why buddha sits on lotus flower
The lotus is fresh and upright, emerging from the mud but not stained, and washing the clear ripples without being evil. It symbolizes the “gentleman” in the dirty world. In Buddhism, the meaning of lotus is far more profound and vast.
For example, when the Buddha was born, he stepped on lotus flowers, held lotus flowers in his hands when preaching, vomited lotus flowers from his mouth, and made lotus seals when sitting in meditation… The importance of the lotus in Buddhism is evident.
The statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva in the temple are also sitting on the lotus platform, looking particularly solemn, pure and at ease. Why is this?
Lotus has no worries
It is recorded in the Buddhist scriptures that the lotus in the Saha world has only dozens of petals, while the lotus grown by the water of eight virtues has thousands of petals.
The lotus flower is born in the mud and blooms on the water surface, symbolizing the transition from trouble to purity, where it is born and grows.
Just like a Bodhisattva who comes out of the world and enters the world, with great compassion and great vows, he can perform difficult things and endure difficult things, and with subtle and profound wisdom, he can live in the evil world of the five turbidities without being contaminated.
The lotus often blooms in the hot summer. Heat represents troubles, and water represents coolness. Therefore, the lotus also symbolizes bringing a cool state to the Saha world with many troubles and obstacles.
The lotus is often used to describe a practitioner who is freed from troubles and has a cool and comfortable heart. Therefore, statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas often sit on lotus pedestals.
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Lotus becomes Bodhi
The Saha world is like mud, filled with all kinds of troubles such as greed, anger, and ignorance. On the one hand, practitioners should diligently practice Taoism and “come out of the mud without being stained” like a lotus. On the other hand, they should not abandon the mud, stay away from all living beings, and have great compassion. To benefit all sentient beings, because without the mud, the lotus loses its place to take root.
Troubles are like mud in the water. Only by experiencing them and awakening from them can decay be transformed into magic!
Lotus Story
There is such an allusion: the master ordered his disciples to go to the market outside the mountain gate to turn a lotus into an offering to the Buddha.
The disciple was in a dilemma because the flower market was right next to the meat market, and he had to pass through the meat market if he wanted to go for alms.
However, the master still ordered the disciples to go for alms. The disciples did not dare to disobey the order, so they had no choice but to go.
After transforming into a lotus flower, the disciple returned to the temple. The master asked him: “Did you pass by the meat market today?” The disciple said, yes.
The master asked him again: “Has the smell of the lotus in your hand become dirty?” The disciple put the flower in front of the master’s nose and said happily: “Master, the flower smells very good!”
The master said to his disciples: “How can you be enlightened if you have not experienced loss? Without lotus, you can deny the mud; without today’s fruits, you can deny yesterday’s seeds. True enlightenment cannot deny the past loss, because in enlightenment, It contains the lostness of the past.”
Final thoughts
“Samantabhadra’s Action Vows” says: “Because all Buddhas and Tathagatas have great compassion as their bodies, they have great compassion for all living beings; because of great compassion, they have Bodhicitta; because of Bodhicitta, they can attain perfect enlightenment.”
Without silt, the lotus cannot flourish; without all living beings, where can a Bodhisattva come from? A practitioner of Buddhism is someone who follows all living beings and has a pure heart. Therefore, the Buddha and Bodhisattva are seated on the lotus platform.
