Significance of Lotus

So why the name, Lotus Bytes, you may ask? Well, the Lotus has had great significance to many ancient cultures. The Lotus has symbolized purity, peace, enlightenment and beauty. Enlightenment can be attributed to the life cycle of the Lotus. It grows in the mud of ponds and finally grows into a beautiful flower standing high above the mud. This can be paralleled to the individual consciousness which rises from the illusion of reality to the subtle realm of enlightenment.
Lotus forms an integral part in a lot of cultures and religions around the world. In Hinduism, Brahma (The Creator) was supposed to be born from a Lotus borne from the navel of Lord Vishnu. The goddess of learning, Saraswati, is depicted as sitting on the lotus. Hence the Lotus is considered as a seat of knowledge. A many chants and verses from the Vedas offer prayers and salutations to the Lotus feet of the master. It is said that the feet of the holy ones are as soft, sublime, sacred and sweet as the Lotus.
In the ancient texts, energy centers within the human being, known as the chakra system, was symbolized by a lotus with varied numbers of petals to represent each chakra. The crown chakra is the thousand-petaled lotus, and so its blossoming indicates enlightenment
For the Native Americans, the flower symbolized the sun's power to transform energy into food. Lotus seeds were once an especially important part of the Native American diet; in fact, the genus name Nelumbo means "sacred bean."
The lotus is also highly esteemed by Taoists. Among the Eight Immortals of Taoism is Ho Hsien Ku, her symbol the open lotus blossom, signifying openness and wisdom. In Buddhism, the mantra “Om Mane Padme Hum” means “the jewel in the lotus”, which represents enlightenment. Most of the Buddhist paintings suggest Buddha sitting on a lotus.
The lotus is featured prominently in Egyptian art and architecture as well, especially in connection with Egypt's temples. In Egyptian mythology, the lotus was associated with the sun, because it blooms by day and closes by night. The lotus also symbolized rebirth, since one Egyptian creation myth tells of the newborn sun god rising out of a floating lotus. The blue lotus was sacred to the ancient Egyptians, who valued it not only for its rich perfume but also for its ability to produce heightened awareness and tranquility.