Lotus flower meaning includes purity, fertility, compassion, transformation, and spiritual enlightenment. The lotus flower is equaled only by the rose in terms of the breadth and depth of art and literature that present it as a symbol with deep philosophical meanings. In addition to historical representations in Buddhist and other Eastern teachings, the lotus has become an important symbol in modern-day Western philosophies as well. In this post, you’ll learn about lotus flower meanings throughout the world as well as lotus planting and care tips.
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The lotus plant sprouts from muddy waters. Yet, as it emerges, the waters above it cleanses it. Then, its petals open up and the lotus plant blossoms into an exquisite flower that blooms above the surface of the water.
The dichotomy in the lotus flower’s transcendence from a murky environment to one that is clear and immaculate is why this flower is a symbol of purity in many cultures. No matter how impure its origins, the lotus still manages to bloom brilliantly.
This is why lotus flowers have also come to symbolize clarity of thought and purpose. When your pursuits are pure of heart – your past, where you come from, and your hardships are all unmatched by the purity of your intentions.
Because lotus flowers go through a daily process of regeneration, emerging from muddy waters to bloom above the surface of the water, they are also symbols of fertility. Giving birth is a natural part of the cycle of life, and the lotus embodies this process. Thus, couples who are trying to conceive will meditate on the lotus flower to bring positive energy to help them conceive.
Ancient Hindu texts describe the lotus as the “Womb of the Universe” or the “Womb of the World” because of its life-giving attributes. According to Hindu mythology, the Universe was once covered with water. However, a golden lotus flower with 1,000 petals emerged from the water, glowing like a sun. From those petals, the deity Lord Brahma created the material world.1
As the lotus plant emerges from the water, its petals open up. For this reason, these beautiful flowers are also symbols of having an open heart and receiving others with compassion. Though the lotus becomes more vulnerable when it opens its petals, it’s able to absorb more sunshine. So, the lotus flower shows us that allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and being open to others – approaching them with empathy instead of judgement – benefits them as well as ourselves.
Like the dragonfly, the frog, and the turtle, the lotus originates in the water, yet it doesn’t stay there. The lotus plant goes through a transformation – from being a closed bud in the water to an open flower that blooms above the surface.
So, as these animals symbolize, lotus flowers also represents transformation and rebirth. The lotus reminds us that we can emerge to blossom, regardless of where we started.
On the path to enlightenment, there are steps. One of those steps is self-awareness, another is non-attachment, and a third is awakening. Just as a lotus flower’s petals open, so can the human. So, the lotus flower also symbolizes the expansion, or awakening, of consciousness.
The lotus flower also signifies the idea of reaching the ultimate state of awareness, which is enlightenment. This state of is often depicted as an opened lotus flower.
Lotus flowers come in a few different colors, and each one has special meaning. Here are what different lotus flower colors represent:
In general, the color red symbolizes primal energy, passion, and love. A red lotus is representative of romantic passion as well as open-heartedness in love, selfless love, and generosity of spirit.
In Buddhism, the pink lotus is sacred, as it is a divine symbol of the Buddha as well as the path to enlightenment. A budding pink lotus that is just starting to open symbolizes a person whose awareness is beginning to expand. And, as referenced earlier, in Buddhism, a fully opened pink lotus flower symbolizes the attainment of enlightenment or reaching Nirvana.
The yellow lotus, also referred to as a golden lotus in Buddhism, symbolizes the joy that can be attained from non-attachment to things and outcomes. It also symbolizes the intellectual pursuit of spiritual growth. In addition, yellow lotus flower meaning includes openness, hospitality, and a welcoming and generous heart.
Blue lotus flowers are extremely rare and they also have special meaning. So, if you ever come across a blue lotus flower, it is a special event.
The blue lotus flower symbolizes the pursuit of understanding, or greater knowledge, and ultimately – greater wisdom. It also symbolizes clarity of thought. For example, the blue lotus flower in Buddhism symbolizes overcoming attachments to desires and emotions that hinder our growth and distract you from a mindful state of consciousness.
The purple lotus flower symbolizes finding harmony in divergent feelings, emotions, and beliefs as we seek enlightenment. Purple is a rare color in that it combines the coolness of blue with the warmth of red. So, it is often a symbol for peace and the positive aspects of diversity. As the lotus itself symbolizes open-heartedness, purple lotus flowers embody the idea of being receptive and respectful to people who have different or opposing views from our own.
White lotus flower meaning includes purity, grace, peacefulness, and faith. The Buddhist goddess Tara is represented by the white lotus, as is the Hindu goddess Saraswati. So, the white lotus also symbolizes divine feminine energy, as well as fertility. In addition, the white lotus flower is a powerful symbol for purity of mind as one pursues enlightenment.
