Lotus flower: do you know the (true) meaning of this symbol?
The Lotus Flower, an emblem imbued with depth and symbolism, embodies a multitude of meanings that transcend cultural and temporal boundaries. Since time immemorial, it has emerged from the murky waters to reveal its pristine beauty, representing the creation of the universe from primordial chaos. Beyond its simple aesthetic, the Lotus Flower also evokes a spirit over the senses, inviting introspective reflection and a spiritual connection with the cosmos. Originally anchored in the lands of the Orient, this flower plays an important role in the religious, artistic and philosophical traditions of many Asian cultures.
By exploring the multiple dimensions of its symbolism, we discover a diversity of lotus types, each carrying unique nuances and meanings. Thus, the Lotus Flower transcends the simple status of symbol to become a gateway to a universe of deeply enriching thoughts and perceptions.
The meaning of the lotus according to its colour
According to my research, on the language of flowers, here is what I found on the subject:
The white lotus flower signifies beauty, grace, purity of spirit, wealth, knowledge, fertility, serenity and faith.
The pink lotus flower is often associated with Buddhism as these flowers are said to represent the earthly symbol of Buddha. They have different meanings, depending on the state of their buds. A pink lotus with a tight bud represents the passage on the spiritual path, while a flowering lotus embodies enlightenment.
The yellow lotus flower often symbolizes religious beliefs and ceremonies.
The red lotus flower is a symbol of compassion, sympathy and selfless love. It also represents heart, passion and generosity.
The blue lotus flower signifies wisdom, knowledge, the ability to control things about emotions, worldly aspirations and senses.
The purple lotus flower is often associated with Buddhism. It represents especially theawakening of the self.
Meaning of the Lotus in Buddhism
In Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of body, speech and mind, as floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. The Buddha is often depicted sitting on a leaf or a giant lotus bud.
According to legend, he was born with the ability to walk and wherever he set foot, lotus flowers bloomed.
Drawing on these Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, the Baha'i community adopted this symbolism in the design of the Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India.
The lotus is a very common symbol and decorative motif in Asia.
The lotus and Buddha
In Buddhism the lotus flower is emblematic of Buddha. Throughout the Indian world there are many paintings, sculptures and representations of the lotus flower.
This is due to the unique characteristic of the lotus which is the only aquatic plant whose flower is above water unlike water lilies and other cousins whose flower floats on water.
This image, connoting lightness, of the flower rising above the surface of the water joins that of Buddha so light that he rests like a cat above the ground.
The symbolism of the lotus in Buddhism is still based on the fact that the seed and the flower appear together, it is the simultaneity of the cause (the seed) and the effect (the flower) in the law of causality of the universe which is one of the major concepts of Buddhist philosophy.
To this we must add that the lotus draws its vital substance from the mud to blossom, indeed, above the water. Thus "mud" represents the sufferings, the troubles, the desires, which are the very ground of our blooming. It is therefore possible to transform one's karma through enlightenment, the attainment of Buddhahood, thanks to our awakening to the law of causality.
Always present in domestic altars and temples, the lotus is both an ornament and a religious offering.
Also in Buddhism, Green Tara is one of the 21 forms of Tārā, the female bodhisattva of compassion, and the patron deity of Tibet. She is depicted seated, two arms, one head, a crystal between her eyes, her leg extended, and her two hands holding two lotus flowers. She is ready to stand up and help others. Her emblem is the color green, symbol of hope, and the half-opened blue lotus.
Green Tara is particularly known for its power to overcome the most difficult situations, giving protection and comfort against dangers. She is a deity of Tibetan Buddhism who always intervenes peacefully. She is the female bodhisattva (Sanskrit term for a Buddha before he has attained enlightenment) of compassion.
The imagery around the lotus is strong since the throne of the deities is nothing but a blossoming lotus flower, a nod to theblossoming of the soul: thus the symbolism associated with it is also revealed via the purity of the body, prosperity, fertility, longevity and even eternity of life due to the very long germination time of lotus seeds.
The elevation with the lightness of the flower which is placed above the water is also a strong symbol. Having drawn the resources for its blossoming from the mud of suffering, the lotus blossoms above the water like karma leading to awakening and enlightenment.
