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The meaning of lotus in Buddhism

来源：花匠小妙招时间：2025-12-10 21:02

The lotus, known as the lotus flower in Buddhism, is a symbol of holiness and purity.

The relationship between lotus and Buddhism is very close, and it can be said that "lotus" is the symbol of "Buddha".

When we walk into Buddhist temples, we can see lotus flowers everywhere. The Buddha Shakyamuni in the Hall of Great Nobility sits on the lotus throne, with kind eyebrows and good eyes, and his lotus eyes are lowered; Amitabha Buddha, known as the head of the "Three Saints of the West", and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, who is very compassionate and compassionate, also sit on the lotus flower. The rest of the bodhisattvas, some hold lotus flowers in their hands, some step on lotus flowers, or make lotus flower gestures, or throw lotus flowers (such as heavenly maidens) into the world. On the walls, algae wells, railings, shrine accounts, table surrounds, sachets, and worship mats, various lotus patterns are also carved, drawn or sewn everywhere. It can be seen how close the relationship between lotus flowers and Buddhism is.

The close relationship between the lotus flower and Buddhism is also reflected in Buddhism's use of many beautiful and holy things as a metaphor for the lotus flower and the lotus flower. In Buddhist stories, the mother of Buddha Shakyamuni has a pair of beautiful and clear eyes like lotus flowers. When the Buddha was born, eight auspicious signs appeared in the palace garden, the most important of which was the sudden growth of a white lotus flower as large as a wheel in the pool. When the Buddha was born, a thousand golden lights radiated from the base of his tongue, each golden light turned into a thousand-leaf white lotus, and in each lotus sat a little bodhisattva with crossed feet and soles up.

There are countless Buddhist words that use lotus as a metaphor. the Buddha's seat is called "lotus seat" or "lotus platform"; The posture of sitting down, that is, the posture of crossing the legs, placing the feet on the opposite thighs, and the soles of the feet upwards, is called the lotus sitting posture; The Western Pure Land promoted by Buddhism is compared to the pure and untainted lotus realm, so it is called "Lotus State"; The scene of the Western Pure Land described in the "Amitabha Sutra" is: "There are seven treasure pools in the land of bliss, eight merits and virtues Water...... The lotus flower in the pond is as large as a wheel. Therefore, the Buddha country is called "Lotus Country"; Buddhist temples are called "lotus temples". "Sha" is Sanskrit, that is, the Western Pure Land, with lotus flowers as the support of rebirth, so it is called "Lotus Temple"; People who chant Buddha are called "lotus fetus", which is a metaphor for living in the lotus flower, as if in the mother's womb; The Buddha's eye is called "lotus eye", and the green lotus flower is used as a metaphor for the beauty of the Buddha's eye; The eight-leaf heart lotus flower in the chest is called the "lotus palace", that is, the lotus-like realm in the heart; Shakyamuni's hand is called "lotus hand"; monks and nuns are ordained as "lotus precepts"; The robes of monks and nuns are called "lotus clothes, which means pure and unadulterated; The wonderful observation wisdom among the five wisdoms is called "lotus wisdom"; those who are good at speaking the Dharma are called "lotus on the tongue"; It is said that asceticism and happiness are "returning home to give birth to lotus"; The Buddhist scriptures "Lotus Sutra" is referred to as the "Lotus Sutra", which is based on the lotus flower as a metaphor, symbolizing the purity and elegance of the teachings; The earliest Buddhist association in our country founded by Master Huiyuan of Donglin Temple in the Eastern Jin Dynasty is called "Lotus Society"; Buddhist Pure Land sect advocates to Practice to reach the Pure Land of Lotus in the West, so it is also called "Lotus Sect". In short, the lotus has an indissoluble bond with Buddhism, Buddhism is represented by the lotus in many places, it can be said that the lotus is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the lotus.

Why does Buddhism revere the lotus flower so much? There are two main reasons for this: First, Buddhism originated in India, which has a hot climate. Lotus flowers bloom in summer, bringing people coolness and beauty. People naturally love this kind of beautiful flower that blooms in the summer heat, so in Indian literature, especially in folk literature, the lotus flower is a symbol of beauty, kindness, holiness, tolerance and generosity. There are many such stories and their influence is very profound, such as "The Story of the Lotus Prince", which will be moral, kind, upright, and follow the ten laws of the king ( Give , precepts, generosity, integrity, kindness, self-control, anger, killing, tolerance and generosity) are compared to lotus flowers. "The Story of the Lotus King" says that in order to save the people from famine, the Lotus King jumped into the Ganges River, turned into a big red fish, told the people to cut his flesh to eat, and his meat was cut and then reborn, so he persisted for twelve years, and he used his own meat to support the people of the whole country and survived the twelve-year famine. The story of "Mrs. Deer Mother Lotus" says that every time Mrs. Deer Mother Lotus takes a step, a beautiful lotus immediately appears behind her feet, and she gave birth to 500 virgins in one birth, all of whom are handsome strongmen, all of whom are heroes who defend the country, so Mrs. Deer Mother Lotus has become a symbol of being able to give birth to more beautiful men.

Shakyamuni founded Buddhism, advocating the abolition of the hierarchical system in ancient India, the implementation of caste equality, compassion, and universality Beings 。 In order to promote Buddhism and enable the masses to understand and accept Buddhist teachings, they preached in common language. It also caters to the people's love for the lotus psychology and compares the lotus to the Buddha, so that Buddhism can spread rapidly and has a wide range of believers.

