Lian Wenhua’s handwritten newspaper

The lotus is synonymous with a gentleman and a synonym for nobility; it is a symbol and messenger of friendship; in ancient China, there was a tradition of folding plum blossoms in the spring and sending them away far away, and picking lotus flowers in the autumn to cherish others. In Chinese flower culture, the lotus is the most interesting subject for warrior paintings, the most beautiful material of the Five Dynasties, and the most commonly used pattern decoration and shape on various architectural decorations, sculpture crafts and daily utensils. Li Bai is named Qinglian Jushi; the lotus flower with a double stem symbolizes the love between husband and wife, and ancient women embroidered lotus flowers. There was also the Red Lotus Sect in the Qing Dynasty, but it was just a cult. Under the guise of resisting the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty, it deprived the people of their wealth, fooled the people, and the people suffered greatly; the lotus has the characteristics of being able to emerge from the mud without being stained (the lotus leaves are waterproof and self-cleaning, the lotus roots are disconnected, and they can grow and reproduce. Especially fast) Now it is also applied to science. Buddhism is closely related to lotus. Buddha sits on the lotus platform and guides believers to escape from the world and reach the pure land where lotus blooms. Buddhist scriptures call the Buddhist kingdom the lotus world and the temples the lotus house. , the monk's cassock is called lotus robes, and the monk's handprints are called lotus flowers and palms; the birthplaces of lotus appreciation include West Lake in Hangzhou, Daming Lake in Jinan, Weishan Lake in Shandong, Honghu Lake in Hubei, Dongting Lake in Hunan, Slender West Lake in Yangzhou, Baiyangdian, Hebei, Chengde Summer Resort, Qixingyan, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, Baihe Town, Tainan County, Taiwan

The scientific name of the lotus is Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, and the lotus belongs to the Nelumbo genus of the Nymphaeaceae family.

Nelumbo Adans. is one of the earliest species among angiosperms. According to paleobotanist research on fossils, 135 million years ago, lotus plants were distributed in many water areas in the northern hemisphere. At that time, the giant reptile dinosaurs were in the late stages of rapid decline. They grew on the earth much earlier than the appearance of human ancestors (2 million years ago). According to "Paleobotany" (1965) by A.H. Christopherovich of the former Soviet Union, Nelumbinus fossils were found in the Cretaceous in the Arctic region of North America and the Amur River in Asia (i.e., Heilongjiang), and in the Oligocene of Europe, East Asia (Sakhalin), and Japan. and in Miocene strata. At that time, the temperature on the earth was warmer than now. There were about 10 to 12 species of lotus plants, distributed on all five continents. With the advent of the Post-Ice Age, the global temperature dropped, causing many plants to become extinct, while others were forced to migrate, completely breaking their original geographical distribution. Suffering from this disaster, only two species of Lotus plants survived, and their distribution range was reduced. The Chinese lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is distributed in Asia and northern Oceania, and the American lotus (N.lutea) has migrated to North America. Paleobotanists also pointed out that the Pleistocene to Holocene nectar excavated in Hokkaido and Kyoto, Japan The lotus fossil (2 million years ago) is similar to the modern Chinese lotus; the 10 million-year-old lotus leaf fossil excavated in the Qaidam Basin in China is similar to the modern Chinese lotus. In the 1970s, the Petroleum Exploration and Development Planning Institute of the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemical Industry of China and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recorded in the book "Early Tertiary Palynomorphs in the Bohai Coastal Area": ??in Panshan, Liaoning Province, Beidagang, Tianjin, Kenli, Shandong Province, Pollen fossils of two kinds of lotus were found in Guangrao and Cangzhou, Hebei Province. Fossils of Lotus plants have also been found in the strata of the Changchang Basin in Qiongshan, Hainan Island, my country, within the Tertiary tropical phytogeographic region. At present, the original wild lotus is still distributed in the lakes and swamps of Fuyuan, Hulin, Tongjiang, Shangzhi and other counties in Heilongjiang Province. The above shows that the lotus is an ancient plant before the ice age. It, like the metasequoia (melasequoiagly plostroboides), the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), the Chinese tulip tree (Liriodendron chinese), and the North American redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), has not been swallowed up by the glaciers of the ice age. Representatives of surviving relict plants.

