Message about lotus flower. White lotus. Egypt: the meaning of the blooming lotus and legends
Lotus - the sacred flower of Buddhism surprises scientists all over the world; its leaves and petals always remain clean. The flower serves as a symbol of the spirit, rising above the sensory world, since it retains its unsullied white flower emerging from muddy water. This is explained by its rough surface, visible through a microscope, from which all dirt is washed off by rain.
Photo of a pink lotus in the sun. For three days, soft pink or white flowers open in all their splendor in the morning and close in the evening. But already on the fourth day beautiful flowers wither. And this is not surprising, because lotus flowers spent a lot of energy...
Lotus is a relative of water lilies and grows in Africa in the waters of the Nile River. The lotus leaves are concave in the middle, 1.5 m wide, and its pinkish or white flowers reach 35 cm in diameter. When the Nile flooded, carrying fertile silt to the fields, lotuses began to bloom along the banks of the river, in ditches and ditches. A proverb has been preserved since ancient times: “There will be many lotuses on the water, and there will be great fertility.”
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote: “When a river overflows its banks and floods the plain, a large number of lilies grow on the water, called “lotus” by the Egyptians. They cut them, dry them in the sun, then break the poppy-like seeds extracted from the middle of the lotus and prepare a dough that is baked over a fire. The root of this plant is also edible and has a rather pleasant sweetish taste, it is round and the size of an apple." The plant provided people with tasty food and a cure for many diseases.
Lotus flowers are amazingly beautiful and always face the sun. Purity and beauty are what make it sacred. Although the lotus grows from muddy water, it always remains dry and radiates purity and freshness. The reason for this is the special structure of its petals and leaves: they can repel water and self-clean. The water collects in drops and flows off, collecting everything from the leaf that could contaminate it.
The sacred lotus flower has been worshiped for many centuries; it has occupied an honorable place in religious rites, traditions and legends, as evidenced by numerous monuments of writing, architecture and art. More than five and a half thousand years ago, the Egyptians depicted lotuses on tombs, and on the altars of sacrifices it symbolized the resurrection from the dead, although in Egyptian hieroglyphs it meant joy and pleasure. Women, going to visit, decorated their hair with lotus flowers and held bouquets of them in their hands.
The sacred lotus of the ancient Egyptians, from which the god Ra was born and which served as the throne for the fertility goddess Isis and the sun god Osiris, who was depicted sitting on a lotus leaf, and the god of Light of the Mountains - on a flower. This expressed the connection of the flower with the sun, which, like the water lily flower, opens in the morning and sinks into the water in the evening. Even in ancient times, the Egyptians noticed that the lotus is very light-loving; it can open both at sunrise and at moonrise.
The flower became a symbol of Egypt and in state emblem Since ancient times, five lotus flowers have been adorned, and the scepter - a sign of the power of the Egyptian pharaohs - was made in the form of a flower on a long stem. The flower and buds were stamped on Egyptian coins; its image was used to decorate the columns of Egyptian palaces and temples, at the base of which there were lotus leaves, and in the upper part - a bunch of stems with flowers and buds.
In addition to the white one, in the Nile Valley there is also a blue Nile lotus, which the Egyptians call the “heavenly lily”, and even bright red lotuses grow in Tibet, India and Mongolia. In India they are loved and revered, and are still chanted in ritual dances. The red lotus is still the emblem of modern India. There is even a saying: “Lotus flowers are a ship on which a drowning person in the ocean of life can find his salvation.”
Mythopoetic tradition Ancient India imagined the earth as a giant lotus blooming on the surface of the waters, and heaven as a huge lake overgrown with beautiful pink lotuses, where righteous, pure souls live.
The ancient Indian epic Mahabharata describes a lotus that had a thousand petals, shone like the sun and scattered a delicious aroma around. This lotus, according to legend, lengthened life and restored youth and beauty.
The white lotus is an indispensable attribute of divine power. In India, a flower is a symbol of purity - growing out of dirt, it is never dirty, and therefore it is compared to a chaste person to whom no filth sticks. Indian mythology endowed the goddess Sri, or Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, who was considered the patroness of fertility and prosperity, with such chastity. She was called “lotus born”, “standing on the lotus”, “lotus colored”. In one of the temple medallions, Goddess Sri is depicted standing on a lotus. Surrounded by leaves and flowers, she swims across the ocean.
