- What is the lotus flower?
- Where does the lotus flower grow?
- What does the lotus flower represent?
- Meanings according to the color of the lotus flower
- Lotus flower in Buddhism
We explain what the lotus flower is in biology, where it grows and also what it represents according to its color. Also, its meaning in Buddhism.
What is the lotus flower?
With the name "lotus flower" we can refer to any of the two plant species of the Nelumbonaceae family, aquatic plants found in the eastern part of the world and the Asia subtropicalNelumbo nucifera), or in the eastern United States and Central America (Nelumbo lutea). The first is known as the Indian lotus, Nile rose or sacred lotus, while the second is known as the American lotus.
Of both species, however, the sacred lotus is probably the most popular, due to its connotations mystical and symbolic linked to different traditions Orientals, particularly those of Ancient Egypt, India and China, as well as the imaginary of Buddhism. In fact, in Sanskrit it was called padma, and his name is part of mantras and Buddhist prayers like the famous om mani padme hum ("Om, jewel in the lotus, hum!").
In terms botanicals, the lotus flower is a plant Herbaceous, whose very fragrant flowers are between 16 and 23 centimeters in diameter, varying in color between white, pale pink and deep pink.
It usually blooms at the end of the spring and in summer, its seeds have a prodigious longevity, capable of keeping them fertile for centuries. It also has edible rhizomes, although its main use is decorative, in water gardens and similar facilities.
Where does the lotus flower grow?
The lotus flower is aquatic by nature, so silver grows on the surface of ponds and ponds, with its round leaves floating or emerging from the water.
Its flowers, on the other hand, arise from a long stem and are held in the air. This plant is common in southern Russia (the delta of the Volga River), in Azerbaijan, Iran, Siberia, China, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Korea, Laos, Taiwan, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam , Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia, as well as in southern Romania, where it was artificially introduced.
Its American variant, on the other hand, is native to the United States and the entire Pacific coast that descends through Central America to Colombia.
What does the lotus flower represent?
One of the most important features of the lotus flower in its appearances in the culture, has to do with the fact that the flower arises from the waters, which are usually swampy and dark, which is why it was often considered by ancient Egyptians and in India, as a symbol of that which rises from below and reaches the elevation of the heights. That is why Buddhism saw in her the symbol of the ascent to nirvana.
In addition, along with the dung beetle, the sun and the phoenix, it was one of the Egyptian symbols for resurrection, since it is something beautiful born in the middle of inhospitable conditions, such as muddy waters or swamps. In this sense, they usually appear, in different colors, in numerous ancient oriental artistic representations.
Meanings according to the color of the lotus flower
The lotus flower is often represented by specific colors, each linked to a certain sense or quality, despite the fact that the natural colors of the flower are not usually so varied. For example:
- Blue lotus flower: wisdom and knowledge.
- White lotus flower - purity and immaculate nature.
- Red lotus flower: compassion and suffering for others.
- Pink lotus flower - the divinity, often linked with deities specific, including the Buddha himself.
Lotus flower in Buddhism
Buddha is usually depicted on a lotus flower, which represents the path to nirvana.
As we have explained previously, the Buddhist tradition found in the lotus flower a metaphor for the fundamental approach of your doctrine, which is the elevation of the human spirit above worldly conditions and desires, which anchors it to a existence perishable and long-suffering. The enlightened mind, thus, must rise towards nirvana just as the lotus flower rises from the waters in which the plant floats, towards the airs above.
This is reflected in the Buddhist schools inherited from the Japanese monk Nichiren (1222-1282), whose supreme text is the Mahayana Sutra of the Lotus (Myoho Renge Kyo), being its main mantra Namu Myoho Renge Kyo ("Praise the truth of the wonderful lotus sutra").
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