The relationship between lotus and Buddhism is very close. It can be said that "lotus" is the symbol of "Buddha".
When we walk into a Buddhist temple, we can see the image of lotus everywhere. In the Mahavira Hall, the Buddha Sakyamuni sits on a lotus throne, with kind eyebrows and kind eyes, and his lotus eyes are lowered; Amitabha Buddha, known as the head of the "Three Saints of the West", and the Great Merciful and Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva are also sitting on the lotus. Some of the remaining Bodhisattvas are holding lotus flowers in their hands, and some are stepping on lotus flowers, making lotus gestures, or throwing lotus flowers to the world (like goddesses). Various lotus patterns are also carved, drawn or embroidered on temple walls, caissons, railings, sacred accounts, table surrounds, sachets and worship mats. It can be seen how closely the relationship between lotus and Buddhism is.
The close relationship between lotus and Buddhism is also reflected in the fact that Buddhism uses lotus as a metaphor for many beautiful and holy things and is represented by lotus. In Buddhist stories, the mother of Buddha Sakyamuni had a pair of beautiful, clear eyes like lotus flowers. When the Buddha was born, eight auspicious signs appeared in the palace garden. The most important one was a white lotus as big as a wheel that suddenly grew out of the pond. When the Buddha was born, a thousand rays of golden light radiated from his tongue. Each golden light turned into a thousand-leaf white lotus. In each lotus sat a little Bodhisattva with his feet crossed and his feet upward.
There are countless Buddhist words that use lotus as a metaphor. The Buddha's seat is called the "lotus seat" or "lotus platform"; the posture of sitting in the lotus position, with legs crossed, feet placed on opposite thighs, and the soles of the feet upward, is called the lotus posture; the western part of Buddhism's propaganda The Land of Ultimate Bliss is compared to the realm of pure and unstained lotus flowers, so it is called the "Lotus State"; the scene of the Western Paradise of Paradise described in the "Amitabha Sutra" is: "The Land of Ultimate Bliss has seven treasure pools and eight merit waters...the lotus flowers in the pool are as big as wheels. "So the Buddhist country is called the "Lotus Kingdom"; the Buddhist temples are called "Lotus Temples". "Khasa" is Sanskrit, which means the Western Pure Land. Lotus is used as the support for the afterlife, so it is called "Lotus Shrine"; people who chant the Buddha's name are called "Lotus Womb", which is a metaphor for living in a lotus, like being in a mother's womb; the Buddha's Eye is called It is called "Lotus Eye", and the green lotus is used to describe the beauty of Buddha's eyes; the eight-leaf heart lotus in the chest is called "Lotus Palace", which is the lotus-like state in the heart; Sakyamuni's hands are called "Lotus Hands"; The ordination of monks and nuns is called "Lotus Flower Precepts"; the cassocks of monks and nuns are called "Lotus Flower Clothes", which means pure and unimpaired; the wonderful observation wisdom among the five wisdoms is called "Lotus Flower Wisdom"; those who are good at preaching are called "Lotus growing on the tongue"; that is, The joy of asceticism is "returning to the house and giving birth to a lotus"; the Buddhist scripture "Miaofa Lotus Sutra" is abbreviated as "Lotus Sutra", both use lotus as a metaphor, symbolizing the purity and elegance of teachings; the earliest Buddhism in my country founded by Master Huiyuan of Donglin Temple in the Eastern Jin Dynasty The association is called the "Lotus Society"; the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism advocates reaching the Western Lotus Pure Land through practice, so it is also called the "Lotus Sect". In short, lotus has an indissoluble bond with Buddhism. Buddhism is represented by lotus in many places. It can be said that lotus is Buddha and Buddha is lotus.