Many Indian gods have traditionally been depicted standing or sitting on a lotus or holding a flower in their hand. Buddha sits on it and Brahma rests. Vishnu, the demiurge of the universe, holds a lotus in one of his four hands. “Lotus goddesses” are depicted with a flower in their hair. A copious rain of lotuses fell from the sky at the moment of Buddha's birth, and wherever the divine newborn set foot, a huge lotus grew.
And in China, the lotus was revered as a sacred plant. There, the flower also personifies purity, chastity, fertility, and productive power. In addition, it is a symbol of summer and is one of the eight emblems of successful prediction.
In Taoist folklore, the virtuous maiden He Xiangu was depicted holding in her hands the “flower of open heartfulness” - a lotus or a staff with elements of this flower. His image plays important role in Chinese, Buddhist art, in particular in painting: - in the western part of the sky, ancient Chinese artists painted a lotus lake. The lotus growing on this lake, according to their ideas, communicated with the soul of a deceased person. Depending on the degree of a person’s virtue in earthly life, flowers bloomed or withered.
Colorful photos of blooming lotuses will give you happiness and good luck in your quest to comprehend all the secrets of nature. .
Lotus in human life
As a medicinal plant, the flower was known in China several thousand years before new era. In traditional Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Tibetan medicine, all parts of the plant were used to prepare medicines - whole seeds or their large mealy germs, receptacle, petals, pedicels, stamens, pistils, leaves, roots and rhizomes.
In addition, it is a valuable food and dietary plant. Its root and fruits are used as food. After successful pollination, the plant produces edible seeds the size of a hazelnut. Boiled in sugar, they are considered a favorite children's treat in Asia.
In Japan and China, various dishes are also prepared from the roots and leaves of this plant. Rural populations in China, India and Japan still use their seeds and rhizomes to make flour and obtain starch, sugar and oil. The rhizomes are often used to make soup or serve as a side dish. They say that among confectionery in China, candied lotus rhizomes, cut into small slices, are famous for their taste, reminiscent of marmalade. In addition, the Chinese eat the stamens and stem, believing that this food restores beauty and youth to old people. Chinese women decorate themselves with its flowers, as the ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians once did.
In Ancient Greece, stories were common about people eating lotus - "lotophagi" ("lotus eaters"). According to legend, anyone who tastes lotus flowers will never want to part with the homeland of this flower.
An ordinary lotus has fruits that are not sweet, but the lotus flower is another species (lotus tree) that has sweet fruits. The lotus tree, along with the flower, has considerable symbolism. In the same Greek mythology The nymph Lotis (Lotis), fleeing from Priapus who was pursuing her, turned into a lotus tree.
It is not without reason that in almost all traditions the lotus is a symbol of purity. He is able to cleanse the space around him from negative vibrations. The aura of this plant exudes such a powerful energy field that no evil can coexist next to it. The room where the lotus is located becomes sacred just from its presence, which is why the lotus is so often used to consecrate the altar.
The lotus is often used to protect against witchcraft. The biofield of this plant is capable of neutralizing any negative energies. Where the lotus is located, no black magic works; any attempts to create any evil will be nullified.
Lotus is often used to get rid of depression, melancholy and sadness. Moreover, its property is such that it brings you out of a depressed state very smoothly, gradually. This allows the human body and psyche to correctly adapt to the surrounding reality. But if you come out of depression abruptly, that is, from melancholy immediately into wild joy, then this will only give a negative result, since this is already an extreme, while health is harmony.
The lotus aura can change a person’s consciousness and direct his thoughts to more spiritual spheres. It is not without reason that in the East, from ancient times to this day, the lotus has served as the most popular symbol of Spiritual development, as well as a symbol of almost all eastern deities.
The use of lotus is especially recommended for those people who are too mired in material world who all the time think only about work, money and profit, completely forgetting about the second side of their personality - the spiritual. If such a person carries lotus petals with him or sits near this plant for at least half an hour, then gradually his character and consciousness will change. His nature will become more refined, he will gradually begin to turn his attention to spiritual matters.
