Anybody who has ever observed a lotus flower emerging from a murky pond cannot fail to see the beauty of this exquisite plant.
The flower always looks so clean and pure against the background of the dirty pond.
Because of this the lotus flower has come to be associated with purity and beauty in the religions of Buddhism and Hinduism respectively; the ancient Egyptians scholars observed that in the night-time the lotus closed its flowers and sank into the water, and came up with a different association with the flower related to rebirth and the Sun; in actual fact the Lotus slowly emerges from a pond over a three day period and then blooms in the morning until mid-afternoon.
It can, therefore, be assumed that the lotus flower meaning is different between cultures, though in fact, they share many similarities.
As Buddhism stems from a different part of the world to Egyptology, there are many more colors of the lotus to be seen. So it is not too surprising that the many different colors have come to be associated with different aspects of Buddhism. The main symbolism of the lotus flower and their meanings are given here.
- Blue Lotus: The blue lotus flower is associated with a victory of the spirit over that of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. If you get to see it a blue Lotus in Buddhist art you will notice that it is always depicted as being partially open and the center is never observed.
- White lotus flower: this color lotus is known to symbolize Bodhi (being awakened) and represents a state of mental purity, and that of spiritual perfection; it is also associated with the pacification of one’s nature. This lotus is considered to be the womb of the world.
- Purple Lotus: known to be Mystic and is associated with esoteric sects. It can be shown depicted as either an open flower or as a bud. The eight petals of the purple Lotus are representative of the noble eightfold path; one of the principal teachings of the Buddha. Following this path is thought to lead to self-awakening, and is considered one of the noble truths.
- Pink Lotus flower: this is the supreme lotus and is considered to be the true lotus of Buddha.
- Red Lotus: this is related to the heart, and the Lotus flower meaning is associated with that of love and compassion.
Aric Chen
Editor