Taoism and lotus
bookburn
documentary on Egyptian hieroglyphics recently. The piece showed what
archaeologists were finding out about certain hieroglyphics as symbols
explaining the real identity of the pharaohs. This one woman who was
into the sexual significance of these
symbols (they have erotic hieroglyphics in certain places) had the
idea that the lotus was probably an aphrodisiac, since the pharaohs
mixed it into their wine, etc.
This seems bizarre to me, since I understand that the lotus has a very
different symbolic meaning in other cultures, like in India they see
the lotus as representing the growth of the spirit from bottom muck,
through opaque
water, to surface blossom--more or less following the light. So I did
a search on the Internet and came up with the following. I will add
more to it as I can. Please point out other Taoist uses of the lotus
symbol, if
you will. bookburn.
1. (quote)The Crown Centre is located at the top of the head, above
the ears. In this is variously called the Sahasrara (Thousand
Petalled LOTUS), the Nirvana, the Parabrahma (Supreme Godhead) or the
Bodhini (Awakened Consciousness) Chakra, among other terms; in it is
termed the wheel of great bliss and associated with the Swabhavakaya
or Absolute Self-Nature; and in Taoism it is referred to as
poetically as the One Hundred Meetings (Bai Hui), Kun Lun Mountain
(the highest peak of heaven), or more pragmatically the
back-of-the-crown point.(unquote)
From http://www.kheper.auz.com/topics/chakras/Crown.htm
2. One school of tai chi chuan, the Wild Lotus school, has this
statement to describe itself:
(quote)Wild Lotus reflects the natural beauty all about us in mother
nature. The Lotus being the ancient Indian symbol of, the enfoldment
of the chakras into petals. The growth of the Lotus from the mud is a
powerful reminder of our earthly beginnings and the karma we must
break through in order to become enlightened, just as the Lotus
reaches for the light and becomes a majestic fragrant flower. This is
our metaphor for life.(unquote)
From http://www.wildlotus.net/index.html
3. See the Zen meditation school of brush painting, The Wild Lotus,
at:
http://www.wildlotus.net/sumie.htm
4. In an 11-13th C. Chinese silk panel painting, The Nine-Top Tiecha
Mountain is pictured, described as the birthplace of Taoism:
(quote)Situated 80 kilometers east of Benxi City is the Nine-Top
Tiecha Mountain, a branch of the Changbai Mountain Range. The summit
is 700 meters above sea level and covers an area of 20 km.There are
five main peaks in the center, north, south, east and west
respectively. The East, South and North Peaks can be visible from
three sides, and thus call Jiu Ding (or Nine Tops). The mountain has
strange looking peaks, lush green and tall trees as well as numerous
caves. It is the birthplace of Taoism in Northeast China. Of several
caves, the largest is Yunguang Cave. A legend says that the Long
Eye-brow
Fairy Lee mediated here. About 20 meters long and 7 to 10 meters wide,
the cave climbs slightly up. Inside the cave are eight treasures, i.e.
"the wind calming pearl", stone longevity, stone tiger, stone dragon,
stone toad, stone fish, stone bed and stone LOTUS. Outside the cave
are inscriptions of 10 large Chinese characters describing the
mountain and the cave. Carved calligraphy on rocks can be found
everywhere. There are Taoists on guard to protect the virgin forest.
(unquote)
at: http://www.bxptt.ln.cn/qygg/bxsd/tcse.htm
In my search results I see references to White Lotus in association
with Zen and other Buddhist schools, but I haven't discovered what
significance lotus has in this context. For example, see the White
Lotus overview of a history of Buddhism-Taoism at:
http://www.akshin.net/philosophy_10.htm
bookburn
Jaybuzin0000
[...]
>in Taoism it is referred to as
>poetically as the One Hundred Meetings (Bai Hui),
I can't find anything per se.
'Bai Hui' could also be 'pai hui'.
Chung-hui is mentioned as being
the Point of All Gatherings by Eva Wong.
>Kun Lun Mountain
>(the highest peak of heaven), or more pragmatically the
>back-of-the-crown point.(unquote
Shambhala's _Encyclo_ states, "The Inner
Deity Hygiene School equates K'un-lun
with the human head."
The 'sacred embryo' can be the 'golden flower'.
Circulating, "the ascent and descent of the
energy as a fusion of k'an and li or of the
dragon (yang) and tiger (yin) ... the actual aim
of nei-tan is realized."
(-ibid)
HoyoD
K
bookburn
"bookburn" <book...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3ac964cb.01052...@posting.google.com...
I found a LOTUS organization that seems to center on light as the
essence of spiritual philosophy. Below are some of its message.
There is actually a large building in the form of a lotus
available for meditation by anyone, located in some place called
"Yogaville," but I don't know where that is. Perhaps it's
symbolic not to know how to get there. If you want to see it,
it's at:
http://www.yogaville.org/LOTUS.html
"In the effulgent lotus of the heart dwells Brahaman, the
Light of lights."
Hinduism - Mandaka Upanishad.
"The Lord is my Light; whom shall I fear."
Judaism - Psalms
"The Light of Divine Amitaba shines forever"
Shinto - Kurozumi Munetada
"Following the Light the sage takes care of all."
Taoism - Tao Te Ching.
"The radiance of Buddha shines ceaselessly."
Buddhism - Dhamapada.
"I have come to the world as Light."
Christianity - The Bible.
"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth."
Islam - The Koran.
"God being Truth is the one Light of all."
Sikhism - Adi Granth.
"God is the sun burning light everywhere."
African Faiths - Tribal wisdom.
"The Light of Wankan-Tanka is upon my people."
Native American Faiths - song of Kabalya.
"Truth is One paths are many."
Other known faiths.
kamerm
...
> I found a LOTUS organization that seems to center on light as the
> essence of spiritual philosophy. Below are some of its message.
> There is actually a large building in the form of a lotus
> available for meditation by anyone, located in some place called
> "Yogaville," but I don't know where that is. Perhaps it's
> symbolic not to know how to get there. If you want to see it,
> it's at:
> http://www.yogaville.org/LOTUS.html
from the "About us" page http://www.yogaville.org/Welcome.html#Intro
"We are situated on 1000 acres of woodland along the James River at the
foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Buckingham, Virginia. ...
Please contact us at 1 800 858 9642 ...
E-mail us at e-mail us at i...@yogaville.org
Yogaville
Rt. 1 Box 1720
Buckingham, VA 23921"
-k
bookburn
Here is another lotus-shapped building and description of use of
the symbol by the Baha'i
Lotus (Baha'i) Temple , New Delhi
Baha'i House of Worship
The Lotus shaped Baha'i Temple in South Delhi is the seventh and
most recent Baha'i house of worship in the World. Visited by over
four million people, annually, it is crystallization of
aspirations of Baha'i followers in over 200 countries. This
temple signifies the purity and the universality of the lord and
the equality of all religion.
The temple is designed to make people conscious about the beauty
of life. For, life's beauty can be preserved, rising as the lotus
out of swampy slime, clean and perfect - a manifestation of god.
bookburn
In addition to the White Lotus and Black Lotus, I find the Amber
Lotus, a printing company on the Internet offering New Age cards
and calendars. There is a very nice TTC calendar offered, which
you can see at:
http://www.amberlotus.com/
bookburn
At the scientific and practical end of lotus use, I find:
1.Nelumbo nucifera
(Sacred Lotus, East-Indian Lotus, Egyptian Lotus)
Plant Type: Perennial
Uses: Aquatic, Fragrance
(snip of propagation)
These floating water plants have been admired through the
centuries for their long-lasting, hypnotic beauty and powerful
fragrance. Bloom colors are varied and include shades of pink,
white, yellow and other pastels. Their flowers emerge in summer
and the bloom period will last for up to eight weeks. Blooms open
in the early part of the day and are closed by the afternoon. The
seed pods of the Sacred Lotus are highly sought after for use in
dried arrangements. When sowing seeds nick or file the hard,
outer coating and place inside a ball of rich mud. Carefully
immerse this ball into a tub of water. Alternately, sow singly in
pots and submerge the pots in shallow water.
2. The "Lotus Effect" (may have to do with ability to rise to
surface through muck): (quote) The microrelief of plant
surfaces, mainly caused by epicuticular wax crystalloids, serves
different purposes and often causes effective water repellency.
Furthermore, the adhesion of contaminating particles is reduced.