Lotus Life Power
In 1881, during excavations of the tomb of Pharaoh Ramses II and Princess Nsi-Khonsu, several dried blue lotus buds were found, which had lain in the ground for 3,000 years and retained their color. Among the dazzling riches of the tomb, these flowers made the greatest impression. Such is the magical power and charm of flowers.
Sometimes lotus seeds are stored for hundreds of years and are fraught with scientific sensation. In 1933, a message flashed in magazines that in botanical garden At Kew, near London, Indian lotus plants bloomed, the seeds of which were four centuries old. When scientists doubted such a statement and decided to test it experimentally, they managed to germinate seeds that were 1040 years old!
American scientists from the University of California managed to grow a healthy young plant from a 1228-year-old lotus seed, which was kept as a relic in one of the museums. They germinated the seed in four days, the small seed sprouted as if it had been born quite recently. Before the start of this experiment, several more ancient lotuses were grown from seeds brought from the Beijing Institute of Botany, from seeds of no less “venerable” age. This is probably the oldest germinated seed. It was found in a dry lotus pond in China. The seed lay there for many hundreds of years, and after four days it released a small green sprout.
Dropping my sleepy head
Under the fire of the day's rays,
Waiting for the twinkling nights.
And it just floats out
Red moon in the sky,
He raises his head
Waking up from sleep.
Glistens on fragrant leaves
His dew is pure tears,
And he trembles lovingly,
Looking sadly into the heavens.
G. Heine
Evgeniy Sedov
When your hands grow from the right place, life is more fun :)
Content
Nut lotus is the most revered flower in Asia and the East. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans considered it sacred. According to myth, the plant appeared from the unrequited love of a water nymph for Hercules. Existing types– American yellow, Nile white, oriental red, nut-bearing (pink lotus).
Nut-bearing lotus - description
To recognize it beautiful plant, you will need a description of the nut-bearing or nut-shaped lotus:
- name in Latin is Nelumbonucifera. Flower of the gods, symbol of purity and wisdom.
- Lotus family.
- Perennial herbaceous ground aquatic plant– a native of Asian countries with a tropical climate: India, Japan, China. In Russia it can grow by Far East.
- It has dense dark green large leaves, reaching a diameter of up to 1/2 meter. The plant has a long spiny stalk. A pink flower appears on the peduncle in July-August. The root is large, branched, overgrown. The fruit ripens in a box.
- The Far Eastern nut-bearing variety of flower is an endangered species that had to be included in the Red Book of Russia.
What does a lotus look like?
The plant's shape is very similar to a water lily, but only very large. It has beautiful large, floating leaves and a huge stem. Pink flowers can be up to 30 cm in diameter. The dense, flat and fleshy petal has a rough surface. Thanks to this, the plant always manages to look clean in numerous photos - the water simply rolls off the leaf, carrying away all the dust and dirt. A flower grown on muddy soil represents purity.
The nut-bearing lotus plant has a powerful rhizome. The foliage rises above the water in dense blades or lies on the surface. The plant is covered with a waxy coating, this is the secret of purity. Particularly interesting are the seeds, which can be stored for a very long time. In appearance, they resemble dark olives the size of a hazelnut in a strong peel. The strength of the seed is important for long-term storage. There are cases when scientists found a capsule fruit that was more than 1000 years old, and the nuts sprouted.
When the lotus blooms
The lotus blooms from mid-summer to early autumn. The peak occurs at the end of July - beginning of August. You can see this spectacle in the photo or by going to the Astrakhan colonies, where the flower (Astrakhan) multiplies. The largest plantations of these plants are located in the Caspian Sea, in the delta of the Volga River. Entire excursions come to see the colorful blooms - tourists really like the colonies of flowers on the water. Interesting fact: one bud from birth to wilting lives only three days.
Types of lotus nutbearer
There is not only one variety of this plant on the territory of Russia. There are the following types of lotuses:
- Caspian. The flower grows near the Volga delta. It differs from the Asian species in that it is smaller in size and resistant to cold.