Another reason why Buddhism uses lotus as a metaphor for Buddha is because the character and characteristics of the lotus flower coincide with Buddhist teachings. Buddhism is a religion that focuses on seeking relief from the suffering of life, regards life as a sea of suffering, and hopes that people can get rid of the sea of suffering, and the way to liberate is: this shore (the sea of suffering in life) - Jidu ( Learn BuddhismPractice) - the other side (Pure Land of Bliss). That is, from the earthly world to the pure world, from all evils to perfection, from ordinary to Buddhahood. This is the same as the lotus flower growing in sludge and murky water and being otherworldly, not stained by sludge, and finally blooming incomparably delicious flowers.

One of the important tenets of Buddhism is to give generously. Give mercy to all living beings. Compassion refers to hoping and helping others to be free from suffering and happiness. Compassion is to hope for others to be happy, and kindness is to help others to be happy; Compassion is to hope that others will relieve their suffering, and compassion is to help others relieve their suffering. Buddhism requires that mercy should be given to living beings, regardless of good or evil, regardless of humans or animals. We must tolerate and forgive all kinds of evil deeds, help them with compassion, influence them, make them good, become good people, and bear good results. However, it is strictly forbidden to join the crowd, to be in the filthy world without being polluted by it, and to maintain one's own cleanliness and fragrance. Used to express this idea concept The best is the lotus.

The lotus is born in the mud, just like living in a world of muddy dust, which naturally has to live with the filth and is invaded by many evil and filthy things, which Buddhism calls "demons". Buddhism requires people not to be disturbed and influenced by the evil and filth of the world (i.e., demons). The lotus flower "comes out of the mud without being stained" and blooms beautiful flowers, which is indeed the best symbol, so the Buddha often compares the lotus nature to the Buddha nature. "The Theory of Great Wisdom: The First Product of the Middle Household Paramita" says: "For example, the lotus flower, which comes from the sludge, although the color is bright, the source is not clean. The "From the Forty-Two Chapters" says: "I am a monk, in a turbid world, like a lotus flower, not polluted." "So King Brahma, who saves the world, was born on the golden lotus flower of Chiba. Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva all sit on the lotus flower, or hold the lotus flower in their hands, indicating that the Buddha is from the earthly world and is pure and untainted.

It is not an easy task for people to come out of the state of dust and pollution, and it requires quite a lot consciousness and concentration, which requires practicing and keeping the precepts, developing Buddha nature, and eliminating demonic nature. When the Buddha nature is enhanced, it can resist the interference of demons, and it can also subdue demons to become Buddhas, and it can be liberated from the suffering of birth, old age, illness, and death. This may sound very mysterious and religious, but in fact it is just a higher level of ideological realm. When everything is understood and understood, you can naturally see everything, no longer greedy, intimidating, anxious, infatuated, and angry, and you will naturally get rid of the predicament mentally and become relaxed and happy. Therefore, the lotus flower in Buddhism represents a kind wisdom The so-called "enlightenment". The "Infinite Life Track" says: "It is the Bodhisattva (Guanyin Bodhisattva) who thinks, and in all sentient bodies, there is this enlightenment lotus, and the pure world is untainted vexation 。 The sixth volume of the "Tripitaka Image" contains the "White Treasure Oral Copy": "On the heart of an ordinary person is like a lotus flower, and the heart of a sage is like a lotus flower...... Question: 'Why is the nature of sentient beings like a lotus flower?' Answer: 'The Secret Record' says: 'The Lotus Department, within myself, there is purity.' bodhi The principle of purity of the heart, although this principle flows through the dead mud of the six realms and four lives, is untainted and untainted, and is called the lotus department. The "Twelve Commentaries" say: 'Do you not look at the remaining flowers when you look at the lotus? This also has meaning, just like the lotus flower in the world, although the place of birth is evil, the lotus flower's body is pure, the color is incomparable, and it is not tainted by all dirt. Ordinary people change like this, even if all kinds of inexhaustible three poisons and faults are immeasurable and boundless, this lotus samadhi is very deep, and the fruits are born in it, which is the light of the Tathagata's equality and great wisdom. ”

Buddhism has the saying that "flowers bloom to see Buddha nature", and the flowers here refer to the lotus flower, that is, the wisdom and realm of the lotus. When a person has a lotus state of mind, Buddha nature appears.

The various sects of Buddhism have a closer relationship with the Pure Land sect and the lotus. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, after reading the "Maitreya Next Life Sutra", the eminent monk Dao An longed for the Maitreya Pure Land, so he recited the Buddha in front of the Maitreya Buddha statue and vowed to be reborn in the next life in the Tushita Heaven, where Maitreya lived. Dao'an's thinking influenced his high-footed disciple Huiyuan. Huiyuan inherited and carried forward the core ideas of Master, and was more enthusiastic about the worship of the Western Pure Land of Bliss, the only difference was that the Maitreya Pure Land he longed for was changed to the Pure Land of Amitabha.

Borrowing lotus metaphorically Buddha's heart Verses

Li Bai: "The heart is like the green lotus color in the world." ”

Meng Jiao: "Taoist proof of green lotus heart." ”

Bai Juyi: "Like the white lotus, it is not in the water." ”

Quan Deyu: "Ask the empty door to clean the heart, the lotus flower is not in the autumn pool water." ”

Zhao Qi: "Laughing at the white lotus is self-satisfied, and the troubles in the world are floating clouds." ”

Shi Jing'an: "Can pass on a thousand Buddha precepts and set the Nine Lotus Platform." "Don't recite the amazing sentence of willow catkins, so that you can see the Buddha's body to the lotus." "The hibiscus comes out of the water to calm the mind, and the leaves face the wind Sanskrit and. ”

Qi Baishi: "Banqiao is hard to work with, and the sound of wooden fish is not unfair. I expect that the Tathagata's cultivation has arrived, and the lotus flower heart is wise. ”