Lotus - Beauty, Purity, Divinity

Recently I have seen a tiny lotus pond at a temple.  There were two colors of lotuses.  Few bloomed fully some partially and still some were closed.  The pond with the flowers and leaves was beautiful.  Lotus is the only flower I know which has many names in Telugu and Sanskrit due to its location and nature of blooming.  As I know that the flower has a special position in Hinduism I got interested to know more about the flower.  On searching the net I found so many interesting facts which I wanted to share with you all.

 Lotus grows in temperate and semi temperate climates.  This is native to Asia and other Eastern countries.  The plant has its roots in the mud, the stems in the water, but unlike other water plants the leaves are above the surface of water and flowers rise eight to twelve inches above leaves.  The strong stem supports this rise to above surface of water and lotus is untouched by the mud from which it arises.  It is the only plant which blossoms and fruits at the same time.  The other special feature of this plant is that its seeds are known to possess maximum period of viability among all plants. The lotus flower, fruit and seeds are edible.  The various parts of flower and the plant are used to cook some dietary delicacies in India and other eastern countries.  The plant also has medicinal value.

The unique features of this flower are recognised long ago and the beautiful flower is considered to represent purity and divinity.  The earliest reference to this flower is found in Rigveda.  This flower is symbolic of spiritual excellence and receives religious reverence in Hinduism and Buddhism.  There is also mention of these flowers in Egypt and Greek mythology.

Hinduism  

The earliest mention of this flower is in Rigveda.  Commonly we see pink and white lotuses in India.  The other colors of lotuses in other Asian countries are red, blue and purple.

Padma indicates a pink lotus which is the seat of goddess Sri Mahalaxmi. 

Kamala is the red color lotus; Pundarika and Utpala are white and blue lotuses.   

 As the lotus arises from water it is also called as ‘jalaja’, ‘neeraja’, ‘saroja’, ‘ambuja’ and as it arises from the muddy waters it is called ‘pankaja’. 

Though the flower’s roots are in the muddy water the stem raises from it and the leaves form a green carpet above the surface of water.  The flower is above the level of the leaves.  The leaves and flowers are detached from water.  The flower opens petal after petal and finally blossoms fully exhibiting the central pod and the stamens.  The flower blooms in the day and shines bright in the sun, closes and dips down into the water in the nights.  Then in the morning when it arises, flower is clear of  single drop of water, clean pure and beautiful. The water drops that fall on leaves also do not spread on it or stick to it, simply drop off. When the flower withers its pod enters the water and seeds are released.. A human being is supposed to live life like a lotus.

Human beings, the highest in order of living beings have to attain salvation by living a life like lotus.  Whatever circumstances they are in, they should rise above those circumstances and live a fruitful life without being attached to the material world.  The mud/water is considered the physical realm of the world, the flower – soul is covered inside the being as the pod in the lotus bud.  As lotus blooms with the touch of sun rays, so the people with attaining knowledge will be able to realise self and live in bliss.  Any being that is born should rise above materialistic world and strive for enlightenment.  Every being is microcosm, part of macrocosm and all beings ultimately should realise this fact.  Everyone is born for some purpose, should fulfill their duties and reach the ever blissful abode of Almighty.

In the course of salvation a person has to meditate and pass through different phases.  The stages pass through opening of seven chakras in the body each associated with lotus of different color and number of petals. 

-Mulaadhaara Chakra lies at the lowest part of the trunk - red color lotus with 4 petals

-Swadhishtana Chakra – in the lower abdomen – yellow color lotus with 6 petals

-Manipura Chakra – at the navel – blue lotus with 10 petals

-Hruthpadma Chakra – at the heart – golden yellow lotus with 12 petals

-Vishuddha Chakra – situated in the throat – white lotus with 16 petals

-Agnyaja Chakra – at the midpoint between the eyebrows – white lotus with 2 petals

-Sahsraraka Chakra – at the vertex – golden lotus with 1000 petals. 

 The opening of each chakra is visualized as opening of the associated lotus.  As each charka opens in ascending order the person will be rising above the wants of physical and material world and finally when enlightenment is achieved the beautiful golden lotus of thousand petals will open and such person will ever be in communion with Almighty and enjoys bliss for ever.

Goddess Sri Mahalaxmi is associated with pink lotus.  It is the seat of the Goddess.  Goddess Sri Mahalaxmi is addressed as

Padmodbhavam (arising from lotus)

Padmamukheem (lotus face)

Padmaaksheem (lotus eyed)

Padmahastaam (holding lotus in the hand)

Padmapriyaam (loves lotus)

Padmamalaadharam (wearing lotus garland)

Padmasundareem (beautiful as lotus)

Padmineem (Sri Mahalaxmi, the divine lotus)

Padmagandhineem (fragrance of lotus)

Padmanaabha priyaam (loved by God Sri Mahavishnu – from whose navel a lotus the seat of Brahma - the creator arises)

Padmaalayaam (dwells in lotus).