- Far Eastern. The flower grows in the Far East. Tolerant to cold, but dies when the soil freezes strongly.
- American. Homeland of the plant - South America. The flowers are yellow. Thanks to cultivation, it has spread widely throughout Russia.
Where does the lotus grow?
The lotus plant grows in sedentary silty waters that warm up well and is a property of temperate tropical climate zones. Partially propagated by knotty rhizomes. The population needs above-zero temperatures, and the reservoir is not subject to freezing. Warmth is one of the conditions for preserving a relict species. The genus might have ceased to exist if not for the efforts of people to preserve this flower. For Russia, the plant is a decoration of the Far East. Residents of other regions of the country can see the flower only in the photo.
How to grow lotus at home
Growing lotus at home is a completely doable task. To do this, it is necessary to create certain conditions. The algorithm for growing a flower from a seed is as follows:
- You can use sandpaper and a file to open the shell. The top should be filed. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the seed.
- After the seed is visible in the small sawn hole, the nut is placed in a small transparent vessel with water. It needs to be changed every day.
- In two to three weeks, the first shoots will appear, which after a while will turn into long stems with leaves.
- As soon as the roots grow, it is time to replant the plant. For seedlings, you need special soil (a mixture of sand, peat and black soil), which is placed at the bottom of a pot with holes.
- Place the sprouts loosely on the surface, straighten the leaves.
- Prepare a large aquarium. Place a pot of seedlings at the bottom and fill with water so that the leaves can be on the surface. This is necessary for the plant to begin to grow and bloom, to prevent rotting.
- Don't forget about lighting - the flower loves a lot of light.
Lotus propagation
In place of the flower, a fruit appears - a kind of conical basket. Up to twenty seeds “sit” in the cells, looking like hard, brown nuts in a dense shell. When ripe, the fruits fall out of the basket into the pond. Propagating lotus seeds takes time. The relict population is restored mainly by replanting rhizomes. The shells of the nuts are so strong that even in favorable conditions the seed can lie dormant for a long time.
Properties of lotus
Nut lotus has a number of beneficial properties. The plant contains flavonoids, which can improve the functioning of many human organs; it is used to treat a number of diseases. The beneficial properties of lotus can be briefly listed; it has:
- diuretic effect;
- anti-inflammatory;
- antitumor;
- antispasmodic;
- vascular strengthening;
- wound healing.
Lotus flower
Lotus flowers rise more than a meter above the pond on tall, fleshy stems. The bright petals quickly change color throughout the day (from crimson to pale pink). The plant loves it very much sunlight and blooms with sunrise. The flower is extremely beautiful and exudes a pleasant aroma. The seeds ripen in the fruit-box (similar to the bell of a watering can). The nuts fall to the bottom of the reservoir, where they are stored under a layer of silt.
Lotus leaf - properties
The beautiful plant has green leaves up to 40-50 cm in diameter, which effectively lie on the surface of the water. Medicinal properties Lotus leaves have been known since ancient times and are widely used by healers. Contained in lotus useful substances, have an antiseptic effect, increase blood clotting, relieve cramps, and the decoction heals wounds. The leaves are collected during the summer, cut into small pieces and dried. They prepare decoctions, teas and tinctures, make powders and add them to food.
Lotus fruits - beneficial properties
Lotus seeds are the most useful part of the plant (they treat heart disease, decoctions can remove feelings of fear and relieve insomnia). Traditional medicine is full of descriptions of recipes on how to use fruits to prepare infusions for liver ailments, intestinal disorders, and stomach infections. Information from eastern treatises will tell you how to cure pneumonia, asthma, and ulcers. There are no diseases that are not affected by the wide spectrum of action of seeds.
Application of lotus
Indian healers believed that with the help of this flower one could lift a person out of depression. At all times, the plant has been used as a cosmetic product. A mixture of finely chopped petals and plant oil smoothed the skin of the face and restored youth. Many peoples consumed seeds, nuts and lotus roots as food. Where is lotus used in the modern world:
- Medicine. The flower has many useful components. Tanning, antiseptic, astringent, wound-healing, diuretic properties have made this plant indispensable in pharmaceuticals.
