Lotus Flower Tattoo

Thinking about getting a lotus flower tattoo?

Lotus tattoo designs are the most popular of all the flora choices. They are beautiful as a stand alone tattoo, or can be paired with other eastern Asian images, e.g. they look great coupled with koi fish.

In addition to their beauty, the main reason people select lotus flower tattoos is because of their rich meaning. Lotus flowers are found in water. They germinate at the bottom of a pond – in the muck and mud – and grow toward the surface and the light. When they emerge at the surface, they flower. Tattoo enthusiast Christ Ryerson (2005) believes that the lotus flower is a metaphor for life in general, and “are also popular for people who have gone through a hard time and are now coming out of it.” Lotus flowers are viewed as the perfection of beauty and as a symbol for spiritual growth (i.e. coming out of the slime and into the sun). There are many species of lotus flowers, and they are often equated with similar flowers like the water lily. It is often confused with the blue water lily. Lotus flowers are generally depicted as having a pad-like base with up reaching petals. Often, tendrils emerge from the center.

Because the lotus flower opens during the day and closes at night, it symbolizes the duality of nature, e.g. light and darkness, birth and death, male and female, sun and moon.

Many cultures throughout history have revered the lotus flower:

In China, the flower symbolizes connectedness, unity, love, and marriage.

In India, the lotus flower symbolizes the origin of feminine in the universe, especially the goddess of love. Like Egypt, there is also connection to the sun god – in this case, the god Surya, who represents life force.

In Tibet, the lotus flower is the symbol of mystery.

For Hindus and Buddhists, the lotus flower is a symbol of purity and enlightenment; it is the essence of human nature. The flower is considered one of the “Eight Precious Things” in eastern religion. In Sanskrit (Indian language used for Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.), the lotus flower is the representation of the divine womb and fertility. Its name is “padma” or “kamala,” which also mean vagina. The famous Buddhist mantra (“om mana padme om”), which is often portrayed in the media, is a spiritual reflection on enlightenment, and translates to the “jewel in the lotus.”

Lotus Flower Tattoo Design Variations

Another popular lotus tattoo design is to pair the flower with a cobra, to portray the duality of life-giving and death-dealing.

In some designs, the center of the flower is portrayed as Mount Meru (Semeru), the mythological mountain in eastern philosophy thought to be the world axis and center of the universe. This design serves as a universal and world symbol.

For more information on Lotus Flower Tattoo, see the resources listed on our Reference Page.

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