Plant Story: Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
- DAMBI
- Jul 25
- 4 min read
Lotus represents enlightenment in the midst of suffering, purity, and realization of Buddhist heart. Therefore, Buddha sits on the flower of Lotus and a practitioner strives to live like a lotus in the middle of mudd. It was also my very first tattoo I got for the first time in Australia in 2010 in a tattto studio called Steel Lotus.
I was a free-spirited soul who was drifting like a dandelion's seed traveling around the world and I settled back in Korea 2015 to deepen my tea and incense practice under a Chinese tea and incense ceremony master. I did not expect to be an apprentice for a year plus. Rather, I was expecting to work in a temple to study temple food back then but you never know where your life takes you to so I surrendered and pursued my work immediately and stop wandering around. In 2017, I somehow became more independent with my tea practice and then the most eventful tea ceremony always involved Iced Lotus Tea for group serving.
🌸 The Deeper Meaning of the Lotus in Buddhism
In Buddhism, the lotus flower holds deep symbolic and spiritual meaning. Its pure beauty rising from muddy water reflects many of the core teachings of the Buddha — and it’s no coincidence that the lotus is often called the flower of enlightenment.
🪷 Sacred Symbol of the Buddha
In traditional Buddhist imagery, the Buddha is often seated on a lotus-shaped throne, known as a lotus pedestal(Sanskrit: padmāsana, Korean: 연화좌). This is not simply artistic — it’s a symbol of the Buddha’s purity, wisdom, and transcendence.
There’s also a famous story from the Buddha’s birth:When Prince Siddhartha was born in Lumbini, he is said to have taken seven steps in each of the four directions(north, south, east, west). With each step, lotus flowers sprang from the earth, symbolizing his divine nature and foreshadowing the path to enlightenment.
🌾 Purity in the Midst of Suffering
The lotus is often described with the phrase "choyeom-sangjeong" (處染常淨) —
“Though it grows in the mud, it remains pure.”
This captures a key Buddhist teaching: even in a world full of suffering and impurities (the Saha world), one can live without being tainted by it — keeping a pure mind and heart.This concept mirrors Confucian ideals as well, where a noble person (junzi) maintains integrity even in a corrupt world.
🌺 Symbol of Enlightenment and Impermanence
A lotus grows with its roots in the mud, but its blossom opens toward the sky — symbolizing the journey from ignorance to wisdom, from suffering to enlightenment.
Its layered petals often resemble the shape of a Buddha statue, and the way it blooms holds further meaning:
The lotus blooms over three days:
On day one, it opens halfway.
On day two, it fully blooms — at its most fragrant and beautiful.
On day three, the petals fall, leaving only the seed pod behind.
Because the lotus withdraws at the peak of its beauty, it is seen as a metaphor for the wise — knowing when to let go with grace.
🌱 The Lotus as a Symbol of Karma and Rebirth
One of the lotus’s most profound traits is that its flower and seed appear at the same time — something rare in the plant world.
This is known in Buddhism as “hwa-gwa-dong-si” (花果同時) — “flower and fruit appearing simultaneously,” symbolizing the unity of cause and effect, or the interconnectedness of past, present, and future karma (samsae inga, 三世因果).
Also, lotus seeds can remain dormant for over 2,000 years and still sprout under the right conditions. This is viewed as a symbol of non-birth and non-death (mushō-mumetsu, 불생불멸) — the eternal nature of Buddha-nature within all beings.
🕊 The Lotus in Buddhist Texts and Life
In the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Garland Sutra), the lotus is described as having four key virtues:
Fragrance (香)
Purity (潔)
Clarity (清)
Cleanliness (淨)
Because of this, the lotus appears not only under Buddhas and bodhisattvas but also in everyday Buddhist life:
Monks’ robes are sometimes called “lotus robes” (연화의), symbolizing detachment from worldly dust.
The belief that one is reborn in a lotus flower in the Western Pure Land (Sukhavati) is known as “lotus rebirth” (연화화생).
🌼 Final Thoughts
The lotus is more than just a flower. It’s a living teaching — reminding us that beauty can emerge from suffering, that purity can be maintained in a chaotic world, and that awakening is always possible, no matter where we begin.
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