The position of the Lotus, hiding the feet that should not be shown, with the legs crossed, placed in such a way that the knees recall the petals of a lotus flower, is not without connection with spirituality since it is the dominant position of Buddhist meditation and Hindu yoga.
Meaning of the Lotus in the Hindu civilization
This sacred flower is a divine symbol in the Hindu tradition. It is associated by Hindus with the creation myth, the gods Vishnu and Brahmā, and the goddesses Lakshmi and Sarasvati.
The unfolding of the lotus petals suggests the unfolding of the soul.
In Hindu iconography, deities are often depicted sitting on a lotus flower or with a lotus flower in hand. According to the Harivaṃśa, the lotus is the first of Vishnu's manifestations.
In Hinduism, Lakshmi (Sanskrit IAST: Lakṣmī; "beauty, splendor, prosperity, fortune1"), or Mahalakshmi, is the goddess of Fortune, prosperity, wealth and abundance. She is the wife of Vishnu.
It is a benefactor that helps to develop inner wealth.
The lotus has always been a divine symbol in the Hindu tradition. It is often used as a symbol of divine beauty.
For example, Vishnu is often described as "the one with the lotus eye". The unfolding of the lotus petals suggests the blossoming of the soul. The emergence of its pure beauty from its muddy origins represents a benevolent spiritual promise.
The Sri Yantra or Shri Yantra and the Lotus Flower
The shri yantra or shri chakra is one of the most famous yantras. It is a tantric meditation diagram consisting of nine triangles intertwined around a central point, the bindu.
This symbol of sacred geometry is built on a base of 9 levels, which are, from the outside in:
- Trailokya Mohana or Bhupara, a square with 3 lines along the perimeter and 4 doors (one in the middle of each side)
- Sarva Aasa Paripuraka, a lotus flower with 16 petals
- Sarva Sankshobahana, a lotus flower with 8 petals
- Sarva Saubhagyadayaka, a set of 14 small triangles
- Sarva Arthasadhaka, a set of 10 small triangles
- Sarva Rakshakara a set of 10 small triangles
- Sarva Rogahara, a set of 8 small triangles
- Sarva Siddhi prada, a single small triangle
- Sarva Anandamaya, the central point or bindu
When we go to the outside, we see that the triangles are surrounded by a lotus flower of eight petals, then another one of sixteen petals, and a square symbolizing the Earth and resembling a square temple with four gates (one at each side).
Meaning of the Lotus in Ancient Egypt
The Egyptian blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) is a culturally essential plant in ancient Egypt.
This sacred flower was the object of a ritual cult in ancient Egypt. Containing aporphine (commonly known as nuciferine, used for centuries for its sedative properties) and other hallucinogenic alkaloids, it is used for its psychotropic properties.
Its flowers are also used as funeral ornaments in the same way as gold ornaments and precious objects, notably in the plant garlands that adorn the mummy of Ramses II.
It shares with a close species with white flowers, Nymphaea lotus, a rich iconography that adorns the objects and walls of this period and a hieroglyphic is assigned to them showing their essential cultural importance.
In Egyptian mythology, Nefertum is the son of Ptah (god of craftsmen, artists and architects) and Sekhmet (the daughter of the sun god, Ra, embodying the eye of the latter and warrior goddess) in the Memphite theology of the Old Kingdom.
Evoking the scent of the lotus, it is represented by a lion or more often by a young man wearing a lotus flower in his hair.
It is the god of resurrection and immortality.
Nefertoum is a compound name, Nefer meaning "beauty", "perfect fulfillment", and Toum (or Atoum) the creative principle.
This means that the creative principle finds its fulfillment in Nefertoum.
A head of Tutankhamen emerging from a lotus flower in painted wood was found dating from the New Kingdom - 18th Dynasty. It comes from the tomb of Tutankhamun and was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter.
According to some, this head of Tutankhamun as a child emerging from a lotus flower, is an evocation of the permanent regeneration of the king. But I see a great similarity with the true teaching of the water lily.