- Cooking. The leaf powder is used as an aromatic seasoning.
- Religion. It is believed in many cultures to be a powerful means of cleansing the soul. The energy of the flower is capable of defeating witchcraft.
- Cosmetology. Many skin and hair care products contain various extracts from the plant.
Applications of lotus oil
Lotus oil is widely in demand in cosmetology. A magical elixir is obtained from flowers collected before dawn. When harvesting, it is important not to damage the plant, otherwise it will lose its beneficial properties. The oil has a rejuvenating, smoothing and regenerating effect and is included in many creams and face masks. Massages and body wraps are popular.
Lotus in cooking
Eastern people have come up with many options for eating the plant. All parts are suitable for culinary processing - starch, sugar, butter are extracted from it, and flour is made. Cooking lotus root is a real art; this delicacy is served as a side dish, and lovers of sweets make marmalade from the roots. Nuts are especially tasty - they are eaten fresh or caramelized.
Lotus in medicine
The properties of the medicinal nut-bearing lotus have been known to medicine since ancient times. The Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans greatly revered this flower. Lotus in folk medicine found wide application. Medicinal properties allow it to be used in the following cases:
- diseases of the stomach, intestines, liver;
- an indispensable plant for heart ailments;
- skin diseases, snake bites and long-healing wounds;
- Seed decoctions relieve anxiety;
- tea helps relieve insomnia;
- decoctions of the stems are used by gynecology;
- A drink is made from the rhizome, useful for neuroses and convulsions;
- some species are able to fight cancer;
- the aroma of the flower gently lifts out of deep depression, raises the tone of mental strength;
- Vitamin C strengthens the immune system.
Video: signs of nut-bearing lotus
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Plant nut lotus- beneficial properties of fruits and leaves, cultivation and care at home
Most plants grown at home can be divided into classes. Some classes can be grown exclusively in a closed space at home. Some can be kept exclusively in outdoors. There are flowers that will grow well in unpretentious conditions - be it warm or outside. Understanding which group the plant belongs to, it becomes correct to organize proper care. Critical maintenance principles consist of ensuring atmospheric humidity, the amount of moisture entering the soil and ensuring a safe temperature. The sun is one of the main conditions.
General information about the aquatic plant "Lotus"
LOTUS (Nelumbo) is a genus of dicotyledonous herbaceous amphibian plants, the modified stems of which are immersed deep under water in the ground. At the same time, the lotus develops three types of leaves: underwater, floating and above-water, rising high above the surface of the water, which grow on flexible long petioles. It is the only representative of the Lotus family (Nelumbonaceae).
The flowers are always turned towards the sun; they bloom early in the morning and close at night. The petals turn bright in the morning pink, but gradually fade and already during the day you can observe an incredible range of colors - from rich pink to almost white. You can admire the lotus blooming in the thickets for quite a long time, since quite a few flowers bloom on one plant, but not at the same time, although the flower itself lives only three days.
Description, types and varieties of lotus
Lotuses have been separated into an independent family since 1829, called Nelumbonaceae. This family consists of only one genus - Nelumbo and three species:
This unusual aquatic plant first appeared in North Africa, but on at the moment it can be found even in Southern Europe. The lotus is especially common in the tropics and temperate zones. Nelumbo nucifera (nut-bearing) formerly known as N. speciosum (Wild), grows wild in South and Central Asia. It grows in muddy, stagnant and slowly flowing waters of the Nile and Ganges. It is this plant that is considered sacred in the eyes of the natives.
The entire plant is considered edible, and the root is a delicacy, widely used in medicinal purposes. It is better to collect flowers in the pre-dawn hour, as soon as they are ready to open towards the sun. At this time, flowers are most fragrant and suitable for various purposes. As is already known, seeds remain viable for centuries, but see all this on a separate page...
Nut-bearing lotus, or Indian (lat. Nelumbo nucifera) 
It grows in northeastern Australia, the Russian Far East, the Philippine Islands, the Malay Archipelago, the island of Sri Lanka, as well as in India, China, and Japan. This species can be found in Kalmykia, the Volgograd region (Sredneakhtubinsky district, before reaching the village of Lebyazhya Polyana), the Astrakhan Nature Reserve, the Krasnodar and Primorsky Territories.
