瑜伽裡常看到的symbol,除了Om再來就是蓮花padma
在不同的國家宗教裡,蓮花代表了許多不同的意義及解釋
有興趣的朋友可以參考以下這篇精簡的英文版
The Spiritual Meaning of the Lotus by Sue Annabrooke Jones
Thelotus flower, a type of water lily, is held sacred among many of theworld's religions and cultures. With its roots in the mud, the lotusrises through the murky water to blossom clean and bright, symbolizingto the Buddhist purity, resurrection and the enlightened being whoemerges undefiled from the chaos and illusion of the world. Theeight-petalled lotus that is used in Buddhist mandalas symbolizescosmic harmony, and the thousand-petalled lotus represents spiritualillumination.
In the iconography of the Greek and RomanChristian Churches, the Archangel Gabriel is portrayed holding a sprayof water lilies in every picture of the Annunciation when he appears tothe mother of Jesus.
The Hindus of India noted that theungerminated seeds of the lotus contain perfectly formed leaves, ablueprint for the future plant. Thus to the Hindu, the lotus representsdivine ideation passing from abstract into concrete form.
Thelotus is featured prominently in Egyptian art and architecture,especially in connection with Egypt's temples. In Egyptian mythology,the lotus was associated with the sun, because it blooms by day andcloses by night. The lotus also symbolized rebirth, since one Egyptiancreation myth tells of the newborn sun god rising out of a floatinglotus. The blue lotus was sacred to the ancient Egyptians, who valuedit not only for its rich perfume but also for its narcotic ability toproduce heightened awareness and tranquillity.
To NativeAmericans, who found all parts of the American lotus edible, the flowersymbolized the sun's power to transform energy into food. The seedswere once an especially important part of the Native American diet; infact, the genus name Nelumbo means "sacred bean."
The lotus isalso highly esteemed by Taoists. Among the Eight Immortals of Taoism isHo Hsien Ku, her symbol the open lotus blossom, signifying openness andwisdom.
A feature of the lotus plant that has found its wayinto Chinese poetry is its stalk, which is easy to bend but difficultto break because of its many strong fibres. Poets liken this quality tothe bonds between lovers or family members.
The lotus floweris a favorite of Taoist artists, who paint it to remind us of themiracle of beauty, light and life, and to communicate an understandingof the Tao and of our place in the world.
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