Zen Symbols Explained: The Lotus Flower

The word zen, at least in the West, tends to denote beautiful imagery of nature, calmness and relaxation.  However, some symbols appear over and over and haven't you always wondered about their true meaning?  One of these is the lotus flower and that is what we will be examining in this post.

The lotus flower (at least those used for zen symbolism) grows in muddy ponds.  However, upon maturity, the flower emerges from the mud perfectly clean and unspoiled.  Because of this ability to repel the muck in which it was submerged, the lotus flower represents purity and spiritual awakening in Buddhism. 

Here in the West, the lotus flower has also come to symbolize: (i) a person overcoming a difficult background/upbringing to achieve success; or (ii) a person who have ‘found the light’ after difficult emotional pain.  These views, in essence, emphasize the beautiful lotus flower’s triumph over the dirty muddy water.

However,remember  zen represents balance and harmony. Think about it, without the muddy water, there could be no lotus flower. From seed to maturity, it provides sustenance. As we celebrate the beauty of the flower remember that it is still firmly rooted in the mud. 

In zen, the flower of the lotus plant represents our spirit. So, the emergence of the flower from the mud without any dirt or taint, is symbolic of our ability to be in the world while our spirit remains pure. Like the lotus flower we should use the ‘impurity’ of the world to help us grow spiritually.

In zen, lotus flowers of different color represent different points on the spiritual journey.

Blue Lotus

When you first choose to walk away from the attachments to the things of the world, you are symbolized by a bud just breaking the surface of the mud and the blue lotus flower.

White Lotus

There is a stage on the zen spiritual journey where you become a Bodhisattva. Here your spirit is awakened to the wonder of existence, but you have decided to dedicate your life to helping those who are still caught up in the attachments of the world. The Bodhisattva's spiritual perfection and mental purity is represented by the white lotus flower.

 The Pink Lotus

This represents the highest level of spiritual enlightenment and awakening – that of the Buddha. 

Another Tidbit

The lotus flower’s initial emergence from the muck occurs over a period of a few days.  Over this time, the flower comes through in the morning, clean and unspoiled; then it closes its petals in the afternoon and re-immerses itself back in the muddy waters.  It then repeats the process of re-emergence and re-immersion over a period of about three days. Though this doesn’t appear in zen, I like to think of this ability as being representative of how perseverance will pay off.


Here are some lotus products that I like...

Get more info about the lotus flower at Lotus Flower Meaning