The lotus flower, a religious and national symbol
The lotus occupies a special place in Thai culture and is of a Divine level. A lotus - no matter how beautiful - you do not place in a vase on the table, nor do you incorporate it into a flower arrangement. The Thai would call something like this a form of sacrilege, because this flower symbolizes the birth of Buddha.
Many religious Buddhists see similarities between the lotus and the teachings and life of Buddha.
Buddhism and Hinduism
Not only within Buddhism, but also for Hindus, the lotus has a religious significance. The root of the lotus flower thrives in muddy soil and the plant and flower continue to grow under water and finally slowly awaken in the sunlight. Despite the dirty water and mud in which the plant grows, leaves and flowers stick out cleanly and without any trace of impurity above the water. Believers associate this with the Divine birth of Buddha and the purity of his teachings.
The Hindu gods Vishnu and Lakshmi are also often depicted in the company of the lotus flower. At the many temples you will come across images of Buddha in many different forms. Buddha walking, standing, sitting and sleeping, often accompanied by an image of the lotus flower. If you offer lotus flowers to Buddha, a number of three is customary.
One copy for the enlightenment, one for his teaching and one for his followers. In many cases, several flowers are also offered, but the number is always odd. Will no doubt have to do with a bit of superstition with ghosts and 'good luck' in mind.
The flower
There are various types of lotus flowers, of which the Bua Luang is the most common. The flower comes in five different colours; white, red, violet, pink and light green. You will often encounter the lotus flower with green leaves in ponds and ditches with a muddy surface. Plenty of water and sunlight are further conditions for an excellent growth process.
The lotus also plays a role in daily life. Images of the flower can be found as decoration on many articles. Just look around in shops where silk is sold, you will undoubtedly see designs in which the lotus flower is incorporated. However, the well-known and old Dutch advertising slogan: “Flowers love people” does not apply to the lotus, because it is exclusively reserved for Lord Buddha.
Facts
– Statues of Buddha are often depicted on a throne of the lotus
– Thai people often get tattooed with sak yant. One of those yants is the Yant Bua
– one of the most famous muay thai fighters is nicknamed Buakaw: the white lotus
Can someone tell me if those beautiful lotus flowers also start to smell so quickly once they have been picked. You do have that with water lilies that need the same biotope to grow (dirty stagnant mud water and sun). [email protected]
The lotus. In Thai script: บัว boea with a mid tone, and beyond
ดอกบัว dohk boea long -oh- , low, mid tone, dohk simply means 'flower'.
สายบัว boring boea long -aa- , rising tone – medium tone. The edible stem of the lotus plant
อุบล oebon , low tone – middle tone. A more elegant word for the lotus, it is also a female name and can also be found in the name of the city of Ubon Ratchathani ('Royal Lotus City')
With the lotus I also think of the following Thai imagery: the Buddha divided the people into four groups and compares them to lotuses. The first and highest group to grow (and bloom) above the water. These people are intelligent and understand a subject with a few words. They can reach enlightenment. The second group is about to emerge from the water, if you give them a little more teaching and guidance they can progress to group 1. The third group is the lotus that is still under water and requires more time and effort, eventually some will come, and some won't. The fourth group is still covered in mud, and they will never grow above the surface of the water no matter what effort you make. You don't have to worry about that because that's wasted energy.
As in Thailand (though increasingly rare), sapphires are found in Sri Lanka.
Usually in larger quantities and also of a better quality.
The rarest variant is called "Padparadscha" which is the Sanskrit name for the Lotus flower.
Sapphire is generally associated with the blue color, however, the mineral Corundum, to which sapphire belongs (ruby is the red variety) occurs in many colors.
Padparadscha sapphires have a combination of orange and pink color and are thus associated with the Lotus flower, the color of the sky at sunrise and fruit.
Most important sites are Sri Lanka and Madagascar