Native American story about Victoria Amazonica water lily:
Indian girl Naia was looking for love - and although all the men in the surrounding villages proposed to her, they were not attracted to her. She recognized her lover in the moon, so she climbed the highest tree in an attempt to reach her lover and she failed to do so. She saw the reflection of her love in the water and decided to try to reach her lover in the lake, but she fell into the water, and it was full of all kinds of monsters: reptiles, crocodiles, snakes, piranhas, leeches, which were chasing her. She hid at the bottom of the lake, in the mud, and there she found safety, but there, in the solitude, in the darkness, she learned that he was a lotus seed, which grew with a stalk full of sharp thorns to protect her....and she climbs up from the depths until she opens to the light. and realizes that she is the love and light he was looking for. The Victoria Amazonica flower blooms at night - and thus dances with the moon at night.
Ancient Egyptian myth about the Blue Lotus (blue water lily):
In the creative process of all existence, the blue lotus was the engine and body of existence. In no time at all, a thought appeared that became conscious of its existence. The story goes like this:
When there was nothing but a vast empty sea of female potential, a mound of clay rose and an idea sprouted. As she became aware of her existence, a small blue lotus sprout began to rise up from this space of nothingness. When he became aware of someone, raising his sprout from this pool, it blossomed, and in the flower was the baby Atum-Ra. When the baby opened his eyes, there was light. Everywhere the child looked, light appeared and things began to form. All existence became visible when the baby became aware of itself and its environment. From Nu, or the feminine pre-existing principle, full of potential, came the earth, from whose existence the sprout sprouted and from which God arose. When this God became self-realized, all existence came into being. So the Blue Lotus symbolizes the creation of God himself. Symbolically, it represents our own creation and the actions we take to exist.
Since the Blue Lotus is considered the body of the god, the substance from which the god was born, the use of this plant connects us with self-realization - from the realms of dreams, non-existence, to our physical life.
This God had a need to be with others, to have children, so he gave birth to Gods and mankind from the Blue Lotus flowers. One story says that he wept while creating humans and satisfied himself while creating Gods. Because the Blue Lotus manifests this creative energy, it can be used in the arts of sexuality. It was used as an aphrodisiac by the common people as well, but the Egyptian elite held special parties where they dressed up in the costumes of the gods to celebrate the euphoric ecstasy of the sexual energy of the Divine Creation. It is interesting that after keeping it in alcohol for several days, the effect of lotus is strengthened, while the effect of alcohol is weakened. So this plant was meant to create community, closeness, to unite Egypt as a country, in body and soul.
Kuan Yin - Buddhism - China - Lotus
In Sanskrit, Kuan Yin's name is Padma-pani, which means lotus-born. In almost all the drawings, she is depicted sitting, standing on a lotus, surrounded by lotuses, or carrying a lotus in her hand. In the Buddhist tradition, the lotus is one of the main symbols of purity due to the fact that this flower grows out of mud - the lotus teaches that our heart must always remain pure like the lotus flower, even when we are faced with difficulties, darkness, internal or external "mud". Kuan Yin's mission was precisely to bring love and compassion to people who were suffering and drowning in pain.
Kuan Yin is one of the most common goddesses found in Chinese temples. She is the only one of the Buddhist gods who is only loved (she is not feared at all) and she is also considered the ideal of Chinese beauty. Considered the goddess of compassion. Because of her devotion to Buddhism and love during her human life and the good deeds she did, she is said to have attained enlightenment and Nirvana awaited her after death. However, as she stood in front of the gates of heaven, she heard cries of despair coming from the ground. She turned to return to earth and renounced her reward of eternal bliss, but instead received the gift of immortality in the hearts of those who suffered. Kuan Yin is an abbreviation of a name that means "She who sees and hears the cry of the human world."
Lakshmi - India - Hinduism - Lotus
Lakshmi is the beloved of Lord Vishnu. She is one of the most popular goddesses in Hindu mythology, known as the goddess of purity and abundance. Lakshmi is depicted as a four-armed goddess standing on a lotus. She is usually surrounded by one or with elephants who sanctify her with water. She is also depicted massaging the feet of Vishnu.
The story of Lakshmi is also known as the story of turning the milky ocean. It is the story of the struggle between gods and demons to obtain immortality and the rebirth of Goddess Lakshmi.
Indra, the warrior god was entrusted to protect the world from demons. He did this successfully for many years and the fact that Lakshmi was on earth ensured his success.
One day the sage gave a garland of sacred flowers to Indra. Indra, not understanding what the flowers were for the warrior, arrogantly threw the flowers on the ground. This act saddened Lakshmi, so she left the world of gods and settled in the Ocean of Milk.
Without her, the gods lost their success.
The world darkened, people became greedier and stopped making sacrifices to the gods. The gods began to lose their power and the demons took control.
Indra asked Vishnu what should be done. He said that the gods must churn the Ocean of Milk to retrieve Lakshmi and her blessings. He also said that there are other treasures in the ocean that will help them.
Then the gods gathered together and turned the ocean together for many years. It took 1,000 years for anything to surface.
Finally, the treasures began to rise up, among them was a lotus flower and a woman of great beauty standing on it. It was Lakshmi who returned to earth. With her blessing, the gods defeated the demons and drove them out of the world.
This story teaches that success and abundance come to those who work hard and seek help sincerely. And it also teaches us that even when we are successful, we should not become arrogant, because success can turn away.
8/18/2022