Buddhist Symbols: The Lotus

The lotus is rooted in deep mud and its stem grows through murky water. But the blossom rises above the muck and opens in the sun, beautiful and fragrant. In Buddhism, the lotus represents the true nature of beings, who rise through samsara into the beauty and clarity of enlightenment.

The lotus is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols that permeate Buddhist art. Buddhas and bodhisattvas are often pictured sitting on a lotus or holding a lotus.

An unopened lotus flower represents the heart of a being before the virtue of the Buddha causes it to open and bloom. The color of the lotus also has significance:

White: Mental and spiritual purity

Red: The heart, compassion and love

Blue: Wisdom and control of the senses

Pink: The historical Buddha

Purple: Mysticism

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