Flower of
Perfection: The Lotus in Buddhist Art
Meher
McArthur Buddhistdoor
Global | 2015-11-27 |
Arguably the most important symbol in Buddhism, the lotus not only
represents spiritual purity, but also serves as a reminder that all
beings are capable of attaining enlightenment. According to the
Buddhist teachings, just as the lotus rises up from the depths of
muddy ponds and lakes to blossom immaculately above the water’s
surface, so too can the human heart or mind develop the virtues of
the Buddha and transcend desire and attachment to reveal its
essentially pure nature. For this reason, this flower appears in
every aspect of Buddhist art in all Buddhist cultures, from the
real lotus flowers in temple gardens to the lotus thrones that
support Buddhist deities in sculpture and painting. The lotus is
also prevalent throughout Buddhist Asia as a decorative motif in
textiles, ceramics, metalwork, bronzes, and
lacquerware.
One of the most important representations of the lotus in Buddhist
art is the lotus throne. In painting and sculpture from most parts
of Buddhist Asia, figures of Buddhas and bodhisattvas and other
major deities are typically depicted either seated or standing on a
lotus in full bloom. Because these deities are considered
enlightened beings, the lotus throne symbolizes their divine
manifestation and perfected spiritual state. In a variation of this
representation in Tibetan Buddhist imagery, the compassionate
female deity Green Tara is often represented seated on a lotus with
her right leg extended, symbolizing her readiness to leap into
action to help beings: the foot is typically depicted resting on a
separate lotus. In both painting and sculptures, the petals of the
lotus are often arranged in layers to suggest the unfolding of the
flower as it opens, with each petal given linear texturing to
create volume and gilding to enhance its delicate
beauty.
In the Mahayana vehicle of Buddhism in East Asia, with its rich
imagery and complex iconography, the lotus plays diverse roles. One
of the most widely practiced deities here is Avalokiteshvara, who
is depicted in many different forms, all of which hold a single
lotus in one hand. This deity, known in Tibetan as Chenrezig, in
Chinese as Guanyin, and in Japanese as Kannon, is the epitome of
the compassion of the bodhisattvas—beings who have postponed their
own enlightenment in order to remain in this world to benefit
others. In images of this deity, the lotus flower represents the
advanced spiritual state and commitment to help beings realize
their potential for perfection. Avalokiteshvara is also the
principal deity in the Lotus
Sutra,
one of the most widely followed Buddhist texts in East Asia. His
consort is Tara, who holds the stem of a lotus in one or both
hands.
In Mahayana Buddhism, lotuses are also associated with the Buddha
Amitabha or Amitayus, one of the five transcendent Buddhas, who is
believed to reside in the Pure Land of Sukhavati, the “Land of
Bliss,” a Buddhist paradise in the West. In the Pure Land school of
Mahayana, devotees aspire to be reborn in this Western Pure Land by
relying on Amitabha in the present life, and are believed to be
reborn in lotuses growing in a celestial pond. The more virtuous
devotees are said to be reborn in fully open lotuses and can
immediately receive Amitabha’s help in attaining enlightenment,
while the less virtuous are reborn in closed lotuses and must wait
until the flower blooms before they can receive Amitabha’s aid. In
paintings, the Pure Land is typically depicted as a celestial
palace with a pond in front of it full of blooming lotuses. More
detailed versions of these paintings from China and Japan in
particular feature images of the reborn “souls,” which are depicted
as babies, each sitting on an individual lotus.
In esoteric Buddhism, the lotus not only represents the heart or
mind, but also the womb and the feminine universal principle, while
the vajra,
or diamond/thunderbolt, symbolizes the masculine principle. In
Japanese esoteric Buddhism, a pair of mandalas known as the
Mandalas of the Two Worlds is used in meditational practice: the
Womb World Mandala represents the feminine principle while the
Diamond World Mandala represents the masculine, and together they
represent the union of male and female, dark and light, wisdom and
compassion. In the Womb World Mandala, a lotus is found at the
heart of the mandala, representing the womb of the world, from
which all things emerge. Denoting the state of total mental purity
or perfection, the lotus has eight petals, symbolizing the
Eightfold Path of Buddhism. Seated in the center is the Cosmic
Buddha, Vairochana, and in the eight petals are the eight principal
Buddhas and bodhisattvas, each also seated on lotuses. Around these
central figures are hundreds of other deities, again seated on
lotuses and arranged in order of their spiritual power. In certain
initiation rituals, adepts are blindfolded and asked to throw a
flower onto the mandala. The place where it lands helps them
identify the Buddhist deity on which they should focus their
practice.
Because of its profound symbolism and the elegance of its form, the
lotus flower also features predominantly as a motif in Buddhist
temple architecture. The lotus bud finial is a common feature on
railings and poles, while stylized lotus flowers are often arranged
artistically to decorate the beams of corridor roofs. Many ritual
vessels and containers crafted from bronze, clay, and lacquer are
created in the shape of lotuses or feature lotuses scrolling across
their surfaces, and in such Buddhist textiles as the robes of
priests and the silk brocade backing for paintings of deities, the
lotus is the most common of all decorative motifs, suggesting the
purity and spiritual power of the wearer or the deity depicted in
the painting.
The prevalence of the lotus in Buddhist art, iconography, and
architecture not only provides inspiration to followers of the
Dharma so that they, too, can rise from the mud of ignorance and
become perfected beings—the ever-present motif in Buddhist
paintings, statuary, textiles, architecture, and ritual objects is
a daily, even hourly, reminder of the Buddha’s teaching about this
flower and what it represents in every moment of practice: “Like a
lotus flower that grows out of the mud and blossoms above the muddy
water surface, we can rise above our defilements and [the]
sufferings of life.” (Buddhanet.net)