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December 31, 2015
Lotus Flower Meaning and Symbolisms
Find out about the Meanings associated with the Lotus Flower. 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 nighttime 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.

I would like to explain how some of these associations came about, and I will therefore split up
this article into three main sections, based upon the three main groups, that is to say that of the
ancient Egyptians, the Buddhists, and Hinduism.
Meaning of the Lotus Flower to the Ancient Egyptians.
Anybody who has taken a look at Egyptian culture cannot fail to have noticed the significance of
the meaning of the Lotus flower in their culture.
In ancient Egypt there were two main types of lotus that grew, the white, and the blue
(scientifically a waterlily, but symbolically a lotus). Further to this another type, the pink lotus
flower was introduced into Egypt sometime during the late period of their civilization. If one is
to observe the many hieroglyphics, it is easy to see that the blue Lotus flower is the most
commonly portrayed.
As mentioned in the introduction above about the meanings of the lotus flower, this plant is
known to be associated with rebirth. This is a consequence of it supposedly retracting into the
water at the night, and emerging a fresh in the Sun the next day (see the introduction for how a
lotus plant actually comes into bloom). The Egyptians therefore associated the lotus flower with
the sun which also disappeared in the night, only to re-emerge in the morning. Therefore the
lotus came to symbolize the Sun and the creation. In many hieroglyphics works the lotus is
depicted as emerging from Nun (the primordial water) bearing the Sun God.
As something that is associated with rebirth, it is no surprise that the lotus flower is also
associated with death, and the famous Egyptian book of the dead is known to include spells that
are able to transform a person into a lotus, thus allowing for resurrection.
Another interesting fact about the lotus flower meaning to the Egyptians was the way that it was
used as a symbol for the unification of the two Egyptian kingdoms, that is to say the bonding of
upper and lower Egypt. For a long time the lotus had been used in the hieroglyphics and art of
upper Egypt, whereas in lower Egypt the Papyrus plant was notably in abundance. Therefore
pictures of lotus and Papyrus that had grown up together and become inter-wound with each
other came to be a symbol of the bringing together of the two kingdoms.
Lotus Flower Meaning in Buddhism
In Buddhism the lotus is known to be associated with purity, spiritual awakening and
faithfulness. The flower is considered pure as it is able to emerge from murky waters in the
morning and be perfectly clean. Therefore in common with Egyptian mythology the lotus is seen
as a sign of rebirth, but additionally it is associated with purity. The breaking of the surface every
morning is also suggestive of desire, this leads to it being associated with spiritual
enlightenment.
As Buddhism stems from a different part of the world to Egyptology, there are many more colors
of 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 centre 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 ones 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.
The Lotus Flower and its Meaning in Hinduism
Perhaps one of the strongest associations of the lotus flower with religion is that that is observed
in Hinduism. In this religion the lotus flower meaning is associated with beauty, fertility,
prosperity, spirituality, and eternity.
The most common lotus form seen in Hinduism is the white lotus flower.
Lotus Flower Meaning.
The beautiful white lotus flower has special significance in Hinduism, where its meaning is
strongly associated with Laxmi and Brahma.
Many of the gods and goddesses of Hinduism are linked to the flower, for example the goddess
of prosperity, Laxmi, is usually depicted as being seated atop a fully opened lotus flower.
Likewise Brahma, the god of creation is depicted as emerging from a lotus that crawls from the
Naval of the sustainer Lord Vishnu.
As a lotus is able to emerge from Muddy Waters un-spoilt and pure it is considered to represent a
wise and spiritually enlightened quality in a person; it is representative of somebody who carries
out their tasks with little concern for any reward and with a full liberation from attachment.
It is very interesting how the open flower and the unopened Lotus bud forms are associated with
human traits. The unopened bud is representative of a folded soul that has the ability to unfold
and open itself up to the divine truth.
It is hoped that you now have a better understanding of the lotus flower meaning across the three
major cultures in which it is known to play (or have played) a major role. It is no wonder that
these civilizations, have found wonderment in such a beautiful flower.