Why does Buddhism admire the lotus so much? There are two main reasons for this: First, Buddhism originated in India, which has a hot climate. Lotus blooms in summer, bringing people coolness and beauty. People naturally love this beautiful flower that blooms in the heat of summer. Therefore, in Indian literary works, especially folk literature circulated among the people, lotus is a symbol of beauty, kindness, holiness, tolerance and generosity. There are many such stories and they have a profound influence. For example, "The Story of the Lotus Prince" lists noble morality, kindness, integrity, and devotion as the ten laws of kings (giving, observing precepts, generosity, integrity, kindness, self-control, avoidance of anger, and avoidance of killing). The American national flower is compared to the lotus, tolerance and generosity). "The Story of the Lotus King" says that in order to save the people from famine, the Lotus King jumped into the Ganges River and turned into a big red fish. He told the people to cut his flesh and eat it. For twelve years, he used his own meat to feed the people of the country and survive the twelve-year famine. The story of "The Deer Mother Lotus Lady" says that every time the Deer Mother Lotus Lady takes a step, a beautiful lotus flower immediately appears behind her feet. She gave birth to five hundred boys at one time, all of whom were handsome and strong men. A hero who defends the country, the deer mother Lotus Lady has become a symbol of having more beautiful boys.
Sakyamuni founded Buddhism and advocated the abolition of the strict hierarchical system of ancient India, the implementation of caste equality, and the use of compassion to save all living beings. In order to promote Buddhism and enable the general public to understand and accept Buddhist teachings, they preached in common languages. It also catered to the people's love for the lotus and used the lotus as a metaphor for the Buddha, which enabled Buddhism to spread quickly and have a wide range of believers.
Another reason why Buddhism uses lotus as a metaphor for Buddha is also the main reason, because the character and characteristics of lotus are consistent with Buddhist teachings. Buddhism is a religion that focuses on seeking relief from the suffering of life. It regards life as a sea of ??suffering and hopes that people can escape from the sea of ??suffering. The path to liberation is: this shore (the sea of ??suffering in life) - Jidu (learning Buddhism and practicing Buddhism) - the other shore (bliss) Pure Land). That is, from the earthly world to the pure world, from all evil to the ultimate good, from the ordinary to the Buddha. This is just like the lotus that grows in muddy water and becomes otherworldly, unstained by the mud, and finally blooms into extremely beautiful flowers.
One of the important tenets of Buddhism is universal love and charity. Show mercy to all living beings. The so-called compassion refers to hoping and helping others to escape suffering and gain happiness. Loving kindness means wishing others to be happy, and loving kindness means helping others to be happy; compassion means wishing others to relieve their suffering, and loving kindness means helping others relieve their suffering. Buddhism requires that all living beings should be treated with compassion, regardless of good or evil, and regardless of humans or animals. We must tolerate and forgive all kinds of evil deeds, use compassion to help them, and influence them to do good, become kind people, and bear good fruits. However, we must strictly guard against being complicit in the dirty world. We must live in the dirty world without being polluted by it, and keep ourselves clean and fragrant. The best way to express this idea is the lotus.
The lotus growing in the mud is just like living in the world of filthy dust. It will naturally live with the filth and be disturbed by many evil and filthy things. Buddhism calls these evil forces "demons". Buddhism requires people not to be disturbed and affected by the evil and filth (ie demons) in the world. The lotus "comes out of the mud but remains unstained" and blooms clean and beautiful flowers, which is indeed the best symbol. Therefore, Buddha often compares the lotus nature to the Buddha nature. "The Theory of Great Wisdom: The First Interpretation of the Tora Paramita" says: "For example, the lotus comes from the mud. Although the color is fresh and good, the source is unclean." "The Sutra of Forty-two Chapters" says: "I am a recluse, in the In troubled times, you should be like a lotus, not polluted." Therefore, King Brahma, who saves the world, was born sitting on a thousand-leaf golden lotus. Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Guanyin Bodhisattva are all sitting on lotus flowers, or holding lotus flowers in their hands, indicating that the Buddha came from the earthly world and was in a pure and uncontaminated state.