The teaching of the water lily flower: what does the Lotus Flower mean/symbolize?
The seed comes from another world. It appears from a hidden world. It falls because birth in this world is always a fall. What appears as a seed appears as an eye
Hapy, the God of the Nile, the one who brought abundance and prosperity to Egypt, is represented with a water lily on his head.
The Egyptians said that the world was created by the water lily because when it opened, the sun came out. They considered that the man was also created by the water lily because this one opened at the beginning in 4 petals, which were the 4 deities having generated the world.
In the same way that the water lily creates the world through the sun, it is our eye that creates the world.
The water lily is a perfect symbol of the great mysteries. The water lily in nature is the equivalent of the eye in man. If you are with mother nature, it is your body. If you have a pure heart, a pure eye, you see it, you see God and the water lily speaks to you.
The process of the eye is a process of water inside the man and woman. Everything that makes vision is fire, water, air and earth. In reality, if your eye is pure, your whole body will be in the light because the whole body follows the eye.
The water lily is perfect because it is the writing of the four bodies, of the four elements: there is in it the earth which is the mud, the water which it crosses, the air when it poses on water these round leaves to capture the higher world of the heat, the colors and the forms, then it becomes itself the fire, a flame of an incredible beauty.
The word "water lily" has given "nymph", that is to say a being of beauty. Beauty has always been compared to the lotus flower. The plant world shows you the great secrets of life.
In the beginning, the water lily is in the earth. By its roots firmly planted in the mud, in the confines, the water lily holds the world of the earth.
When it comes out, it has to cross the water, which is the trap. Water is the symbol of the original chaos. It is the world of influences.
When he came out of the earth, out of the mud, to enter the water, he had to face currents. This is the problem of man: when he comes out of the earth, he will rather be dragged by the current. He will start living outside of himself and he will lose who he is (instead of being centered on his true being).
The water seeks to take your energy. If you cannot cross the water, you are lost. Many times, people, rather than being like the water lily, become algae and stay in that water, unable to cross it. Concretely, you will let yourself be rocked by life, by the currents, sometimes warm, sometimes cold.
What is the power of the Lotus Flower?
The water lily is patient, determined, it knows what it wants, it goes to the end even if it does not know what it will discover. When he manages to land on the water, he has succeeded and can begin to taste the world of the air, fresh and soft, the subtlety, the warmth, the colors, the rays of the sun. He is above the water, he has emerged from a world
Then it opens, and it is splendor, magnificence; it is like a God. He is in the light, aware that his life is very short. It opens with the sun and closes when it disappears. He lives from the sun. He welcomes all splendors, all that is greater. This is where its sublime beauty comes from, which men marvel at.
Like the water lily, man comes from a subterranean world and must emerge into a world of light.
The strength of the water lily is that it crosses the currents and appears above the water: it blooms.
And when we see Tutankhamun emerging from the blue lotus flower it is exactly this process that is described. He has mastered the worlds of water.
The world of symbols is the world of life
What you have to understand is that the symbols of sacred geometry are like doors to go through in order to reach yourself. They show you the way to go to the center, to go to your own center, and therefore to be who you really are and not what a world said you were (by your heredity, your education, the society etc.).
This is why men and women are consciously or unconsciously attracted to symbols, because in the end everyone aspires to happiness, to the freedom to be oneself, to fulfillment.
Of course you can use symbols for purely material aspects. There is no problem with that.
But in reality symbols are much more than that. They are connected to the living, to the eternal wisdom. They are tools of awakening.
Our jewelry Lotus flower : bracelet and pendant
We wanted to offer you items with this symbol which is dear to us. By connecting to the symbol of the Lotus Flower, you connect to the world of beauty and purity.
Lotus flower tattoo: what do we think?
Personally I consider that getting a tattoo is not a trivial act.
When you know that each shape has a wavelengt form, a vibration, it is better to think twice about what you want to get tattooed!
But, I hope this article has enlightened you on the true spiritual meaning of the Lotus Flower and that you can make your decision with full knowledge of the facts.
We arrive at the end of this article. I hope you liked it.
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Sources:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera
The secret book of the Essenes magi (Ed Essenia)
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