The plant has large shield-shaped leaves that rise above the water, pale green below and dark green above. The waxy coating gives a slight bluish tint to the entire plant. Erect petioles reach a length of two meters, the rhizomes are quite branched, powerful and knotty. Large lotus flowers, 25-30 cm in diameter, are pink in color and have a not strong but pleasant aroma. In the center of the flower there are many bright yellow stamens. Quite large single-seeded nuts (fruits) 1.5 cm long, with a dense pericarp, located in a cone-shaped receptacle. The first leaves of the nut-bearing lotus appear in May, and it blooms in late July or early August. The flowering period ends in late autumn.
Not long ago, the nut-bearing lotus began to be divided into two subspecies:
Yellow lotus, or Nile water lily (Nelumbo lutea) Has become widespread in the New World. Grows on the Hawaiian Islands, the coast of Central and North America, therefore it also has the name American lotus. This species is practically no different from the nut-bearing lotus, except in the color of the flowers and the duration of flowering. This plant has bright flowers yellow, open at sunrise in May, and by noon they form buds. Flowering lasts no more than five days, then it sheds its petals.
Caspian lotus (Nelumbo caspica) 
Not everyone knows that the lotus flower grows not only in the tropical latitudes of Africa or America, but is also found in our country. It is also called Astrakhan rose, Caspian or Chulpan rose. Currently, this famous pink flower lives both in artificial pools and reservoirs, and in natural environmental conditions.
The appearance of lotus in the Caspian Sea still causes heated debate. Some believe that it was brought by Buddhist monks from Kalmykia, while others claim that it has been preserved since the Tertiary period. The Caspian lotus was first found in the Chulpan Bay by the Russian scientist Semyon Ivanovich Gremyachinsky in August 1849. Now the flower grows in bays and lakes with very warm water. When the water level drops significantly, the plant finds itself on dry land, but continues to develop. The Caspian lotus blooms at the end of summer, and by October the fruits are already ripening.
Komarov's lotus (Nelumbo komarowii) Grows in the Far East in the Amur basin, along the lower reaches of the Ussuri River, on Lake Malaya Khanka, where it occupies quite vast areas. Here it has been preserved from past eras as a living fossil, when the climate was much warmer. It gradually adapted to existing conditions and became frost-resistant. Usually the silt in which its rhizomes overwinter does not freeze, but in rare cases of freezing the plant dies.
Garden lotus varieties
garden plantsRise above yourself.
So, the Lotus Flower meditation. in my opinion, it is described in most detail in the works of the same mysterious Anastasia Novykh. However, we were especially interested in something else; references to analogues of this spiritual practice are scattered everywhere, both in religions and in various esoteric sources. According to quite popular statements today, “Lotus” meditation (as it is also called for short) is a direct and shortest path to the Soul, which I will try to understand to this day.
Of course, you must initially understand that the “Lotus Flower” is not a panacea, but just a tool, so the purpose of the experiment is not only banal study and blog coverage, but a broader complex of spiritual, personal studies that allow you to take over your Animal Nature.
Lotus (Nelumbo) - beauty on the water
Plant type: aquatic perennial.
- Homeland: the birthplace of the yellow lotus is the USA, and the nut-bearing lotus originates from the Philippines, the countries of the East, Northern Australia, Egypt, the Volga River delta near the Caspian Sea.
- Growing environment: artificial reservoirs, ponds, containers.
- Flowering: present.
- Lighting: It is advisable to provide full sunlight.
- Humidity level: high.
- Aroma: yes. Due to the pleasant aroma, the foliage and flowers of these plants are widely used in cooking.
Photo of lotus on water
Every 3-4 weeks. When applying fertilizing, you must be very careful, since growing shoots may be damaged. 10 cm pots with good garden loam. A hole must be dug for the seeds, and each of them must be planted in separate pots. Gently cover the roots with gravel or soil. If you have waited too long and the leaves have begun to sprout, they should also be covered with soil, just as you covered the roots. There should be as much light as possible. IN garden water You can place lotuses only when it warms up to at least +15°C. Lotuses can also be planted in larger containers without holes for drainage. If the plant is grown from seeds, it may not bloom in the first year.