Goddess Saraswathi is associated with white lotus. She is praised as

Padmapatra vishaalaakshi (wide eyes appearing as lotus petals

Padmakesara varnini (golden complexion as the stamens of lotus)

Shweta padmaasana (seated in the white lotus)

Nityam padmaalayaam (ever dwells in the lotus).

Beauty of other gods also described in terms of lotus, particularly the eyes as lotus petals. The feet of gods and all esteemed Gurus are revered as lotus feet (paada padmamulu).

The supreme god Shri Mahavishnu is called Padmanabha as a lotus arises from his navel on which the creator Brahma sits.  Sun god is called as ‘Kamalanath’ (master of lotus).  He is the only god who holds lotuses in two hands. 

In Bhagavadgeeta Lord Krishna says that a person should do his ‘karma’ with detachment like lotus which stays in murky water but remains clean and pure.

Buddhism

 In Buddhism the lotus represents purity of body, speech and mind.  The flower rising above the murky water is symbolic of detachment from physical realm. The eight petals of lotus represent the eight principles of Buddhism

-Right belief

-Right aim

-Right speech

-Right Actions

-Right means of livelihood

-Right endeavour

-Right mindfulness

-Right meditation

In Buddhism different colors of lotuses presents different virtues.

Red lotus:  This is related to heart and is associated with love and compassion.

Blue lotus: Victory of spirit over that of wisdom, intelligence and knowledge.  This lotus is shown as only partially opened and centre of the flower is not seen.

White lotus: This represents mental purity and spiritual perfection, symbolic of ‘Bodhi’, being awakened.

Purple lotus: This is associated with esoteric sects.  This lotus is seen as open flower with eight petals indicating eight paths of Buddhism.

Pink lotus: This is considered supreme true lotus and is associated with Buddha.

The heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus.  Developing virtues of Buddha is unfolding and blossoming of lotus.  Enlightened being – Buddha sits on lotus.

Lotus is the first flower bloomed in the beginning of this cosmic world as per Buddhist Cosmology. 

According to Mahayana tradition lotus indicates regeneration, perfection, youthful bloom and immortality.  Chan tradition believes the fruit, flower and stalk are symbolic of past, present and future.

Jainism

Jainism also regards lotus as most auspicious flower.  Jain Tirthankars who realise Omniscience are depicted as sitting on Golden lotus.  Tirthankars sit on lotus when giving sermons.  This is to depict how to love and live unattached in the world.

Chinese mythology and culture

Chinese have immense reverence to lotus.  The lotus was mentioned in their poetry 3000 years ago. A beautiful woman’s face is described as lotus face. The flower is considered queenliest of all flowers, fairy of flowers and gentleman of flowers. They have many folk paints with different lotuses symbolic of love, harmony and prosperity.  Chinese word for lotus is pronounced as ‘HE’ the same word meaning harmony.  The word for light blue lotus is pronounced like the word rectitude. This lotus represents honesty.  Lotus is considered to represent the bond of love as the stalk cannot be broken into two.  When the stem is bent, it is still bound by its strong fibres. Chinese scholar Zhou Dunyi wrote, “I love lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained”. 

In china there is a legend saying that June 14^th in Chinese lunar calendar is the lotus’s birthday. So even now every year Chinese celebrate Lotus festival by visiting lotus pond, enjoying beauty of the flowers and the environment along the banks of the pond.

A unique fibre is produced from the fibres of lotus plant at Inle Lake Union of Myanmar.  These fibres are used to weave special robes – lotus robes (kya thingaln) for Buddha images

Egyptian Mythology

As per Egyptian mythology lotus is symbol of creation and rebirth.  Lotus blooms during day and closes and sinks into water at night to rise again along with the sun to bloom.  This is the reason their mythology presents that a giant lotus that blossomed first from the primordial waters of ‘Nun’ has created sun and thus the creation started.

Greek mythology

Greek mythology also mentions a story about lotus.  During his return from Troy Odysseus has to drag his men who were stuck at a place eating lotus fruits and flowers given by local inhabitants and became blissful.  Herodotus, 5^th century BC historian located lotus eaters on the Libyan coast.

Lotus, a beautiful flower, Indian national flower, symbolic of spirituality in many religions and nations, certainly has unique features and inspires man to rise above mundane things and attain self realization.

Image sources: Other than red and white lotus all images are taken from Google images.