kimicita:awakeningapril:THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE LOTUS FLOWERBuddhism: With its roots in the mu
kimicita:awakeningapril:THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE LOTUS FLOWERBuddhism: With its roots in the mud, the lotus rises through the murky water to blossom clean and bright, symbolizing to the Buddhist purity, resurrection and the enlightened being who emerges undefiled from the chaos and illusion of the world. The eight-petalled lotus that is used in Buddhist mandalas symbolizes cosmic harmony, and the thousand-petalled lotus represents spiritual illumination.Hinduism: The Hindus of India noted that the ungerminated seeds of the lotus contain perfectly formed leaves, a blueprint for the future plant. Thus to the Hindu, the lotus represents divine ideation passing from abstract into concrete form. In addition in Hindu mythology, the lotus flower is associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wisdom and generosity. She is often portrayed as sitting on a completely blossomed lotus that gives a sense of purity to her form. Ancient Egyptian: The lotus is featured prominently in Egyptian art and architecture, especially in connection with Egypt’s temples. In Egyptian mythology, the lotus was associated with the sun, because it blooms by day and closes by night. The lotus also symbolized rebirth, since one Egyptian creation myth tells of the newborn sun god rising out of a floating lotus. The blue lotus was sacred to the ancient Egyptians, who valued it not only for its rich perfume but also for its narcotic ability to produce heightened awareness and tranquillity.Native American: Certain tribes found all parts of the American lotus edible, the flower symbolized the sun’s power to transform energy into food. The seeds were once an especially important part of the Native American diet; in fact, the genus name Nelumbo means “sacred bean.”Taoism: The lotus is also highly esteemed by Taoists. Among the Eight Immortals of Taoism is Ho Hsien Ku, her symbol the open lotus blossom, signifying openness and wisdom. The lotus flower is a favorite of Taoist artists, who paint it to remind us of the miracle of beauty, light and life, and to communicate an understanding of the Tao and of our place in the world. China: A feature of the lotus plant that has found its way into Chinese poetry is its stalk, which is easy to bend but difficult to break because of its many strong fibres. Poets liken this quality to the bonds between lovers or family members.India: According to the Indian culture the lotus flower denotes prosperity knowledge and learning, fruitfulness and illumination. Hail to the jewel in the lotus.Not so sure it makes no sense to list “Buddhism” and “Taoism” and then separately “China”, but that’s okay, we’re talking about lotus so it’s all good. To me, the lotus growing out of mud symbolizes enlightenment emerging from illusion. You won’t be shocked to hear that the Chinese use every part of the flower in food and medicine. The large aromatic leaves are used to wrap sticky rice and meats before steaming, similar to banana leaves and corn husks in other parts of the world. The seeds are most often used in medicinal soups and sweet desserts; can be dried and popped like popcorn as a sweet snack; and can also be turned into a sweet paste common for stuffing pastries such as mooncakes. The roots are sliced thin and often pickled with chili and garlic, making a spicy crunchy cool-looking addition to many dishes. The stamens are dried and mixed with tea leaves for aroma. So as you see, not only is the lotus probably the most venerated flower in East Asian spiritual symbolism, it’s also one of the most useful in the kitchen. -- source link