What Is the Meaning of the Pink Lotus?
The lotus flower can be found in Southern Asia, India and China, both in a literal sense and as a spiritual symbol. It is a perennial aquatic flower that grows through the shallow waters of a pond or swamp. The pink lotus is India's national flower, and can be seen poking through murky waters and displaying its beautiful dinner-plate-sized petals.
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In Buddhism
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Here Buddha is seen sitting on the supreme pink lotus. Among all the lotus colors, the pink lotus is reserved for the highest of deities and is the earthly symbol of the Buddha. In Buddhism, the lotus's life is a symbolic representation of the evolution of the soul; the lotus springs from the muddy depths to rise through murky water and into the sunlight to become a beautiful flower. It represents the soul's journey from materialism through experience and into enlightenment.
In Hinduism
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The pink lotus is sacred in Hinduism and is often associated with the goddess Lakshmi. The pink lotus in India is knows as the sacred lotus, and is depicted as the seat of the goddess of wealth and good fortune. The goddess Lakshmi sits upon this pink flower and is said to have been born of it. Similar to the Buddhist belief, the lotus in Hinduism represents non-attachment. Because the flower rises above the waters and is untouched by them, it is sacred. In Hinduism, this is how a person should live, above the waters of attachment and free of material ties.
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In Egypt
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The lotus often depicted in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs is called the blue lotus. The blue lotus is actually a waterlily that grows on the banks of the Nile. Today the blue lotus is almost extinct. Fossils of the blue lotus were found scattered across Tutankhamen's body. The legend tells that the sun was actually born of the lotus because of its ability to imitate the stars rising and setting as the petals close and open with the day and night.
In China
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The lotus in China is representative of cleanliness and creativity in adverse surroundings; it is also the symbol for the seventh month. Just like the Buddhist and Hindu symbolism, the flower is thought of as rising above the obstacles of daily life to a higher state of being.
As Food
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The root of the lotus flower is used in Asian cooking. The many varieties of lotus have been cultivated for culinary and medicinal uses throughout Asia, India and Egypt. Lotuses are used in cooking as they are a member of the pea family. The entire flower is edible, but the most common part of the plant used is the rhizomes, or roots, of the flower, which are sold and used as a vegetable. The seeds of the lotus plant are also used in medicine and food. They can be roasted and made into a paste for use in baking. It is said that the lotus roots, seeds and flowers are good for the heart, kidney and spleen.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit pink lotus flower image by Manuel Fernandes from Fotolia.com buddhism image by Luisafer from Fotolia.com double lotus image by OMKAR A.V from Fotolia.com
