ABC
Religious texts
Religious schools and traditions
Heavenly beings and deities
Legendary and historical figures
Legendary and real places
Symbols and art
Doctrines and rituals
- Awakening
- Community
- Compassion
- Craving
- Dependent origination
- Dharma
- Eightfold Path
- Emptiness
- Five Precepts
- Four Noble Truths
- Happiness
- Heavens and hells
- Impermanence
- Karma
- Koan
- Kung fu
- Meditation
- Merit
- Mindfulness
- Nirvana
- Non-self
- Om (mani padme hum)
- Parinirvana
- Pilgrimage sites
- Prajnaparamita
- Puja
- Pure lands
- Realms of existence
- Rebirth
- Recitation
- Renunciation
- Ritual
- Self
- Suffering
- Tales of rebirth
- Three Jewels
- Three-body doctrine
- Universal ruler
- Vesak
- Ye-dhamma formula
- Yoga
Lotus
Symbols and art
The Indian lotus flower is similar to the European water lily but actually belongs to a different genus. The lotus (Skt. padma) grows in swampy pools. Its large leaves and snow-white or light pink flowers protrude far beyond the water’s surface. Moreover, water drips off the leaves so that the plant always looks clean. Hence, the plant was regarded as a symbol of purity in ancient India. Lotus blossoms are a frequent motif in Indian art. They are one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols.