Spring, summer, autumn and winter, the four seasons rotate, flowers bloom and fall, and flowers have the vitality of withering, which is the theme that many cultures love and cherish. However, flowers in the world bloom first and then bear fruit, while lotus flowers bloom first and then bear fruit. In the Ming Dynasty, the book Qunfangpu, which recorded all kinds of plants in detail, especially emphasized the characteristics of lotus "full of flowers and fruits". Therefore, the lotus is regarded by Buddhists as reflecting the past, present and future at the same time.
The Buddha said equality, regardless of the past, present and future, the time and space, status and size of people of all things in the world, the rich and the poor are equal. The pure land of bliss has no past, present and future. Lotus, with its eternal appearance, enjoys exclusive "blessing" and becomes the flower of the pure land world.
Lu, who has studied Buddhist art for many years, explained that the western paradise is the last refuge of Xiujing believers. The classic Amitabha, the representative of pure land thought, records that if all beings get good karma, they will no longer fall into the cycle of viviparous, oviparous and wet birth, and then die in the Elysium, where Guanyin will greet them with a lotus flower, and the deceased will "incarnate" as a member of the Elysium. Depending on personal karma, blessing and the closing time of the lotus, those who have enough blessings can "clear customs" early.
The Amitabha Sutra also records that "Elysium is full of Qibaochi and Ba Ding Shui, and there is a golden sand at the bottom of the pool ... The lotus in the pool is as big as a wheel, green and yellow, red and white, delicate and fragrant."
It is a symbol that is often mentioned and seen in Buddhist classics and Buddhist art. Lotus has an indissoluble bond with Buddhism because it is associated with many legends of Sakyamuni. According to legend, Sakyamuni was originally a bodhisattva in the sky, and was born by King Kapilawa. Madame Moyev, the princess of King Tumi, is as beautiful as a fairy, gentle and virtuous, and she is with King Haiyang Yuan. Mrs. Moyev recalled her wedding night, and she vaguely saw a man riding a white elephant coming towards her in the distance, getting smaller and smaller, and getting into her stomach from her right rib. She had a vague premonition that the Bodhisattva had turned into a white elephant and was born. In the future, Mrs. Moyev's pregnant face is slightly red. Colorful green neckline lace is like a lotus leaf, and her face is like a blooming lotus flower. Later, Mrs. Moyoev gave birth to Buddha under the Miluo tree. Hundreds of birds sang in groups, and flowers and trees were in full bloom all the year round, especially when lotus flowers the size of a car cover suddenly blossomed in the swamp. As soon as the Buddha was born, he stood on the lotus, pointing to the sky and the ground, and said, "Heaven and the world are nothing more." It was April 8, and it became the "Buddha Bathing Festival" of Buddhism. When Sakyamuni realized the Tao, he rose to the north and walked around the tree. At that time, it was a lotus, *** 18 lotus. Whenever he preaches, he always sits on the lotus seat, that is, his legs are crossed and his feet are up.
In the world, plum blossoms are chaste and proud of frost and snow; Orchids are fragrant, beautiful and elegant; Bamboo is tall and knotted, green and dripping; Chrysanthemums are aloof and changeable, but I Buddha love lotus flowers alone. This is because ancient India has a long tradition of loving lotus. People endure the hot climate in the countryside and feel particularly comfortable, fresh and gratified by the lotus flowers that bloom in spring and summer. Therefore, from the very beginning, Buddhism paid attention to following the folk psychology to attract believers, so lotus flowers were often quoted in Buddhist scriptures. According to Buddhist scriptures, there are not dozens of lotus petals on earth, hundreds of lotus petals in the sky and more than 1000 lotus petals in pure land. "Shurangama Sutra" says, "Sir, a hundred treasures of light gush from the bun, and the lotus in Chiba lives and sits on the lotus. The Vimalakīrti Classic of Buddhism says, "The world is not like a lotus flower, but it is better to be silent." The classic explanation says: "Therefore, all ten Buddhas were born in muddy soil and sat on the lotus platform." It can be seen that lotus means from trouble to purity. It shows that it was born in silt and bloomed on the water surface, which produced the profound connotation of silt-free. At the same time, lotus blooms in hot summer water. Heat means trouble, and water means cool, which means bringing cool to people who are troubled. Therefore, Lotus is the incarnation of a saint born in the pure land of Buddha after getting rid of troubles. The Buddha came out of the mud and proved to be conscious and comfortable. Although it is beyond the ordinary, it does not leave the world law. Lotus is in perfect harmony with the natural personality advocated by Buddhism. Buddhism believes that there are more troubles in the world than the Ganges sand, and losing yourself is like accumulating dirt in the past. People with will should practice hard, purify themselves, be free from pollution and worldly sufferings, and pursue a pure and unhindered realm. The natural beauty of lotus can be used to symbolize this ideal of Buddhism. Moreover, the lotus itself does have some attractions, that is, the lotus is expensive, good and beautiful.
Not all buddhas and bodhisattvas sit on the lotus. For example, Tathagata sits in Leo, Buddha of Sakyamuni sits in King Kong, Peacock King sits in Peacock, and Harraca Ranasa sits on a rock. I hope it helps you. Good luck at six o'clock! Amitabha!