What does the lotus symbolize?
Lotus flowers have perhaps the richest and most universal symbolism in the world and are described in a large number of the most sacred myths and legends. They are known not only for their exquisite beauty and delightful aroma, but also for their healing properties - pacifying the spirit and healing the body, giving vitality and confidence, attractiveness and long youth. In fact, the lotus is the most sacred plant of the Eastern countries, which unanimously identify it with light, pristine purity, chastity and self-knowledge.
The exquisite child of Flora has enough reasons for such veneration: having originated in the muddy bottom, the lotus bud overcomes the thickness of the water and blooms at dawn under the first rays of the sun - and at sunset it closes its petals again and plunges into the dark, cool depths. So the lotus began to personify the Sun, the movement of heavenly bodies, the change of day and night. In addition, this flower symbolizes the Universe, eternity and time - past, present and future - because the same plant simultaneously has seeds-nuts, flowers and buds that have not yet opened. Lotus fruits that fall into infertile soil can sleep for a century and a half - and then again give life to beautiful flowers. Combining the elements of earth (the bottom of a reservoir), water, air and fire (the sun), the lotus turns out to be inseparably linked with the creation of the world.
Lotus in Egypt
For the Egyptians, the lotus symbolized the sun, resurrection, beauty, prosperity and fertility, as well as supreme power. Fragrant flower flexible green stems woven into mythology ancient civilization, becoming an integral attribute gods. The sun god Ra was born from a lotus that blossomed on the surface of the Primordial Water. His son, Horus, rose every morning from a lotus flower at sunrise and lay down to rest in it. The god of fertility and revival of life, Osiris, and his wife Isis sat on thrones of lotuses, and their heads were crowned with headdresses woven from beautiful flowers.
Inheriting their gods, the pharaohs decorated their heads with flowers of the “heavenly blue lily”, wore scepters in the form of a lotus flower on a long stem, and the tombs of the rulers were strewn with its petals - so that they would be resurrected in afterlife. Five lotuses were the emblem of Upper Egypt, and the buds were engraved on gold coins. Lotus wreaths were used to decorate statues of gods, temples, and the heads of important guests, and at feasts servants carried fresh flowers like dishes, and replaced them with fresh ones at the first signs of wilting. Lotus was used in Egyptian architecture - on columns, as a wall decoration. The Egyptians even used the image of a lotus as a hieroglyph for the number 1000.
The Egyptians used Nile lotus oil in love magic: they believed that dripping it onto the three main points - behind the ears and in the center of the forehead - formed a pyramid with its apex facing the stars - and this made them especially charming. The lotus also served as a talisman: by inhaling the aroma of the flower, a person received its protection, and if he constantly wore a stem, leaf, petal or nut of a lotus on his body, the gods gave him blessings, happiness and immortality.
An ancient Egyptian proverb says: “If there are many lotuses on the water, there will be great fertility.” And this was already a completely earthly happiness for the Egyptian people - after all, hearty bread was baked from lotus fruits rich in starch, fiber and sugars and medicinal infusions were prepared.
Lotus in India
The ancient Vedic civilization considered the Lotus to be the flower of Life, since it was present in the original chaos, and gave rise to all things: The Upanishads describe the earth as a lotus flower floating on the surface of cosmic infinity. Hindus depicted the throne of many Hindu gods as a lotus. From the navel of the first god in the world, Vishnu, a lotus once grew, and from this flower Brahma, the creator of the worlds, appeared. The gods plowed the milk ocean - and then the goddess of happiness and beauty Lakshmi emerged from its depths with a lotus in her hands, becoming the wife of Vishnu.
Aromatic tea was brewed from blue lotus petals, and they were also smoked through a hookah. The emblem of India today is the red lotus - “the friend of the sun, blooming only when the month passes and the cold of the night.”
