The lotus represents holiness and beauty.
When you enter the temple, you’ll see lotus images everywhere. In the Mahavira Hall, the Buddha is seated on a lotus throne with kind eyebrows and kind eyes. The lotus eyes are lowered, and the three saints of the West – Amitabha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva – are also seated on the lotus.
Buddhism originated in India
In Indian literature, the lotus is a symbol of beauty, kindness, holiness, tolerance, and generosity.
The Story of the Lotus Prince” compares the morally noble national flower, which is kind, upright, adheres to the ten laws of kingship, to the lotus. The story goes that in order to save the people from famine, Prince Lotus jumped into the Ganges River and turned into a big red fish. He instructed the people to cut his flesh and eat it. His flesh regrew after being cut. He persisted like this for twelve years. He used his own meat to feed the people of the country and survive the twelve-year famine.
The Story of Lady Deer Mother Lotus” states that every time Lady Deer Mother Lotus takes a step, a beautiful lotus flower appears behind her feet. She gave birth to five hundred boys at one time, all of whom were beautiful, strong men and heroes who protected the country. So, the deer mother Lotus Lady became a symbol of having more beautiful sons.
The character and characteristics of the lotus are consistent with Buddhist teachings
Buddhism focuses on seeking relief from the suffering in life. It regards life as a sea of suffering and hopes that people can escape from the sea of suffering. The path to liberation is: sea of suffering-cultivation-the other shore (Pure Land).
That is, from the earthly world to the pure world, from all evil to the ultimate good, from the ordinary to the Buddha. This is just like the lotus that grows in muddy water and becomes otherworldly, unstained by the mud, and finally blooms into extremely beautiful flowers.
One of the core principles of Buddhism is compassion for all living beings. Those who have reached a very high level of enlightenment, such as bodhisattvas, naturally develop compassion for all living beings. Compassion refers to “unconditional kindness and shared compassion.”
Loving kindness is hope and helping others to be happy; compassion is hope and helping others to overcome their pain. Treat all beings with compassion and kindness, regardless of good or evil, and regardless of humans or animals.
We must tolerate and forgive all kinds of evil deeds, use compassion to help and influence those who do evil, make them do good and bear good fruits; we must also live in the dirty world without being polluted by it. The lotus flower is used to express this beautiful thought and sentiment.
The lotus growing in the mud is like living in a dusty world, and will be invaded by many evil and filthy things. Buddhism requires people not to be disturbed and affected by the evil and filth in the world. Like the lotus, it “comes out of the mud but remains unstained” and blooms clean and beautiful flowers, which is the most beautiful symbol.
The Buddha often compares lotus nature to Buddha nature. “The Theory of Great Wisdom: The First Edition of the Interpretation of the Tora Paramita” says: “For example, the lotus comes from the mud. Although the color is fresh and good, the source is not pure.” “The Sutra from the Forty-Two Chapters” says: “I am a recluse, in the In troubled times, you should be like a lotus flower, not polluted.”
King Brahma, who saved the world, was also born sitting on a golden thousand-leaf lotus. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas also sit on the lotus platform, or hold lotus flowers in their hands, expressing the Buddha’s pure and untainted state from the earthly world.
It is not easy for people to cultivate a state where they are free from dust and not polluted. It requires a high level of awareness and concentration. This requires continuous practice to enhance Buddha nature and eliminate demonic nature.
Final thoughts
The lotus flower also represents a state of wisdom, the so-called “enlightenment”.
“Infinite Life Sutra” says: “This Bodhisattva thinks like this. All sentient beings have this lotus flower of enlightenment, which purifies the world and is not contaminated by troubles.”
Buddhism teaches that when flowers bloom, you can see the Buddha nature. This flower is referred to as the lotus. When the flower blooms, it symbolizes that the practitioner has reached a level of wisdom. It is a metaphor that if a person has a lotus state of mind, their Buddha nature will come out.