The mystery of the water-proof and self-cleaning lotus leaf

The surface of the lotus leaf is attached with countless micron-sized wax papilla structures. When observing these papillae with an electron microscope, you can see that there are many nanometer-sized particles with a similar structure attached to the surface of each micron-sized papilla. Scientists call this the micron-nano dual structure of the lotus leaf. It is these tiny dual structures that make the contact area between the lotus leaf surface and water droplets or dust very limited, so the phenomenon of water droplets rolling on the leaf surface and taking away dust occurs. And the water does not stay on the surface of the lotus leaf.

Three Scientific Explanations of Broken Lotus Roots

When it comes to lotus, it is natural to mention lotus root. Nederland belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family and is a perennial herb planted in shallow ponds. Its stem grows in the mud and metamorphoses into a rhizome, which is the lotus root, also known as lotus root. The lotus roots grow horizontally in the mud and absorb nutrients from the fibrous roots on the base stem nodes. Because lotus root meat is thick, crisp, tender and slightly sweet, contains a large amount of starch and is rich in nutrients, it has been a favorite food of people since ancient times.

When we break the lotus roots, we can observe countless long white lotus root threads connecting the broken lotus roots. Why is there such a disconnection phenomenon?

This is about observing the structure of lotus root. It turns out that in order for plants to grow, the tissues that transport water and nutrients are called vessels and tracheids. These tissues extend in all directions within the plant body, and are as unobstructed in leaves, stems, flowers, fruits and other organs as blood vessels are in the animal body.

The inner wall of the plant's ducts will be particularly thickened in certain parts, forming various textures, some are ring-shaped, some are trapezoidal, and some are mesh-shaped.

The thickened part of the duct wall of lotus root is continuous in a spiral shape, which is especially called a spiral duct. When the lotus root is broken, the thickened spiral part of the inner wall of the conduit breaks away and becomes a spiral filament with a diameter of only 3 to 5 microns. These filaments are like stretched springs and will not be broken within the elastic limit. They can generally be stretched to about 10 centimeters.

Lotus root silk is not only found in lotus roots, but also in lotus stems and lotus pods, but it is more slender. If you pick a lotus stem and fold it into sections as much as possible, it will look like a long series of connected small green "lanterns". What connects these small green "lanterns" is this kind of filament. . This filament looks like one filament, but if you observe it under a microscope, you will find that it is actually composed of 3 to 8 finer filaments, just like a cotton yarn is composed of countless cotton fibers.

The fine and lingering lotus root silk has attracted the attention of the ancients very early. In the poem "Going to the Wife" written by Meng Jiao of the Tang Dynasty, there is a sentence that "the thread in the lotus root of my concubine's heart is still connected even though it is broken." Later, people used the idiom "the lotus root is broken and the silk is connected" to describe that although the relationship is broken, the love is still connected.

The mystery of the germination of the four-thousand-year-old lotus

Ms. Shen is a botanist at the University of California, Los Angeles. She cultivates various plants in her laboratory, but she The most cherished ones are the two ancient lotuses - they are both about 500 years old.

“Ordinary flowers can only survive for a few years.” Ms. Shen said, “These two ancient lotuses are very different. Their seeds have been baptized for hundreds of years, and now they are sprouting and blooming. ”

The ancient lotus that has been sleeping for thousands of years wakes up

A few years ago, Ms. Shen visited the China Institute of Botany in Beijing. Before returning to the United States, her colleagues in Beijing gave her 7 Lotus seeds. "It is said that these seeds were excavated from the lake mud in the Northeast. I know they are very old, but I don't know the exact number." Ms. Shen said, "They did not attract enough attention from me at the time, but they were my experiments. Colleague John Sasson discovered their value. ”

John Sasson used a carbon isotope tester to identify the age of the ancient lotus seeds and found that they were left over from 1,200 years ago! What’s even more surprising is that when Ms. Shen cut off the outer shell of the seeds with a blade and soaked them in the culture solution, it didn’t take long for them to sprout!

Unfortunately, these seeds only survive for a short time after germination, but they have been listed as the oldest seeds capable of germination in the world.

Can a thousand-year-old seed germinate? ! This aroused great interest in Ms. Shen, and she decided to return to China again to search for these mysterious beings. At that time, Ms. Shen was already a well-known scholar in the international botanical community, and many scientists were willing to assist her in completing this research.