Lotus in China
In Taoist China, the lotus was considered sacred plant: the maiden He Xin-gu, one of the Eight Immortals, was depicted with a lotus flower in her hands. The structure of the Universe in Buddhist belief is understood as countless lotuses, contained successively one within the other ad infinitum. The image of this flower was necessarily present in Chinese painting - in the western part of the sky, artists depicted a “heavenly lotus lake” - this is how in Ancient China they understood paradise, where each flower communicated with souls. If the deceased person was virtuous, the lotus blossomed; otherwise, it withered.
Buddhists associated the lotus with the image of Buddha: when he was born, a generous rain of lotuses fell from the sky. The boy immediately took the first seven steps, and where his feet left traces, lotuses grew. The most famous yoga pose, in which meditative concentration and the sharpest concentration of attention are achieved, was called the “lotus” pose for a reason. Buddha is also depicted sitting on a blossoming lotus flower: its root is like matter, the stem stretching upward is the soul, and the flower that does not touch the water and the sun-drenched flower is spirit. “Even living among the mud of a swamp, you can remain spotlessly clean,” said the Buddha. Therefore, the lotus position symbolizes nirvana - the complete opening of the soul and spirit. Buddha's Paradise was also imagined as gardens with blooming white, blue, yellow, pink and red lotuses in ponds.
In the Feng Shui trend, popular today all over the world, images of a lotus flower or its glass figurines are used to awaken spiritual consciousness and pacify the home atmosphere, to activate zones of wealth and partnership.
Lotus in Antiquity
Homer described in the Odyssey a long-standing myth about “lotophages” - people who tasted the lotus and forgot their past life and not wanting to leave the flowering places magic flower– Libya (it was in this place that Odysseus’s companions wanted to stay forever). And the ancient Romans had a legend about the nymph Lotis, pursued by Priapus, who turned into a lotus flower. Hercules made one of his journeys in a golden boat in the shape of a lotus. Ovid's "Metamorphoses" tells the story of the transformation of Dryope, who picked a lotus, into a lotus tree. This flower was also dedicated to Aphrodite and Hera.
LOTUS, LOTUS a, m. lotus, lotos m. lat. lotus, gr. 1. Southern water plant with large flowers, considered sacred in some countries. Sl. 18. Lotus. An Egyptian plant, divided into many generations... The most glorious of these growing on... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
- (Greek lotos). A plant from the family pitcher; among the Egyptians and Hindus it is revered as a sacred object. The land of the lotus is a fabulous land of lotophages, so charming that it made foreigners forget about their fatherland. Dictionary of foreign words,... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Lotus- (Gelendzhik, Russia) Hotel category: Address: Sovetskaya Street 77, Gelendzhik, Russia ... Hotel catalog
Genus of perennial amphibians herbaceous plants lotus family. The flowers are large, up to 30 cm in diameter. 2 species, in temperate and tropical zones of both hemispheres. In South East. Asia, Northeast Australia and southern Europe, including the Volga delta,... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
The main and, apparently, original value of this mythopoetic symbol the creative force associated with the feminine principle, hence the more special symbolic meanings L.: the womb as the birthplace of life; fertility, prosperity, offspring, longevity... Encyclopedia of Mythology
Lotus- (Irkutsk, Russia) Hotel category: 2 star hotel Address: Baikalskaya Street 14B, Irkutsk, Ro ... Hotel catalog
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LOTUS, lotus, husband. (Greek: lotos). The name of several species of flowering herbaceous marsh and aquatic plants of hot countries with edible fruits, from the family. water lilies. Egyptian lotus. Indian lotus. Dictionary Ushakova. D.N. Ushakov. 1935... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
The rhizomes of this water lily of East Asian origin are often used in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. As a rule, perforated rhizomes are cut into transverse slices, which thanks to this look decorated with a decorative pattern.… … Culinary dictionary
LOTUS- “I love one (one) you very much” tattoo. LOTUS Leningrad Regional Fuel Union http://www.lots.spb.ru/ energy. LOTUS summer labor and recreation group for high school students... Dictionary of abbreviations and abbreviations
Books
- Lotus of Brahma. Dilogy (Seven days in the Himalayas. Signs of Christ), Sidorov Valentin Mitrofanovich. The fates of the documentary stories that formed the duology developed differently. The first - "Seven Days in the Himalayas" - miraculously broke through the censorship slingshots, was published in 1982 in...