Lotus flower spiritual meaning embodies both awakening and achieving enlightenment. So, this is a powerful flower to meditate on as you expand your spiritual practice. The lotus flower represents the ability for everyone, no matter their origins, to reach enlightenment.
The lotus flower shares some traits and symbiosis with certain wild animals and insects. For example, both beetles and bees pollinate lotus flowers, and aquatic animals, such as fish, frogs, and turtles, find shelter under their leaves. In return, these animals help to nourish the lotus plant’s roots.
In addition, the lotus shares symbolic meaning with the frog, turtle, alligator, and dragonfly spirit animals because they are all animals who symbolize transformation. All can move between a watery, aquatic environment, which represents the sub-conscious, to a land environment, which represents the conscious or material world.
Furthermore, the lotus also shares synergies with the elephant spirit animal, as both are symbols of the Buddha.
The lotus is emblematic of Buddhist philosophies and is a symbol of the Buddha himself. As the lotus grows from a muddy environment into a beautiful and unstained flower, Buddha personified our ability to evolve beyond the travails of the material world into enlightened beings.
Lotus flower meaning in Buddhism symbolizes our ability to transcend physical and material desires and attachments to become pure of heart, speech, and action. For this reason, artists often depict lotus flowers in mandalas, Buddhist statues, and other artwork.
Similar to Buddhism, in Hinduism, the lotus represents the ability for our awareness to expand and our souls to evolve. As in Buddhist artwork, artists often depict Hindu gods and goddesses, such as Vishnu, Saraswati, and Lakshmi, sitting or standing on a lotus flower.
Practitioners of other Eastern religious beliefs, such as Jainsim and the Baháʼí Faith, view the lotus symbol as a sacred, representing purity and devotion.
For Christians, lotus flower meaning is symbolic of Christ’s rebirth and ascent to Heaven. The lotus is often compared to the lily flower in Christian symbolism, as the two flowers look alike and share similar traits. For example, in Christianity, water lilies symbolize purity, rebirth, and the Virgin Mary, which is very much in line with lotus flower symbolism.
Lotus meanings can also be applied to your yoga practice. As the lotus goes through a process of transformation, yoga poses helps your mind, body, and soul to transform and become more balanced and integrated. In fact, the lotus pose in yoga helps to calm the mind, thus opening it up to greater awareness and receptivity.
The lotus appears in the cultural mythologies and folklore of many cultures. Here are some of those stories:
As in other Eastern traditions, in China, the lotus symbolizes transcendence and purity. In addition, in ancient Chinese culture, the lotus represented feminine beauty and matrimonial harmony and contentedness, as it still does today.
In Japanese culture, lotus flowers symbolize purity of body, mind, and soul.
In Vietnam, the lotus is the national flower. For the Vietnamese, the lotus symbolizes optimism and hope.
The lotus flower is also the national flower of India, where it has profound meanings, especially to Hindus, as referenced earlier.
In Greek mythology, the lotus plant takes on a much different meaning than it does in Eastern teachings. For the ancient Greeks, the lotus symbolized hedonism and even apathy.
In the Odyssey, Homer told the tale of the lotus eaters – inhabitants of an island where the locals subsisted on lotus plants. When the islanders fed Odysseus and his sailors the lotus plant, they got high and fell into a stupor of laziness. Some historians surmise that the lotus flowers in the story were actually poppies because of their opium-like effects.2
In Egypt, a blue lily grows in the Nile River Delta, and it is often described as a blue lotus flower.3 In ancient Egypt, the lotus also symbolized transformation, notably of death and rebirth to the afterlife. The Egyptians also associated the lotus with the rising sun and the sun god, Ra.
In Victorian England, flower symbolism was a popular past time. For the Victorians, exotic flowers were especially interesting because they were not as accessible in the 19th century as they are today. Lotus meaning in Victorian England was emblematic of estranged love. It also symbolized verbal eloquence.4
The lotus is a wonderful symbol for a tattoo. Lotus flower tattoos show the world that the wearers are devotional people – both works in progress and avid students who are working on their own personal growth.
A lotus tattoo also shows the world that you are generous and open-hearted. In addition, a lotus flower tattoo can demonstrate your reverence for Eastern spiritual teachings and the expansion of consciousness.
Tattoos are extremely personal to every individual. Your lotus tattoo can also symbolize your own personal journey and your ability to rise above the challenges and hardships of your past. The lotus says that regardless of your environment or any troubles in your life – you remain pure of heart, mind, and soul.
