The lotus symbolizes purity, and the peony represents wealth; personally, I like the lotus better.
They all have many legends, and Lian has greater religious significance. There are many stories - -
About 500 BC, lotus was introduced to Egypt, possibly by the Persians. The "lotus buds" that the ancient Egyptians decorated the tops of temple columns were imitations of water lilies, and Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey" actually drank a drink brewed from the date (not related to the lotus) and entered a state of relaxation and forgotten its worries. situation. When the Greek writer Herodotus described Egyptian plants, he wrote: "There are some lilies like roses growing in the river; the fruits grow in pods like wasps' nests. There are many fruits the size of olive pits that are edible and can be eaten fresh. , you can also eat it dry." He was obviously talking about lotus.
In addition to its practical value, the lotus is the most commonly used plant as a religious and philosophical symbol. It once represented divinity, female beauty, purity, resurrection, elegance and the sun.
〖Hinduism〗
An ancient Indian poet described his lover in ancient Sanskrit: "Your eyes are like lotus buds, your hands are like lotus flowers, like lotus roots." In Brahmanism, In mythology, the god of creation is said to emerge from a lotus flower that grew from Vishnu's navel when he attained trance. The Birol tribe living in the central part of the Indian subcontinent also had a similar statement when explaining the origin of the world: "In the beginning, the world was all water, and lotus trees grew out of the water. At that time, the giant god lived in the underworld, came out of the water through the lotus stem, and used the lotus as his seat. ”
The earliest known artwork related to lotus also combines lotus with gods. It is a nude goddess statue with a lotus on her head. It was unearthed in the Ganges River Basin in India. Relics from 3000 BC. Records about the Indian Lotus Goddess in the literature were first seen in the Vedic literature of India. It is said that the Lotus God was born from a lotus, stood on the lotus, and wore a garland of lotus.
〖Buddhism〗
After the advent of Buddhism, Buddhists also adopted the lotus as the main symbol of Buddhism. It is said that after Prince Siddhartha, who later became the Buddha, was born, he immediately walked seven steps to the ground, and lotuses grew at every step. So the lotus became the symbol of his birth. Since around the first century AD, statues of the Buddha have often been seated on a lotus platform. His sitting posture, either in the lotus position or in the auspicious position, has become a typical sitting method for Buddhist monks when meditating. According to the explanation of the Mahavairocana, "The left foot is placed first on the upper right, and the right foot is second on the left, which is called the lotus posture; one foot is placed on the upper right, which is called the auspicious posture." Buddhists believe that the lotus can reflect the level of practice. There is a lotus flower growing in the Seven Treasure Pond. If you can be diligent, the flower will grow bigger and bigger. If you become lazy, the flower will wither and fall. It is also believed that: "All the people in the heavens and even the crawling insects and the like who are reborn in the Amitabha Buddha Land are reborn in the lotus of the Seven Treasures Pond."
Along with Buddhism, the lotus spread to every corner of Asia. On the Borobudur altar in Java, in the ancient city of Puri in Myanmar, in the large temples in Sukhothai in Thailand and Angkor Wat in Khmer, in the bell-shaped tower in Sri Lanka, and on the tomb in Bali. You can see pictures of lotus on talismans and Tibetan talismans. In the famous six-character mantra of Tibetan Lamaism and Buddhism: "Om Mani Padme Hum", the word "Pami" means lotus.
The lotus flower has profound cultural roots in China. After Buddhism was established as the state religion in the Tang Dynasty, the lotus flower became highly respected by people. The hometown of Buddha Sakyamuni is rich in lotus, so Buddhism often uses lotus as a metaphor for itself. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "Shi uses it as an example, and all the wonderful principles are there." The Buddhist kingdom also refers to the place where lotus flowers live. Also known as the "Lotus Realm". The Buddhist scriptures are called "Lotus Sutra", the Buddha's seat is called "Lotus Seat" or "Lotus Platform", the Buddhist temple is called "Lotus Yu", the monk's residence is called "Lotus Room", the robe is called "Lotus Clothes" and so on. The lotus pattern has also become a symbol of Buddhism. Buddhist buildings, decorations, and utensils also have lotus patterns.