The road to science is not smooth

The second batch of ancient lotus seeds brought to the United States by Ms. Shen included 21 seeds, all of which were between 200 and 500 years old. In 1997, Ms. Shen studied lotus cultivation technology in Germany. Through "minor surgery", the first seed germinated, but it only survived for less than 3 months.

“In the following three years, I cultivated three other seeds at the California Botanical Research Institute in the United States, but none of them bloomed – obviously, I used improper methods.” Ms. Shen recalled the past, "It seems that we were lucky later. Both seeds bloomed, which is the two trees you see now. One of them is 408 years old, and the other is 466 years old."

Although Ancient lotuses bloomed, but they were many different from modern lotuses and could not fully adapt to the modern environment. "I am trying every means to enable them to thrive."

According to Ms. Shen, there should be a special reason why lotus can live so long; if the inner mechanism of lotus longevity can be discovered, human beings will There will be huge benefits, such as solving the problem of food storage, reducing the number of hungry people in the world, and potentially extending human life.

The key question is: What is the secret of lotus longevity? Ms. Shen said it may be related to radiation in the soil.

Gaiman Harbert is a chemist who is Ms. Shen’s work colleague. Hubbard discovered that the soil surrounding the ancient lotus seeds emits slight radiation. "Although the intensity of radiation is very low, its effects after hundreds of years are quite amazing." Ms. Shen explained, "This may be the reason why the ancient lotus seeds can survive to this day."

It is reported that Ms. Shen currently has 15 ancient lotus seeds left, which she plans to provide to other scientists so that the scientific research project can be carried out around the world. "The lotus comes out of the mud but remains unstained, so it represents a special meaning in Buddhism." Ms. Shen said, "Now we want to find out the secret of the longevity of the lotus and benefit all mankind."

In How can the ancient lotus that has been sleeping underground for thousands of years still bloom?

This is related to the structure of lotus seeds. The outer testa of lotus seeds is hard and dense, like a small "sealed bag", sealing the seeds inside, which can prevent the penetration of outside moisture and air, and also prevent the loss of moisture and air inside the seeds. Therefore, the life activities of lotus seeds are very important. Weak, equivalent to dormant state. This is an important reason why ancient lotus seeds still have vitality.

In addition, it is also related to the environment in which the ancient lotus seeds were buried.

These ancient lotus seeds are buried in a peat layer about 30-60 cm deep, and the peat has good water-absorbing and moisture-proof properties. In addition, the peat layer is covered with a thick layer of soil, so the ancient lotus seeds are almost in a closed environment. middle. In such an environment, the ancient lotus seeds did not have the conditions to take root and sprout, so they were able to preserve their vitality.

The reason why Wulian grows and reproduces so fast

6. Technological inventions derived from lotus

Since the 1970s, researchers engaged in plant classification research Wilhelm Bartlot, director of the Institute of Botany at the University of Bonn in Germany, and his team studied the surface structures of more than 10,000 plants through electron microscopy. This study finally revealed an interesting phenomenon: when you pour a few drops of glue on the lotus leaves, the glue will not stick to the leaves, but will roll off without leaving any traces. The leaves covered with a very thin layer of wax crystals are clean, which is the characteristic of waterproof leaves. This phenomenon aroused Bartlot's curiosity, and he hypothesized that there was a causal relationship between water resistance and stain resistance. After hard work, he invented a new technology to produce a material with a completely waterproof surface and self-cleaning function. This is a new technology with a wide range of uses. It eliminates the need for people to worry about cleaning the tops and surfaces of buildings, as well as the cleaning of cars, airplanes and various transportation vehicles.

Lotus, also known as lotus, is a perennial aquatic perennial herbaceous plant of the Nymphaeaceae family. Its underground stem is called lotus root, which is edible, its leaves are used as medicine, its seeds are an excellent tonic, and its flowers are available for viewing. The ancients called lotus as whip rong, water hibiscus, water fungus, water rhizome, water dandelion, water bloom, etc. Its elegant names are Xike and Yuhuan. The unopened flower buds are called lotus and the bloomed flowers are called whip. They are among the top ten names in my country. One of the flowers.

According to the description of "Chinese Lotus Varieties Illustration", the bowl lotus refers to a flower that can bloom normally in a flower pot with a diameter of less than 26 cm. At the same time, it must have the following three indicators: the average flower diameter does not exceed 12 cm. , the average height of the vertical leaves does not exceed 33 cm, and the average diameter of the vertical leaves does not exceed 24 cm.

