containing a symbol or deity at its center, mandalas, circles containing spiritual truths or enlightened beings in their center, and thangkas, Tibetan cloth scrolls depicting enlightenment art.

The lotus is one of Buddhism’s best recognized motifs and appears in all kinds of Buddhist art across all Buddhist cultures. Scrolling lotuses often embellish Buddhist textiles, ceramics and architecture.

Hindu and Buddhist deities are associated in some manner with the lotus, either being seated upon a lotus in full bloom or holding one in their hands. In some images of standing Buddhas, each foot rests on a separate lotus.

The lotus does not grow in Tibet and so Tibetan art has only stylized versions of it, yet it appears frequently with Tibetan deities and among the Eight Auspicious Symbols.

The color of the lotus has an important bearing on the Buddhist symbology associated with it:

White Lotus: represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity (bodhi). It is associated with the White Tara and proclaims her perfect nature, a quality which is reinforced by the color of her body.

Pink Lotus: is the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity. Thus naturally it is associated with the Great Buddha himself.

Red Lotus: signifies the original nature and purity of the heart (hrdya). It is the lotus of love, compassion, passion and all other qualities of the heart. It is the flower of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

Blue Lotus: is a symbol of the victory of the spirit over the senses, and signifies the wisdom of knowledge. Not surprisingly, it is the preferred flower of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom.

The influence of a lotus flower painting is to open us up to beauty and light. A good lotus flower painting can act as a reminder of the miracle of beauty, light and life.

Re/Sources:
The Green Pages of the Montreal Botanical Garden
Meaningful Jewelry
A Tribute to Buddhism
Dharmapala Thangka Centre

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