The lotus flower is to the East what the rose is to the West. In fact, these are the two most popular flower tattoos.
Beauty and Detachment
The lotus flow has a story to tell - a flower that grows in mud and emerges pristine and pure, to bloom in perfect beauty, floating sublimely on the surface of the water. Because of this, it is seen as a symbol of detachment - being in the world, not of the world. Each night it closes its petals, each morning it opens to the sunshine and the world, closely resembling the human activity of sleeping and waking. It is not hard to understand its appeal.
It has been a source of wonder and inspiration for thousands of years. When people have searched for a description of perfect beauty, many have used the lotus flower as the epitome.
Mystic Qualities
It is strongly associated with Hinduism and Buddhism - both religions use the flower as a symbol of perfection, a symbol of the divine, giving it a mystic quality like no other flower. In some cultures the color of the lotus flower has different meanings - white for purity, blue for goodness and red for enlightenment. The ancient Egyptians regarded the blue lotus as sacred and a sign of purity as dirt did not cling to its petals.
Hope and Endurance
It has extraordinary hardiness. Its seeds can lie dormant for two hundred years and then bloom with the first rains. Its stalk is tough and not easily broken. The Chinese saw this as a symbol of fidelity.
The lotus flower tattoo symbolizes new beginnings, new hope, new life, longevity and endurance. Because of the importance it holds in so many cultures, the lotus flower has been depicted thousands of times. This means there are numerous lotus flower tattoo designs. You can choose one to help express your personality and your feelings. You can send a message to the world or you can simply wear a lotus tattoo for yourself - to give you strength, to give you hope, to lift your spirits, to remind you to never say die, to endure.
By Wlliam Burnell