Wanlian is cultivated using the lotus root body as seed lotus root. In a growth cycle, it goes through the processes of germination, leaf expansion, flowering, fruiting, lotus root growth and dormancy. The period from the germination of lotus roots to the beginning of summer and Xiaoman is the budding stage. After the Spring Equinox, when the temperature rises above 10 degrees Celsius, the lotus root buds on the lotus roots begin to germinate. After the Qingming Festival, when the temperature reaches above 15 degrees Celsius, they begin to sprout and develop lotus root whips; when the temperature reaches above 20 degrees Celsius, the lotus root buds begin to sprout. , the main whip produces vertical leaves, and has a strong root system, which enhances the ability to absorb fertilizer.

The period from the growth of standing leaves to the emergence is the vigorous growth stage. In late June, the plum rain season enters, with more rain, high humidity, and high temperatures, which are most suitable for the growth of lotus roots. At this time, it enters the vigorous growth period. From then on, a vertical leaf will grow about every 5-7 days, and one leaf will be taller than the other. The main whip and side whip will also grow quickly, and new side whips will continue to be born and bud and bloom. At this stage, be careful not to be invaded by strong winds to avoid breaking leaves and damaging roots.

Cultivation containers

Many bowl lotus varieties are still too tall to be planted, so only a few varieties can be planted in vegetable bowls and soup bowls sold in the market. At present, there are no flowerpots specifically designed for growing lilies on the market, and common plain-fired flowerpots (i.e., mud pots and tile pots) are prone to water seepage, so they are not suitable as containers for cultivating lilies. Glazed pots, porcelain pots, and purple sand pots are not easy to seep out and can be used as pots for cultivating bowl lotus. However, this type of basin usually has a bottom hole, which can be blocked with cement and sand or rubber gasket when selected. The shape and color of the flowerpot should be coordinated with the bowl of lotus to make it seamless. Square and round basins are available. The diameter of the flower pot is about 20 cm and the depth is about 15 cm. Those who are planting bowl lotus for the first time can enlarge it appropriately so that it will bloom more easily.

Cultivation site

Receive 7-8 hours of light every day, which can promote more flower buds and continuous flowering. It is most taboo to maintain the bowl lotus in the shade, and it cannot be cultivated indoors like indoor foliage plants. Insufficient light will cause the lotus leaves to become leggy and lose their green color, making it impossible to produce buds. When cultivating bowl lotus in the courtyard, the flower pot must be placed on the outer edge of a balcony with sufficient sunlight or a south-facing balcony. During the flowering season, if you need to put it indoors for viewing, you can go in early and go out late, or go in late and go out early. You should still maintain a certain amount of light every day. The bowl lotus needs sufficient light, but it also avoids sunny weather after rain.

Water lotus is an aquatic flower. It needs a lot of water during its growth, but it is afraid of flooding the leaves, so the site should have easy access to water and drainage. Wan Lian is afraid of strong winds, so she chose a leeward location as much as possible.

Cultivation soil

Wanlian requires pond mud or rice field mud rich in humus as cultivation soil, and industrial contaminated soil should be avoided. Yellow mud has high viscosity, so the amount should be appropriate. Too much viscosity will affect the elongation of the lotus root whip and the expansion of the lotus root. The sandy soil is loose and not sticky enough, so it is easily damaged by wind and hinders the growth of the root system. Generally, yellow mud is used. It is appropriate to mix mud and sandy soil in a ratio of 7:3. If there is no sandy soil, yellow sand can be added, but the proportion should be slightly smaller. In the suburbs of cities, you can directly use garden soil from vegetable plots; in cities, you can also use spring potted flower repotting soil plus half of the yellow mud as cultivation soil.

Use about 20 grams of decomposed dry chicken manure or other fertilizers for each pot, mix it thoroughly with the pot soil as base fertilizer, remove impurities and gravel, remove small insects and earthworms in the soil, and then Place in a basin. The soil layer generally accounts for about 3/5 of the total pot volume.

Experiments by Zhao Jiarong from the Wuhan Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that using 100 parts of dry pond mud, 2 parts of bean cake water, 6 parts of plant ash water, 2 parts of pig and cow hoof water, 2 parts of bad hair water, and 1 part of bone meal The formula of 100% to 100% can achieve good results by planting bowl lotus.

