Lotus Garden Triptych

• Transfabrications: Hong Kong

Lotus Garden Triptych,
Silk
2011

The Lotus

The lotus flower is one of the most ancient and deepest symbols of our planet. The lotus flower grows in muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. Untouched by the impurity, lotuses symbolize the purity of heart and mind.
The roots of a lotus are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented flower lies pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.
The lotus flower is an important symbol to the Buddhist as it represents independence and self-regeneration. It is believed to be able to reproduce from it’s own matrix, symbolizing these two ideas. One often sees the lotus as the throne upon which the Buddha sits. Here, the Buddha is the symbol of the awakened mind, which is self-existent, independent, and self-regenerating.
The lotus flower has a unique characteristic in that it blooms and sheds its seeds at the same time. In the context of Buddhism, the theory of karma says that, just like the lotus flower, our life is made up of cause and effect. Every cause -- be it action, word or thought -- will imprint an effect that can be seen in this lifetime or in future lives.
In Buddhist paintings and sculpture, the Buddha is often seated on a lotus flower. The lotus produces a beautiful flower even with its roots in the dirtiest water symbolizing the assertion from rootedness in the ugliness and suffering of this world. In addition, the lotus signifies that even the dirtiest water will not cling to the lotus as it is pure in spirit. Try sprinkling water on a lotus leaf and it will just roll off.