Peter Skilling
French School of Asian Studies, Bangkok
In Buddhist literature, the lotus flower is well known as a symbol of purity, of spiritual capacity, and of the true dharma itself, as in the title of the Lotus Sutra, “White Lotus Flower of the True Dharma” (Saddharmapundarika). The lotus plays several other roles as well. One recurrent narrative motif is the giant lotus, “the size of a cart-wheel,” which springs up as seat to receive disciples, bodhisatvas, or buddhas. These lotuses are key features of several important and dramatic narratives, such as the “great miracle at Śrāvastī.” Although they certainly have aquatic origins, lotuses attain their own mythological status, and even their own agency. In at least one case, the lotus speaks, and invites the Buddha to sit down. This paper is a brief excursion into the refreshing and delightful lotus imagery of the pleasing ponds and pools of Buddhist literature.
(Presented in the 2014 Chulalongkorn Asian Heritage Forum: Flower Culture in Asia, 8-9 July 2014, Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies, Institute of Asian Studies, and Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University)