Cultivation temperature

Wanlian is a temperature-loving plant and has strict temperature requirements. Generally, it begins to germinate at 8-10 degrees Celsius, and the lotus root whip begins to elongate at 14 degrees Celsius. When sowing in the early stage, the temperature is also required to be above 15 degrees Celsius, otherwise the seedlings will grow slowly and cause seedling rot in the downstream areas. Open field sowing and seedling cultivation are generally not used before mid-April, mainly because the temperature is not enough for seed germination and seedling growth. As the temperature rises, continued high temperatures (above 40 degrees Celsius) are also not conducive to the growth and development of the flower lotus. 22-35 degrees Celsius is the most suitable temperature for the growth and development of bowl lotus. At 18-21 degrees Celsius, the leaves will begin to grow, and it will take more than 22 degrees Celsius to bloom. New lotus roots will grow at 25 degrees Celsius. At this time, a climate with relatively consistent day temperatures and slightly lower night temperatures is needed. Most cultivated species enter the lotus root growth stage when the temperature drops around the beginning of autumn, which is manifested by a significant increase in the pot soil.

The relationship between lotus and Buddhism is very close. It can be said that "lotus" is the symbol of "Buddha".

When we walk into a Buddhist temple, we can see the image of lotus everywhere. 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 sitting on the 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.

The close relationship between lotus and Buddhism is also reflected in the fact that Buddhism uses lotus as a metaphor for many beautiful and holy things and is represented by lotus. In Buddhist stories, the mother of Buddha Sakyamuni had a pair of beautiful, clear eyes like lotus flowers. When the Buddha was born, eight auspicious signs appeared in the palace garden. The most important one was a white lotus as big as a wheel that suddenly grew out of the pond. When the Buddha was born, thousands of golden lights radiated from his tongue. Each golden light turned into a thousand-leaf white lotus. In each lotus sat a little Bodhisattva with his feet crossed and his feet upward.

There are countless Buddhist words that use lotus as a metaphor. The Buddha's seat is called the "lotus seat" or "lotus platform"; the posture of sitting in the lotus position, with legs crossed, feet placed on opposite thighs, and the soles of the feet upward, is called the lotus posture; the western part of Buddhism's propaganda The Land of Ultimate Bliss is compared to the realm of pure and unstained lotus flowers, so it is called the "Lotus State"; the scene of the Western Paradise of Paradise described in the "Amitabha Sutra" is: "The Land of Ultimate Bliss has seven treasure pools and eight merit waters...the lotus flowers in the pool are as big as wheels. "So the Buddhist country is called the "Lotus Kingdom"; the Buddhist temples are called "Lotus Temples". "Khasa" is Sanskrit, which means the Western Pure Land. Lotus is used as the support for the afterlife, so it is called "Lotus Shrine"; people who chant the Buddha's name are called "Lotus Womb", which is a metaphor for living in a lotus, like being in a mother's womb; the Buddha's Eye is called It is called "Lotus Eye", and the green lotus is used to describe the beauty of Buddha's eyes; the eight-leaf heart lotus in the chest is called "Lotus Palace", which is the lotus-like state in the heart; Sakyamuni's hands are called "Lotus Hands"; The ordination of monks and nuns is called "Lotus Precepts"; the cassocks of monks and nuns are called "Lotus Clothes", which means pure and unimpaired; the wonderful observation wisdom among the five wisdoms is called "Lotus Flower Wisdom"; those who are good at preaching are called "Lotus growing on the tongue"; The joy of asceticism is "returning to the house and growing a lotus"; the Buddhist scripture "Miaofa Lotus Sutra" is shortened to "Lotus Sutra", both use lotus as a metaphor, symbolizing the purity and elegance of teachings; the earliest Buddhism in my country founded by Master Huiyuan of Donglin Temple in the Eastern Jin Dynasty The association is called the "Lotus Society"; the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism advocates reaching the Western Lotus Pure Land through practice, so it is also called the "Lotus Sect". In short, lotus has an indissoluble bond with Buddhism. Buddhism is represented by lotus in many places. It can be said that lotus is Buddha and Buddha is lotus.