Lotus flowers (Nelumbo nucifera) are fairly easy to grow if you provide them with the right conditions. Here are some general guidelines for planting and caring for lotuses, as well as some links to resources that provide more details.
While lotuses are aquatic plants, if you don’t have a pond or lake to grow them in, no worries. You can also grow them in containers. Lotus blooms can grow in U.S.D.A. zones 5 – 10. However, it’s important to keep in mind that they like warmth, so do the best in hot climates.
Lotus flowers bloom from early to late summer. Lotus buds love warmth and sunshine. In fact, lotus blooms need 5 – 6 hours of full sun per day. So, make sure you plant them in a sunny spot in your yard, patio, balcony, or window. Lotus buds will grow in partial shade but they may not thrive in the way they will in full sunlight.
It’s a fun process to grow lotus plants from seeds because you get the rewarding feeling of creating life from scratch. Plus, you experience the full life cycle of the plant. I like this video from Urban Gardening,5 which walks you through the process.
Seed germination takes a few days. Then, after you plant your sprouted seeds in a container with water (or a pond if you are lucky enough to have one), the small lotus leaves will start to appear in 10 – 15 days.
Lotuses need special soil that is a heavy topsoil or clay, which makes it easier for the roots to cling to under water. (Essentially, lighter soils will just float away.)
If you purchase lotus tubers to plant, it’s important to treat them with care. For one, they need to be kept warm, in the 75° F (23.9° C) range. In addition, you have to be careful not to damage the tip from which the roots grow.
New tubers should be planted in containers with 2 – 4 inches in water, and in mud that is about 4 – 6 inches deep. As the plant matures, in can live in a water depth of 6 – 12 inches.
I like the instructional videos from Bergen Water Gardens6 on growing lotus flowers because they have a few different videos based on the container size. You’ll see that you can grow micro lotuses in small containers.
Lotuses thrive in warm water. So, the water temperature in your container should be at least 70° F (21° C).
It can take 2 – 3 months before lotus buds appear. And in some cases, they won’t even bloom in their first year of growth. (So, it’s fitting that they are associated with spiritual practices as they are not about immediate gratification!) However, once these perennials establish themselves in your pond of container, you’ll be rewarded for years to come.
When it comes to feeding your lotuses, timing matters. It’s easy to over-fertilize sprouting lotuses, so don’t administer plant food or fertilizer on tubers or seeds. Wait until the leaves are above the surface of the water. Use a plant food that is designed for aquatic plants. And stop fertilizing over the winter.7
Not only are lotus flowers beautiful to look at and spiritually meaningful; they also have a number of practical uses. Besides offering habitat for insects and animals, they have uses for people too.
For one, lotus seeds are edible and nutritious. Sometimes called makhana, lotus seeds contain minerals such as magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, calcium, and iron. In addition, they have protein and they’re high in antioxidants. As besides their nutritional benefits, they taste good. In fact, Vietnamese and other Asian chefs use them in recipes, from soups to cakes and candies.
In addition, lotuses have been used in traditional medicine, such as for stomach ailments and reducing inflammation.
“Be like a lotus. Let the beauty of your heart speak. Be grateful to the mud, water, air, and light.”
– Amit Ray
A lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera) is an aquatic plant that grows in lakes, ponds, and riverways. It is native to Asia, but varieties grow in warm climates around the world. While it resembles a water lily, the two plants are from different biological families. The lotus is from family Nelumbonaceae and the water lily family Nymphaeaceae. Because the lotus grows in mud and then blooms above the surface of water, it has symbolic spiritual meanings in many cultures.
Lotus flowers are not only beautiful, they have a number of practical uses. To begin, their seeds are nutritious and can be used in a variety of different recipes. In addition, lotuses have medicinal uses. Furthermore, the lotus is a symbol of transformation and personal growth.
On a symbolic level, the lotus flower represents our ability to transcend our circumstances and to become someone greater, wiser, or more spiritually enlightened. Lotus flowers originate in the mud under the surface or ponds and other bodies of water. Then, they grow through the mud and water. Finally, above the surface of the water, the blossoms open up. For many, this process symbolizes spiritual growth and enlightenment.
The lotus flower represents the kind of personal and spiritual growth we attain by undergoing life’s challenges and through contemplative study and practice. For Buddhists, the opening of the lotus flower blossom represents the opening of one’s mind to a higher level of consciousness.
While the lotus flower has symbolic meaning about life and personal growth, it is different from the flower of life. A lotus flower is a natural, living plant while the flower of life is a two-dimensional illustration. The flower of life has its own symbolic meaning. It represents the building blocks of life, or existence. For followers of sacred geometry, it is evidence of a diving creator.
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