Based on experimental data carried out on microscopically smooth
(Fagus sylvatica L., Gnetum gnemon L., Heliconia densiflora
Verlot, Magnolia grandiflora L.) and rough water repellent plants
(Brassica oleracea L., Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott., Mutisia
decurrens Cav., Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.), it is shown here for
the first time that the interdependence between surface
roughness, reduced particle adhesion and water repellency is the
keystone in the self-cleaning mechanism of many biological
surfaces. The plants were artificially contaminated with various
particles and subsequently subjected to artificial rinsing by
sprinkler or fog generator. In the case of water repellent
leaves, the particles were removed completely by water droplets
that rolled off the surfaces independent of their chemical nature
or size. The leaves of N. nucifera afford an impressive
demonstration of this effect, which is, therefore, called the
"Lotus-Effect" and which may be of great biological and
technological importance.(unquote).
bookburn
Also: (quote)
. The lotus of the Greeks was the species Ziziphus lotus of the
buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae), a bush native in southern Europe.
It has large fruits containing a mealy substance that can be used
for making bread and fermented drinks. In ancient times the
fruits were an article of food among the poor, and a wine made
from the fruit was thought to produce contentment and
forgetfulness.
The Egyptian lotus is a white water lily, Nymphaea lotus (family
Nymphaeaceae). The blue lotus (N. caerulea) was the dominant
lotus in Egyptian art. The sacred lotus of the Hindus is an
aquatic plant (Nelumbo nucifera) with white or delicate pink
flowers; the lotus of eastern North America is Nelumbo
pentapetala, a similar plant with yellow blossoms (see
Nelumbonaceae). The lotus tree, known to the Romans as the Libyan
lotus, was probably Celtis australis, the nettle tree of southern
Europe, a member of the elm family (Ulmaceae), with fruits like
small cherries, first red and then black at maturity.(snip)
The lotus, in the water-lily form, is a persistent ornament in
architecture. A well-known example is its use in decorating the
capitals of columns, a practice dating from ancient Egyptian
times. The lotus is also the basis of the Assyrian sacred tree
and the Phoenician stela capitals, which were the antecedent of
the Ionic order of architectural design.
In addition to artistic uses, the lotus, since ancient times, has
symbolized fertility and related ideas, including birth, purity,
sexuality, rebirth of the dead, and, in astrology, the rising
sun.
bookburn
> At the scientific and practical end of lotus use, I find:
>
It was Clientele that pioneered the anti-aging breakthrough in
the 1970's that revolutionized the entire cosmetic industry by
first introducing antioxidants. Now Clientele's team of doctors
has come up with something even more exciting. It combines
enzymes and a rare flower that's been around since Ancient Egypt.
It's called the Sacred Lotus Flower. Even during the time of
Cleopatra, it grew along the Nile. Scientists have just
discovered Sacred Lotus seeds defy aging and can live thousands
of years.
Buddhist monks believed the Sacred Lotus Flower held the
secret of life. Thousands of years ago the ancient Hindu sages
believed the entire universe was created from the heart of a
Lotus seed. You've probably seen statues of Buddha sitting atop
a Lotus flower. Or, if you've ever practiced yoga, you've sat in
the Lotus position. The importance of the Lotus flower was known
even in early India and ancient China. Monks cultivated the
Sacred Lotus in the rivers. And, some of the seeds planted over
1,000 years ago, were just unearthed by scientists. When they
planted 3 of these ancient seeds they sprouted, as if 1,000 years
stood still. They were the oldest seeds ever germinated. The
discovery made world headline news.
Scientists began to study the seeds. They discovered
special antioxidants and a protein-repair enzyme. They may
explain how the seeds can resist aging. Perhaps, there are
other, yet undiscovered enzymes within the seed that defy aging
and preserve its youth. (unquote)
John Douglas
been treasured through the ages. As has already been mentioned, its now being
discovered to have significant "anti-aging" properties. UCLA scientists, for
example, have found that these seeds can remain active for hundreds, if not
thousands of years. They seem to defy aging. As a result, they are being used
in several anti-aging formulas being sold today. (e.g. see http://www.mdr.org)
Despite the fact that its religious temple is in the shape of a lotus flower,
Yogaville (located near Charlottesville, Va) is nothing more than a hackneyed
religious cult (a la Scientology and Rev. Moon) disguising itself as a yoga
school. They don't worship the lotus flower, but instead, kiss the feet of
Swami Satchidananda, a tired old 60s style guru. There is a cultbuster website
that explains all of this in depth, with articles from people who were abused
but escaped....and some from families whose children never escaped...see
http://www.rickross.com/groups/yogaville.html
Jaybuzin0000
[...]
>There is actually a large building in the form of a lotus
>available for meditation by anyone, located in some place called
>"Yogaville," but I don't know where that is.
it's in Jellystone Park.