Lotus is in full bloom in hot summer water, heat means trouble, water means coolness, that is, it brings coolness to the troubled world. These are the virtues represented by lotus. Therefore, people who are born in the pure land of Buddhism after getting rid of their troubles are all lotus metaplasia. The sentient beings in the three realms are supported by lust, and the pure land saints are incarnated by lotus flowers.
So lotus represents pure merit and calm wisdom. For saints, it is invisible. In front of ordinary people, it is expressed in a familiar image. Therefore, the Buddha statues we see and the sages of the pure land Buddha countries introduced in Buddhist scriptures are all based on lotus; Whether sitting or standing, they are all on the lotus platform, representing their clean dharma bodies and solemn declarations.
Lotus is inextricably linked with Buddhism. Buddhism believes that the lotus leaves the mud but is not stained, which is very fragrant and clean, indicating that the Buddha and Bodhisattva were born in the troubles of life and death. It also eliminates the troubles of life and death, so it means "Lotus hides the world". According to Buddhism, lotus is the "pure land" where the Buddha lives. It can be seen that lotus has become a symbol of Buddhism. Therefore, the Bodhisattva should take the lotus as its seat. Lotus in Buddhism includes different kinds of lotus and water lily. Only the Buddha statues of Mahayana Buddhism use lotus flowers.
Lotus symbolizes holiness and immortality in Buddhism and Hinduism, and the national flower of India is lotus. There are seven kinds of lotus in India, so it is called "Seven Treasures Lotus". In fact, only two of the seven species of lotus are lotus, namely Bai Lianhua (Fantori flower) and Honglian (Potomac flower), and the other five species are water lilies.
Botanically, lotus is also called lotus. India is the birthplace of Buddhism, and lotus is a symbol and mascot often mentioned in Buddhist scriptures. Lotus leaves don't touch mud, and lead a clean life, which is consistent with the life personality advocated by Buddhism. Because lotus represents Buddhism, and Buddhism comes from India, lotus is regarded as a sacred symbol of dignity in India.
Lotus is designed for the meditation and interpretation of Buddha. Buddhism is the only lotus in the hundred flowers, which is related to the considerable lotus brocade. The fragrance is far and clear, which is enough to represent strength. "All the flowers are very small, and no flower has such a pure fragrance." The eighth volume of Great Wisdom records several reasons for sitting on the lotus, except that the lotus is the largest and most prosperous of all flowers, which represents a solemn and wonderful method. Lotus is soft and plain, but it is not bad to sit on it, and it can also show its magic power. In fact, lotus has been sublimated into a flower in the sky, which is different from the flower in people. "The lotus in people is only one foot, and the lotus in the sky is like a nine-car cover, which can be squatted."
"The Buddha also followed the character of the Hindu god of light and became a hero created by the Lotus Emperor." In the classics, all beings can enter the pure land with the help of "lotus metaplasia" and ride on the lotus, and fear is also passed down from one vein to another. Believers all know that according to Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha was born in northern India more than 2,000 years ago. When he was born, he took seven steps in all directions, giving birth to lotus flowers step by step, and a goddess spread flowers for him.
Water lilies rising from the depths of water to the surface, like the hidden vitality of the creator, suggest the origin of creation, not only many myths are related to lotus; In the kingdom of Egypt, which worships the sun, there is also a pattern of the sun god sitting on the lotus in the form of a boy. The holiness of the lotus, which emerges from the mud without being stained, symbolizes that the Buddha and Bodhisattva are above the world of mortals, and all four are empty; Lotus never withers, and it will come again next year, which symbolizes that people are immortal and constantly in reincarnation.
Lotus has five colors: white, blue, red, purple and yellow, which are called "five kinds of smallpox". White and blue are the most popular. Bai Lianhua, transliterated in Sanskrit as Fantoli. This kind of peanut is long in Buddhism, so it is hard to see in the world, so it is also called "China". Utpala, transliterated in Sanskrit as Youboluo. The leaves are long and narrow, with a small circle near the bottom, and gradually pointed upward, with clear blue and white, resembling the eyes of Buddha, so it is called "Lotus Eye" in Buddhist scriptures, that is, the eyes of Guanyin Bodhisattva.
The earliest known works of art related to lotus are also the combination of lotus and God. It is a naked goddess with a lotus flower on her head. It was unearthed in the Ganges valley of India and is a relic of 3000 BC. The record of the Indian lotus goddess in the literature was first found in the Vedic literature in India, saying that the lotus god was born in the lotus, stood on the lotus and wore a lotus wreath.
After the emergence of Buddhism, Buddhists also adopted lotus as the main symbol of Buddhism. It is said that after the birth of Prince Siddhartha, who later became a Buddha, he immediately took seven steps to the ground and gave birth to lotus seeds step by step. So the lotus became the symbol of his birth. Since the first century AD, Buddha statues have often sat on the lotus platform. His sitting posture, either lotus or auspicious, has become a typical sitting posture of Buddhist monks in meditation.
According to the explanation of the Great Sun Sutra, "the left foot is the upper right first, and the right foot is the upper left, which is called lotus sitting; One foot on the right is called auspicious sitting. "Buddhists believe that lotus can reflect the level of practice, and that a monk sincerely recites Buddha, then a lotus will be born in the Qibaochi in the west. If he is diligent, his flowers will grow bigger and bigger; if he is lazy, his flowers will wither. I also believe: "People in the heavens, even those who fly and climb, who go to live in the Amitabha Buddhist Temple, were born in the Lotus in Qibaochi. "
Lotus has spread to every corner of Asia with Buddhism. Pictures of lotus flowers can be seen in the Brahmaputra Buddhist altar in Java, Burj ancient city in Myanmar, temples in Sukhothai and Angkor Wat in Thailand, bell tower in Sri Lanka, Burial Blue in Bali and symbol of Tibet. In the famous six-character mantra of Tibetan Buddhism Lamaism, "Hey, it's beautiful."
Lotus has a profound cultural origin in China. After Buddhism was established as the state religion in the Tang Dynasty, lotus was deeply loved by people. The hometown of Buddha Sakyamuni is rich in lotus, so Buddhism often refers to the lotus itself. "Compendium of Materia Medica" states: "The use of application is cited as an example, and all the wonderful principles exist." Buddhism also refers to the place where lotus flowers live. Also known as "Lotus World". Buddhist scriptures are called "Lotus Sutra", Buddhists are called "Lotus Platform" or "Lotus Platform", Buddhist temples are called "Lotus Room", temples are called "Lotus Clothes" and so on. Lotus design has also become a symbol of Buddhism. Buddhist buildings, decorations and utensils also have lotus patterns.
Lotus is one of the four auspicious flowers in Buddhism, one of the eight treasures and one of the nine symbols of Buddhism. Buddha Sakyamuni sits on the lotus throne in Daxiong Hall, with kind eyes and drooping lotus eyes. Amitabha, the head of the "Three Sages of the West", and Avalokitesvara, the compassionate bodhisattva, also sat on the lotus.
Some of the other bodhisattvas hold lotus flowers, some step on them, or make lotus gestures, or throw lotus flowers (such as heavenly daughters) to the world. Temple walls, algae wells, railings, sacred tents, tables, sachets and worship mats are also carved, painted or sewn with various lotus patterns everywhere. It can be seen how close the relationship between lotus and Buddhism is.
References:
Baidu encyclopedia-lotus