Inspiration

The lotus represents wisdom and compassion in the Buddhist faith. These two qualities represent the essence of Buddhism.

The lotus grows in many different colour varieties and this, along with the varying stages of growth, represents the different aspects of the Buddhist faith. One lotus analogy is where a man is seen as a being that is born in the stagnant ponds of the world there he grows and blossoms in the air above the surface of the water just as a lotus does. This shows the Buddhist idea of perfecting oneself over time.
The Dalai Lama himself is referred to as the "Lord of the White Lotus" which represents the spiritual perfection of the Buddha and his followers. Even the eight petals found on a lotus flower refer to the eightfold path to perfection practiced by Buddhists.


Levenson, C. 1996. Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. Casanova: Editions Assouline