What is the symbolic meaning of a lotus flower tattoo?

Answer 1

Symbolism of a Lotus Flower Tattoo

Here are opinions and answers from FAQ Farmers:

• Like the Hibiscus flower, the lotus flower is universally accepted as a symbol of estranged love and the associated empty yearning it entails. The lotus flower originated in Egypt and in India, and has had a major role in the local myths and legends.
• The lotus flower in Indian mythology also represents birth and beauty. The goddess, Laxmi, was born from a lotus that sprang from Vishnu's forehead and there are many goddess figures that are described to have lotus features.
• If you don't look at the mythology and the symbolism of the Lotus flower and actually look at WHERE the Lotus flower comes from that can be a huge part of why some have it. I have my Lotus flower, because it actually represents my life. The beginning of the life of the Lotus flower is down deep in the MUCK and the MUD of water and it actually grows up and OUT of the muck, mud and water and becomes a BEAUTIFUL creation of life. That's why I have mine, life for me did not start out so great but I fought my way through the crap of it all and succeeded.
• I agree with the previous statement. The lotus flower, grown in the muddy swamps of India, symbolizes that even from the worst situation one can always pull through and make the best out of it. No matter one's struggles in life, he or she will always confer.
• From watching Miami Ink, I learned that the lotus means that a dark period in your life is finally over and you have risen above. The lotus seed is buried beneath muck and murky waters and in time grows out above the water and blooms.
• Adding to the previous answer the meaning of a lotus flower is not much relating to the dark times in your life but more so to your life in general. What it represents is beauty and success. Lotus flowers start off as a seed in the bottom of a pond, the mucky, smelly, bottom of a pond, but they grow, and as they grow they eventually make their way out of the mucky, smelly bottom of he pond, threw the water and to the top where they become a beautiful successful flower. Now obviously this is a metaphor relating to people's lives. You can be born in the worst conditions possible, much like the lotus, but with considerable growth and determination you can get to the top of the "pond" and become something more then what you were born into. You can become the beautiful, successful "flower" at the top of the pond.
• Like the rose in the West, the lotus of the East is probably the most important of the flower symbols and laden with meaning. It springs forth from muddy and murky waters, eventually rising to float on the surface, opening in the morning and closing in the evening. For example, according to the Egyptians, it was the first flower of the universe, and from it sprang the first gods. Many of the ancient pillars of monumental architecture in Egypt are actually designed as bunches of lotuses. In Hinduism, the lotus blossom is one of the most important symbols used in spirituality and art. Brahma, the Hindu creator of the world, was born from a lotus blossom that grew from the navel of Vishnu on the water.
• I believe that a lotus tattoo could mean many things. However, to me the first thing that comes to mind is the Legendary Lotus Eaters from Homer's "The Odyssey." The Lotus-Eaters (and all the men who landed on their island and tried the lotus) were said to never leave the island for the lotus made them forget everything because the lotus was so great. To mean, a lotus tattoo represents the vice associated with pleasure.
• The lotus does symbolize many things. My reason for getting one is along the lines of the "growth from muck to the top of the pond" answer. But I believe that the previous explanations are borrowed/generalized interpretations of the original Buddhist version. In Buddhist thought the muck represents the material world of the senses; the struggle to the top is the quest for enlightenment -- the struggle to transcend the material world and the attachment to the "self"; and the blossom symbolizes the ultimate achievement of Nirvana.