It is not an easy task for people to achieve a state of being free from dust and pollution. It requires a high degree of awareness and concentration. This requires practicing and observing the precepts, and developing Buddha nature. Eliminate the demonic nature. When the Buddha nature is strengthened, it can withstand the interference of demons, subdue demons and become a Buddha, and can be freed from the sufferings of birth, old age, illness and death. This sounds very mysterious and has a strong religious meaning, but in fact it is just a higher level of ideological realm. Once you understand and understand everything, you will naturally be able to see everything clearly, and you will no longer be greedy, intimidated, anxious, infatuated, or angry. You will naturally get rid of suffering mentally and become relaxed and happy. Therefore, the lotus flower in Buddhism represents a state of wisdom, the so-called "enlightenment". "Infinite Life Path" says: "It is the Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) who thinks like this, and all sentient beings have this lotus flower of enlightenment, which purifies the world and is not stained with troubles." The sixth volume of "Images of the Tripitaka" contains "Bai Bao Kou Copy" It says: "The heart of an ordinary person is like a lotus flower, and the heart of a saint is like a lotus flower... Question: 'Why are the minds of all living beings like lotus flowers?' Answer: 'The Book of Secrets' says: In the lotus department, I have the principle of pure bodhicitta. , although this principle flows through the mud of death in the six realms and four realms of life, it is not stained or stained, so it is called the lotus part. "Shu Twelve" says: "Looking at the lotus does not look at the remaining flowers?" This is also intentional, just like the lotus in the world. Although it is said to be evil in the mud, the nature of the lotus is pure and its color is incomparable, and it is not stained by dirt. Even if ordinary people become like this, although the three poisons are endless and the faults are boundless, the Samadhi of this lotus is very deep. , the fruits are all born in it, which is the light of the Tathagata's equality and great wisdom."
Buddhism has a saying that "the flower blooms to see the Buddha's nature." The flower here refers to the lotus, which is the wisdom and realm of the lotus. When a person has the state of mind of lotus, Buddha nature appears.
Among the various sects of Buddhism, Pure Land Sect has a closer relationship with Lotus. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the eminent monk Dao'an read the "Sutra of Maitreya's Rebirth" and yearned for the Pure Land of Maitreya. So he recited the Buddha's oath in front of the Maitreya Buddha statue and vowed to be reborn in the Tusita Heaven where Maitreya lives in the next life. Dao'an's thoughts influenced his disciple Huiyuan. Huiyuan inherited and carried forward the core ideas of his master, and became more enthusiastic in worshiping the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The only difference was that the Maitreya Pure Land he longed for was changed to the Amitabha Pure Land.
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Because the lotus has such a close relationship with Buddhist teaching staff, the lotus is often used as a metaphor for Buddha in Chinese poems and essays. By Tan Zhen Hshu?
Li Bai: "The heart is as green as the lotus in the world."
Meng Jiao: "The Tao proves the green lotus heart."
Bai Juyi : "It's like a white lotus, but it doesn't touch the water."
Meng Haoran: "How can you see how pure the lotus is? Just copy it!"
Quan Deyu: "How about the purity of Buddhism?" Heart, the lotus cannot touch the autumn pool water. ”
Zhao Qi: “The white lotus smile means that the heart is contented, and the worries in the world are just floating clouds.” ”
Zhang Wentao: “Kamata Qingzao has a long-term heart and is well versed in it!” ?
Shi Jing'an: "He can pass on the precepts of thousands of Buddhas and sit on the Nine Lotus Platform." "Don't recite the amazing sentence of catkins, so that you can see the Buddha's body in the lotus." "The hibiscus comes out of the water to meditate and the mind is calm, and the leaves are facing the wind. The words are harmonious. Bo chao lag yo bird Gan α? Yao? Tank condyle? プ钚∧小! ?
Qi Baishi: "The sound of wooden fish in Banqiao is not unjust." Anticipating that the Tathagata's cultivation has arrived, the lotus-like heart is filled with wisdom. ""The aura of the sea of ??ink scatters, traces on the side of the ship? Hairpins? Waves of waves? ā! ?
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