The lotus is one of the four auspicious flowers of Buddhism, one of the eight treasures, and one of the nine symbols of Buddhism.
The Buddha Sakyamuni in the Mahavira Hall sits on a lotus throne, with kind eyebrows and kind eyes, and his lotus eyes are lowered; Amitabha Buddha, known as the head of the "Three Saints of the West", and the Great Merciful and Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva are also It is sitting on a lotus. Some of the remaining Bodhisattvas are holding lotus flowers in their hands, and some are stepping on lotus flowers, making lotus gestures, or throwing lotus flowers to the world (like goddesses). Various lotus patterns are also carved, drawn or embroidered on temple walls, caissons, railings, sacred accounts, table surrounds, sachets and worship mats. It can be seen how closely the relationship between lotus and Buddhism is.
There is also a wonderful story about the "Lotus Lady" in the Buddhist scriptures. A deer gave birth to a beautiful woman, and the immortal raised her up. Wherever she walks, lotus flowers will grow. This is the origin of the term "stepping lotus", which people now use to describe the glory of experience...
Lotus in Chinese Literature and Folklore〗
Lotus and Culture The deepest relationship is in China. In China, the lotus is revered as a gentleman. Since ancient times, the Chinese have loved this plant and regarded it as a symbol of noble moral character. Therefore, the poet said, "The lotus grows in the mud and does not mix with the mud." "Synchronic" praise. In Chinese literature, there are countless poems and songs related to lotus.
"Qun Fang Pu" said, "Everything is first beautiful and then solid, and this is the only way that flowers and solids come together. Hundreds of knots are dredged, thousands of orifices are exquisite, pavilions and pavilions are beautiful, they come from the silt and are not stained, and the flowers are all beautiful." A gentleman.
Later, there was Zhou Dunyi's "Love of the Lotus", which connected lotus with various types of characters, "Chrysanthemum, the flower that symbolizes seclusion; peony, the flower that symbolizes wealth; lotus, the flower that symbolizes the gentleman." ", has a far-reaching influence. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "The lotus is humble and dirty, but it is pure and white; the south is soft but solid, and the lower part is restrained. The orifices are exquisite and the gauze fibers are hidden inside. They are born from tenderness and develop into stems, leaves and flowers; they also regenerate buds to continue the growing veins. It can be eaten at any time, it makes people happy, and it can be called the spiritual root! ”
Beihai Park near the Forbidden City in Beijing was originally the Imperial Garden. There is an artificial lake in the garden. Most of the lake is covered with lotus leaves. Sometimes the lotus leaves are nearly two meters above the water, with thousands of flowers in bloom. An elegant and fragrant flower. Boats can be driven under the lotus leaves.
In Chinese folk customs, there are many words related to lotus. A lotus with one stem and two flowers is called a double-pedicle lotus, which symbolizes the harmony between men and women and the love between husband and wife. Happy couplets often include "winged birds will always live in the evergreen trees, and the flowers will bloom for a long time in the diligent and thrifty family", etc. Another example is the broken lotus root, which is used to indicate that although the man and woman have broken up, their love is still intact. "(生), folk customs have homophonic meanings such as "a grade of incorruptibility", "continuous birth of noble sons", etc.
Another example is the golden lotus. It is said that in the fifth century AD, Donghunhou of the Southern Qi Dynasty "chiselled gold into lotus flowers to cover them." "I asked Concubine Pan to walk on it," saying, "Lotus flowers will grow every step of the way!" "Therefore, later generations called the beauty's steps the lotus step, and also called the woman's slender feet the golden lotus.
〖Lotus in Japanese folk customs〗
However, the folk customs of some countries and regions Different cultures cannot be ignored. For example, Japanese folklore does not consider the lotus to be so chaste as it “comes out of the mud but remains unsullied.” Instead, the Japanese regard the lotus as a “lowly” flower. The Japanese mainly associate the lotus with death and the ghost world. The typical method of ikebana is to use half-withered lotus leaves and lotus pods, newly opened lotus leaves and lotus flowers, and unopened lotus leaves and lotus buds to represent the past, present and future respectively.
