What Do the Colors of Lotus Flowers Represent?

The lotus flower serves as a prominent symbol in many Asian cultures, and has many meanings associated with it. The lotus perhaps holds its strongest sense of symbolism in the Buddhism, and it is common to see the Buddha depicted sitting inside a lotus blossom, as that's where the virtues of Buddhism were said to develop. Much like the rose in Western society, different colors of the lotus have different meanings.

White Lotus

The white lotus symbolized bodhi (Sanskrit for enlightenment). It symbolizes a pure body, mind and spirit, along with spiritual perfection and a pacification of one's nature. A lotus flower normally has eight petals, which corresponds to the Eightfold Path of Good Law. It is the white lotus that is found at the heart of the Garbhadhatu Mandala, where is serves as the embryo of the world. The white lotus is considered the lotus of the buddhas (but not Buddha himself) because of the above stated symbolism associated with it.

Blue Lotus

The blue lotus symbolizes the control of the spirit over one's material senses. It also symbolizes knowledge, wisdom and intelligence. The blue lotus is always depicted only partially opened---perhaps to symbolize that knowledge should never be finished blooming. In a similar vein, its center is never seen. The blue lotus is the lotus associated with Manjusri, and is also one of the attributes of Prajnaparamita, the embodiment of the perfection of wisdom.

Red Lotus

The red lotus symbolizes the original state of the heart. It is a symbol of love, compassion, activeness, passion and other emotions associated with the heart. The red lotus is typically depicted with its petals opened, which may be to symbolize the beauty and openness of a giving heart. The red lotus is associated with Avalokitesvara.

Pink Lotus

The pink lotus is the supreme lotus, it is often associated with the highest deity, the Buddha himself. Though often confused with the white lotus, it is the pink lotus that symbolizes Buddha where the white lotus is used for lesser holy figures.

Purple Lotus

The purple lotus is known as the mystic lotus, and is only represented in a few esoteric Buddhist sects. This lotus is often depicted several ways; it may be in bloom or merely a bud. It can be supported by a single stem, a triple stem which symbolizes the three parts of the Garbhadhatu (which are vairocana, lotus and vajra), or a quintuple stem which symbolizes the Five Knowledges of Vajradhatu. The eight petals again symbolize the Eightfold Path and also the eight principal acolyte deities of the central deity on the mandalas. If depicted in a cup or on a tray, it is considered to be a symbol of homage.