The lotus flower… A dominant symbol behind nearly all Asian religions (i.e. Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.). So much so that most of their deities are depicted sitting upon various kinds of lotus flower. So without a doubt, there must then be some special meaning attached to the lotus flower. It’s significance is however, culturally relative. The flower managed to find relevance amongst ancient Egyptian scholars and also permeate Greek mythology.
The lotus flower slowly but surely emerges from a pond after a three day period, in which it blooms from morning until mid-afternoon. The Egyptian scholars managed to observe this in a different light and noticed the flower sank into the pond at night and resurfaced in the day. They therefore came to associate the lotus flower with rebirth and the Sun. It is no surprise then that it was also associated with death. The ancient Egyptian book of the dead contained spells in which one could be transformed into a lotus and thus reborn.
Greek mythology completely separates the spiritual significance of the lotus and presents before us a race of Lotus-eaters. This race lived on an island near North of Africa which was dominated by lotus flowers and fruit, which became the main food in their diets. The lotus flower here however is a drug. Odysseus tells of how winds blew him and his men off course, at which they landed on this island. Some of the men while exploring, took it upon themselves to eat some of the lotus flowers, and due to their sweet taste and narcotic effect, the men lost all desire to leave the island and became solely focused on the island. Odysseus had to force the men as they wept and tied them down once they had boarded.
Buddhism also has a completely different take on our precious little lotus flower. They look at its beauty and struggle and focus upon the spiritual. The lotus root extends into the mud below the pond whereas the flower blossoms above the water. Buddhist thought identifies this pattern of growth as the souls progress from the mud that is materialism, through the waters of experience and into the bright Sun that is enlightenment. The lotus, although significant in numerous other Asian religions, is essentially paramount in Buddhism, appearing in nearly all Buddhist arts. There is even a legend that Guatama Buddha was born with the ability to walk, and lotus flowers would bloom out of everywhere he stepped.
Essentially the lotus flower stands as that beautiful object that manages to remain untarnished by its environment. Nature’s diamond in the dirt. (Make sure that everyday stresses and rushing around doesn’t tarnish you, be that beautiful object… be that beautiful smell