Lotus-related things. Poetry
★Note: From the description of the shape of the lotus in ancient Chinese poetry, it can be seen that the lotus mentioned by the ancients is not strictly speaking a water lily, but a lotus.
〖Love. Fragment of Lotus Theory
Flowers of water and land are very lovely. Tao Yuanming of Jin Dynasty only loved chrysanthemums. Since Li and Tang Dynasties, people have loved peonies very much. It is rippled but not evil, straight in the middle and straight on the outside, not spreading or branching, the fragrance is clear from a distance, and the pavilion is pure and can be viewed from a distance but not played with.
I call chrysanthemum a reclusive flower; Peony is the flower of wealth; lotus is the flower of gentleman. Alas! The love of chrysanthemum is rarely heard of; who can give love to lotus? The love of peony is suitable for everyone.
〖Nineteen Ancient Poems (Part 6)〗
wading across the river to pick hibiscus, there are many fragrant grasses in the orchids. Who do you want to leave behind? I still look back on the long road to my old hometown. Man Haohao. Living together with the same heart, we will end up in sorrow.
"Xizhou Song"
Reminiscent of the plum blossoms coming to Xizhou, the single shirt is red with apricots, and the crows on the temples are young. Color. Where is Xizhou? At dusk, shrike flies, the tallow tree is blowing in front of the door, and the doorman is not there, picking red lotus flowers in the south pond. He lowered his head to play with the lotus seeds, which were as green as water. The lotus heart was completely red when he remembered him. Head. The railings are as bright as jade. The sky is high and the sea water is green. You are worried and I am also worried. The south wind blows my dream to Xizhou. > 〖Book presented to Liangzai, the prefect of Jiangxia Wei (Excerpt)〗
Hibiscus emerges from the clear water, and the carvings are naturally removed.
〖Quatrains (Part 7)〗
< p> The poplar paths are covered with white felt, and the lotus leaves are piled with green money in the stream. No one can see the young shoots.〖Withered lotus〗
Thousands of green lotuses have faded away, and there are no sleeping gulls in the rain.
At that time, the stacks of green money were full. Do you believe that there is late autumn in the pond?
〖Lotus〗
Cut through the green moss to make a small pond, and the lotus flowers are divided into different shades of green.
At dawn, it looks like a painting of a true concubine taking a bath.
〖White Lotus. p>
At midnight last night, Chang'e dropped the jade hairpin.
Feng Yi didn't dare to accept it and held out Bi Boxin.
〖White Lotus〗
Su Yin is often deceived by others, and this flower ends up in Yaochi.
Who can see the ruthlessness and hatred? When the moon is clear and the wind is about to fall.
Attached are modern verses about chanting water lilies:
"Ode to Water Lilies"
There is much charm in the rustling wind, and even more ecstasy in the drizzle.
Fairy Lingbo is about to sleep, so don’t disturb the sleeping beauty in the pool.
——(Shanghai) Zhang Zhizhen
"Send Lin Zifang off at Jingci Temple at Dawn"
Yang Wanli
After all, in the middle of June in West Lake, The scenery is different from the four seasons.
The lotus leaves touching the sky are infinitely green, and the lotus flowers reflecting the sun are uniquely red.
Small pond
The spring is silent and cherishes the trickle, and the shade of the trees shines on the water, which is clear and soft.
The little lotus has just revealed its sharp corners, and a dragonfly has already stood on it.
Peony Xue Tao
When spring falls and late spring comes, the red paper is wet with tears and resents separation. I am often afraid that they will be separated from Wuxia. Why is there the Wuling period again?
Every time you convey affection, you should know each other even if you don’t say anything. I just want to sleep on the mat beside the railing and talk about lovesickness late at night.
Peony Li Xiaoguang
Wealthy and elegant, the flowers bow their heads in worship. The painting railings are embroidered with red jade, and the clouds and clouds are full of greenery.
Heaven has its own talents, but there is no color in the country to be a neighbor. Famous flowers are also difficult to cultivate, which costs thousands of flowers.
Luoyang Peony Picture by Ouyang Xiu
Luoyang is the most suitable place for flowers, and peonies are particularly rare in the world.
Qingping Tiao Li Bai (Tang Dynasty)
A branch of red dew is fragrant, and the clouds and rain in Wushan are in vain. May I ask who the Han official is like? Poor Feiyan leaning on the red makeup.
Inscribed on Royal Peony Painting by Wang Guowei (Qing Dynasty)
The western regions of Moro are in full bloom, and the cherry blossoms of the East China Sea are the national fragrance. Read all over the world, peony will always be the king of flowers.
White Peony Wei Zhuang (Tang Dynasty)
Don’t be jealous of the newly made-up woman in your boudoir, and be ashamed of Fu Fenlang in the street. Last night, the moonlight was as deep as water, and I could only feel the fragrance of a garden when I entered.
Cherish the Peonies Bai Juyi (Tang Dynasty)
The red peonies in front of the steps were melancholy, but only two branches were left in the evening. When the wind rises in the Ming Dynasty, it should be blown away. At night, I regret the decline of red and watch the fire.
Planting Peonies Lu You (Song Dynasty)
Carrying a hoe to plant the moss under the garden, with purple-red ink and hand planting. Lao Tzu's Dragon Bell was over eighty years old, and he still saw it opening several times before his death.
Peony Tang·Pi Rixiu
When all the remaining red leaves are gone, the fragrance begins to bloom, and the good name is called the King of Flowers. She is said to be the most beautiful woman in the world and the most independent woman in the world.
Peony Poems by Li Zhengfan, Tang Dynasty
The beauty of the country is the wine in the morning, and the fragrance of the sky is the dyeing of clothes at night. Dan Jingchun looks drunk, and the bright moon asks about the date of return.
Appreciating Peonies by Liu Yuxi, Tang Dynasty
The peony demon in front of the court is unworthy, and the hibiscus on the pond is clean and less sentimental. Only peonies are the true national beauty, and they move the capital when they bloom.
Red Peony, Wang Wei, Tang Dynasty
The green is leisurely and quiet, and the red is light and deep. The heart of the flower is about to break with sorrow, but the spring scenery does not know the heart.
Appreciating Peonies by Tang Xu Ning
Who doesn’t love peonies? There are so many beautiful things in the city. Ying is the work of a goddess from Luochuan, with a myriad of charms that can break through the morning glow.
The legend of purse peony: In ancient times, there was a state called Ruzhou about 200 miles southeast of Luoyang City, and there was a small town in the west of the state called Miaoxia. Surrounded by mountains, the scenery is pleasant, and there is also a wonderful custom: once a young man and a young man get engaged, the woman must hand-deliver a purse embroidered with mandarin ducks to the man. The meaning of this is self-evident. If it is a baby wedding, the bride's sister-in-law or the eldest sisters from the neighborhood will have to embroider one on her behalf as a lifelong token. There lived a beautiful girl named Yunu in the town. Jade Girl Fang was eighteen years old. She was ingenious and intelligent, and had superb embroidery and weaving skills. Especially the various flower patterns embroidered on her purses often attracted bees and butterflies to fall on them, which shows her profound skill. For such a good girl, the marriage proposals were overwhelming, but they were all politely declined by the girl's family. It turns out that the girl has a man she loves, and her family agrees. It's a pity that the young man has been exiled outside the Great Wall for two years, and there is no news from him, and he has never received any money. The Jade Girl looked forward to her day by day, thought about her every night, and missed her so hard that she embroidered a purse every month to commemorate her longing, and hung them one by one on the peony branches in front of the window. Over time, the purses formed strings and turned into what people call "purse peonies".
