Lotus
Consciousness Occulture Symbolism

The Rising Gods of The Lotus Flower

All Souls Emerge From A Lotus Flower:

The lotus flower has long been a symbol of spontaneous generation, representing divine birth, spiritual development, and even creation itself. As the lotus flower rises up from unclean water, it emerges pure, clean, and renewed, as does the human spirit.

The Mahayana sect of Buddhism maintains that all souls emerge from a lotus. Ancient text detailing the life of Gautama Buddha says, “the spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the new lotus in the murky water which does not adhere to it.” Just as the lotus is pure in the water, the human soul is also pure in nature.

I am in you and you are in me:

In Buddhism and in Hinduism the lotus is one of the eight auspicious signs signifying cosmic harmony. The eight petals of the white lotus correspond to the Noble Eightfold Path and the thousand-petaled lotus signifies spiritual illumination. As each petal gradually opens up, our awareness begins opening up too, unfolding us into higher levels of cosmic consciousness.

The Buddhist mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” refers to the “jewel in the lotus,” which represents enlightenment and it is said that this mantra has great mystical power because it signifies not only the jewel of man’s divinity that lives within the lotus; (the cosmos),  but also the jewel of cosmic divinity that lives within the lotus; (man) stating, “I am in you and you are in me,” signifying the unity within all beings and acknowledging our inner divine potential.

Within Every Heart Is An Unopened Lotus Flower:

In ancient Egypt, the lotus represented the sun’s creation and rebirth. As the lotus flower closes its petals at night, sinking back under the water, it was said that the lotus gave birth to the sun as it emerged at dawn again, and again, fully renewed.

Within the center of every human heart is an unopened lotus flower, awaiting our nourishment so it can blossom into a full lotus-heart, renewed and restored once again.

As our buddha nature begins to develop the lotus slowly unfolds – in the same way, sap unfolds a pinecone, Buddha emerges from the cosmic lotus as the primordial creator of the universe.

In Vedic scripture, Lord Krishna is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, described as being like a bluish new-grown lotus flower.

The lotus also represents purity and non-attachment, as a symbol of divine love. Unfortunately, most people allow their love to flow towards the mundane world but the awakened Buddha nature redirects his love to the divine within the heart of humanity and although divinity is present everywhere, it is in our spiritual center, the cosmic heart that this divine nature manifests as Atman.

The Mahanarayana Upanishad says, “In the citadel of the body, there is the small sinless and pure lotus of the heart, which is the residence of the Supreme.”

Be Like The Lotus Flower:

There’s a creation story myth said to originate in Heliopolis that describes how the lotus gave birth to the sun god, Atum. First, there were the primeval waters called Nun, and out of Nun came the lotus. When the lotus blossomed, the sun god, Atum, stepped forth. As a rebirth symbol, the lotus was associated with the dying and resurrecting god Osiris.

In Mesopotamia, the lotus or water “lil”-y is the flower of “Lil”-ith, the Sumerian-Babylonian goddess said to be Adam’s original wife. In Hindu mythology, Padmapani or the “lotus bearer” holds a lotus in each of his four hands symbolizing cosmic love and unity.

As the lotus seeks to find its way out of its muddy roots so it can bloom, it must first break free from the burdens that are holding it down.

The lotus symbolizes the macrocosm and the microcosm of the universal man, and the ultimate aim of each human being is to be like the lotus flower, within and without.

© Written by Carrie Love

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