LIFE AS MYTH
JOURNAL
JOURNAL 2012
The seeds of wisdom
Leaning into the answer
SPRING 2012
Lessons from the lily pond
Color & meaning in lotus mythology
Color through an ever shifting glass
LIFEWORKS
ATLAS
SPRING 2012
COLOR AND MEANING IN LOTUS MYTHOLOGY
Water lilies. Claude Monet. 1915. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris.
Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.
Claude MonetThe pink lotus is reserved for the highest deity and therefore associated with the Buddha.
The blue lotus, or utpala flower, is the lotus of Green Tara. Its possible meanings include: purity, infinite giving, refuge. Although the lotus is a fundamental element in Tibetan Buddhist iconography, the plant is not native to the region.
The white water lily has the unique feature of blossoming in moonlight, rather than in sunlight. The water lily and the lotus are sometimes interchangeable in mythological iconography. As the white lotus, this plant symbolizes the womb of creation. It is also the lotus of the Buddhas and the goddess White Tara.
The red lotus is associated with Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. As such it is a symbol of all matters pertaining to the heart: love, passion, compassion.
In Hinduism, creation began with the first Aum. From the waters of nothingness, the Aum formed a lotus which shone like the sun. And this golden lotus emerged from the waters and from its heart all the universe came forth.