The legend of "Liu Shige": In the late Sui Dynasty, in the east of Miaoxia Town in Ruzhou, Henan, there was a place where the Liu family lived - Liujiaguan. There is a beautiful and innocent girl here, who was born into a scholarly family. She has played chess, calligraphy, and painting since she was a child, and is very popular among her neighbors. Later, her parents passed away one after another, and the girl came to Chang'an to settle down with her brother and sister-in-law, who was an official in Chang'an. After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, her brother and sister-in-law died one after another, leaving her alone with nowhere to go. She also saw through the world of mortals and became a nun. When she became a monk, the girl brought the white peonies she had planted in her courtyard to the nunnery as a sign of devotion to Buddhism and purity of mind. Under her careful management, the white peonies grew very lush and beautiful. One plant has thousands of flowers, the flowers are as large as a foot, tall and straight, white with a slight blush, crystal clear and moist, like the skin of a beauty or the jade face of a boy. Viewers all praise its beauty and praise its goodness, so every April, many believers come to this nunnery to worship the Buddha and view the flowers. They also enjoy offering flowers to the Buddha, and the incense becomes more and more prosperous. Therefore, the flower came from the hand of "Your Excellency Liu Shiju", so it was called "Liu Shige", also called "Liu Shige". Later, this peony variety spread to Tianpeng, Sichuan, Heze, Shandong and other places, and its fragrance spread far and wide.
The legend of Wu Zetian and Peony: After Wu Zetian became emperor, one winter, he was drinking wine and enjoying the snow in Zhi Shang Yuan. After drinking, he wrote a five-character poem on white silk: In the Ming Dynasty, I visited Shangyuan and reported quickly. Spring knowledge. The flowers bloom all night, don't wait for the morning breeze to blow. After writing it, she asked the palace maid to take it to Shangyuan and burn it in order to report to the Flower God. After the edict was burned, Fairy Baihua was frightened. The next day, all the flowers except the peonies bloomed. When Wu Zetian saw that the peonies were not blooming, she was furious and burned the peonies to ashes. He uprooted the peonies elsewhere and demoted them out of Chang'an to Mang Mountain in Luoyang.
Luoyang's Mangshan Mountains are crisscrossed with ravines, remote and desolate. Wu Zetian threw the peonies into Mang Mountain in Luoyang in an attempt to exterminate them. Unexpectedly, peonies grow well in Mangshan, Luoyang, and people come here to watch them one after another.
The legend of "Ten Thousand Volumes of Books": During the Ming Dynasty, there was a scholar in Bozhou, Anhui Province, also known as Ouyang Boyun, who wrote bitter books. Originally born into a family of officials, due to the decline of his family's circumstances, he gradually declined and became very poor. However, the scholar was unwilling to accept the arrangement of his fate, and he was not willing to rely on others. He was determined to obtain "fame" and glorify his ancestors, but he failed to pass the examination year after year. A kind-hearted gentleman told him: "The young man's basic skills are too poor, and he still needs to read thousands of books before he can be inspired by the gods of heaven and earth. So he kept copying books and practicing essays all day long. But his family was poor and paper was too expensive, so he had to Articles were copied on the walls and door panels. One day, he felt tired in the room and went to the backyard to relax. He was surprised when he saw the peony bush in the backyard that had not bloomed for many years. It was full of flowers and leaves. On a whim, I went back indoors, took an autumn pen and inkstone, and copied the article on the peony petals, using the flowers as paper. The kind-hearted gentleman passed by and saw this scene, and called the peony "Ten Thousand Volumes of Books". This may have moved him. "Flower God", the next year, Ouyang Boyun really won the "Juren".
The legend of "Evil Liu Huang": In ancient times, there was a young man near Luoyang named Liu Danting. He loved flowers like flowers since he was a child. He was obsessed with growing flowers, especially peonies. He planted many flowers and peonies in front of and behind his house. However, because he was so good at growing flowers, he was often attacked by naughty boys, and he was very angry every time. Those caught by him were punished with a long period of hard work, and in severe cases, they were given the nickname "Bailiu" by the local urchins. This gradually spread and over time replaced his name. Speaking of "Bai Liu's" flower planting skills, he planted more than 100 peonies with large and colorful flowers. One year, he cultivated a golden peony whose flower color surpassed that of "Yao Huang". , all the neighbors were amazed, and the rich and powerful people wanted each other with gold and silver. At that time, yellow peonies were very rare, so he multiplied them in large quantities, and people from far and near rushed to plant them. Later, people named this flower "Bailiu". "Yellow", this product name was recorded in the book and passed down.