Why does Buddhism admire the lotus so much? There are two main reasons for this: First, Buddhism originated in India, which has a hot climate. Lotus blooms in summer, bringing people coolness and beauty. People naturally love this beautiful flower that blooms in the heat of summer. Therefore, in Indian literary works, especially folk literature circulated among the people, lotus is a symbol of beauty, kindness, holiness, tolerance and generosity. There are many such stories and they have a profound influence. For example, "The Story of the Lotus Prince" lists noble morality, kindness, integrity, and devotion as the ten laws of kings (giving, observing precepts, generosity, integrity, kindness, self-control, avoidance of anger, and avoidance of killing). The American flower is compared to the lotus, tolerance and generosity). "The Story of the Lotus King" says that in order to save the people from famine, the Lotus King jumped into the Ganges River and turned into a big red fish. He told the people to cut his flesh and eat it. For twelve years, he used his own meat to feed the people of the country and survive the twelve-year famine. The story of "The Deer Mother Lotus Lady" says that every time the Deer Mother Lotus Lady takes a step, a beautiful lotus flower immediately appears behind her feet. She gave birth to five hundred boys at one time, all of whom were handsome and strong men. A hero who defends the country, the deer mother Lotus Lady has become a symbol of having more beautiful boys.

Sakyamuni founded Buddhism and advocated the abolition of the strict hierarchical system of ancient India, the implementation of caste equality, and the use of compassion to save all living beings. In order to promote Buddhism and enable the general public to understand and accept Buddhist teachings, they preached in common languages.

It also catered to the people's love for the lotus and used the lotus as a metaphor for the Buddha, which enabled Buddhism to spread quickly and have a wide range of believers.

Another reason why Buddhism uses lotus as a metaphor for Buddha is also the main reason. It is because the character and characteristics of lotus are consistent with Buddhist teachings. Buddhism is a religion that focuses on seeking relief from the suffering of life. It regards life as a sea of ??suffering and hopes that people can escape from the sea of ??suffering. The path to liberation is: this shore (the sea of ??suffering in life) - Jidu (learning Buddhism and practicing Buddhism) - the other shore (bliss) Pure Land). That is, from the earthly world to the pure world, from all evil to the ultimate good, from the ordinary to the Buddha. This is just like the lotus that grows in muddy water and becomes otherworldly, unstained by the mud, and finally blooms into extremely beautiful flowers.

One of the important tenets of Buddhism is universal love and charity. Show mercy to all living beings. The so-called compassion refers to hoping and helping others to escape suffering and gain happiness. Loving kindness means wishing others to be happy, and loving kindness means helping others to be happy; compassion means wishing others to relieve their suffering, and loving kindness means helping others relieve their suffering. Buddhism requires that all living beings should be treated with compassion, regardless of good or evil, and regardless of humans or animals. We must tolerate and forgive all kinds of evil deeds, use compassion to help them, and influence them to do good, become kind people, and bear good fruits. However, we must strictly guard against being complicit in the dirty world. We must live in the dirty world without being polluted by it, and keep ourselves clean and fragrant. The best way to express this idea is the lotus.

The lotus growing in the mud is just like living in the world of filthy dust. It will naturally live with the filth and be disturbed by many evil and filthy things. Buddhism calls these evil forces "demons". Buddhism requires people not to be disturbed and influenced by the evil and filth (ie demons) in the world. The lotus "comes out of the mud but remains unstained" and blooms clean and beautiful flowers, which is indeed the best symbol. Therefore, Buddha often compares the lotus nature to the Buddha nature. "The Theory of Great Wisdom: The First Interpretation of the Tora Paramita" says: "For example, the lotus comes from the mud. Although the color is fresh and good, the source is unclean." "The Sutra of Forty-two Chapters" says: "I am a recluse, in the In troubled times, you should be like a lotus, not polluted. "So King Brahma, who saved the world, was born sitting on a thousand-leaf golden lotus. Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Guanyin Bodhisattva are all sitting on lotus flowers, or holding lotus flowers in their hands, indicating that the Buddha came from the earthly world and was in a pure and uncontaminated state.

Ai Lian said it is classic enough.

Flowers of water, land and vegetation are very cute. Tao Yuanming of the Jin Dynasty only loved chrysanthemums; since the Li and Tang Dynasties, the world has loved peonies; I only love the lotus that emerges from the mud but is not stained; Jingzhi can be viewed from a distance but cannot be played with. I say chrysanthemum, the flower that represents seclusion; peony, the flower that represents wealth and honor; lotus, the flower that represents the gentleman. Alas! The love of chrysanthemums is rarely heard of after Tao; the love of lotus, no one can give it to anyone; the love of peony is suitable for everyone.

Other seven, poems related to lotus

1. Nineteen ancient poems (six of them)

Waving the river to pick hibiscus, there are many fragrant grasses in the orchids . Who do you want to leave behind (as a gift)? My thoughts are far away. I still look back at my old hometown, the long road is long and vast. We are of the same mind and separated, and we end up in sorrow.

2. Xizhou ① Song (Yuefu Folk Song of the Southern Dynasties)

Recalling the plum blossoms in ② Xizhou, I folded the plums and sent them to the north of the Yangtze River. Her single shirt is apricot red, and her temples are the color of a young crow③. Where is Xizhou? Two-oar bridge crossing. At dusk shrike are flying, and the wind is blowing on the tallow trees. Under the tree is in front of the door, with green diamonds exposed in the door. The doorman didn't come, so I went out to pick red lotus. Collecting lotus flowers in Nantang in autumn, the lotus flowers exceed people's heads. Lower your head to get the lotus seeds. The lotus seeds are as green as water. Put it in the lotus sleeve, the lotus heart ⑥ is completely red ⑦. Recalling that Lang Lang is not here, I look up at Feihong ⑧. Hong Fei is all over Xizhou, watching Lang go to the brothel. The building is so high that you can't see the top of the railing. The railings have twelve curves, and the hanging hands are as clear as jade. The rolling curtain sky is high, and the sea water shakes the sky green⑨. The dream of sea water is long, you are worried and I am also worried. The south wind knows my wishes and blows my dreams to Xizhou.

Notes ① [Xizhou] Place name, unknown location. It is the place where men and women in this article are commemorated. ②〔下〕fall. The season of falling plum blossoms is the season that men and women in this poem commemorate together. ③〔Crow's young color〕Describes the hair as black and shiny. Crow chick, little crow. ④[Shrike] A songbird that starts singing in midsummer. ⑤ [Cui Dian] Jewelry made or inlaid with jade. ⑥[Lotus Heart] is a pun on "Lotus Heart", which means the heart of love. ⑦ [Completely red] It means that it is red from the bottom to the bottom. ⑧[Wang Feihong] Hope for a letter. The ancients had a legend about swan geese passing letters. ⑨ [The rolling curtain is high in the sky, and the sea water shakes the sky green] These two sentences seem to be reversed. It means that the blue sky on an autumn night is like the sea. The wind blows the curtains, and when you see the sky through the curtains, you feel like the waves of the sea. It is said that the river is called the sea here, and "sea water" refers to the river water. [Yuyou] far away. The sky and sea are boundless, so it is said to be "long and long". The "long and long" of the sky and sea is just like the "long and long" of dreams. [Jun] refers to the lover who lives in Jiangbei.

3. An excerpt from "Book Huai Presents to the Liangzai of Jiangxia Wei Prefecture" (Li Bai)

Hibiscus comes out of clear water, and the carvings are naturally removed.

4. Quatrains (Part 7) (Du Fu)

Populas are spread on white felt along the grain path, and green coins are stacked on lotus leaves by the stream. No one can see the young children on the bamboo shoots, and the chicks sleep next to their mothers on the sand.

5. Lotus Picking Song (Zhu Xiang)

The boat is light, / the willows are swaying in the wind; / the lotus leaves are green, / the lotus flowers are charming. /Sunset, /Microwaves, /Golden threads flash across the river. / Go left, / support right, / the lotus boat is singing.

The lotus is half open, / the bees and butterflies are not allowed to come lightly, / the green water is accompanying them, / it is pure and not stained by dust. / Picking lotus flowers in the stream, / The water drops slide through the lotus coins.

/Clap hard, /Clap lightly,/The sound of the paddle answers the song.

The heart of the lotus root is long and the silk is long, / it is shy and hidden deep in the water; / the silkworm cocoon is missing, / the silk is so much that the pupa is wrapped in the center? / the lotus root is picked at the head of the stream, / and the girl wants to pick it, but it is awkward. / The waves sink, / the waves rise, / the waves carry a suppressed singing voice.

There are many lotus pods,/the durian trees are whirling on both sides of the bank,/the magpies are noisy,/the durian flowers are falling on Silla. / In the stream / lotus is picked, / the ears and temples are faintly red. / The wind is steady, / the wind is born, / the wind is rippling with singing.

The moon hook has risen, / it is clear that the Weaver Girl has morning glory; / the mist is blowing on the water, / the cool breeze is drifting away from the lotus boat. /The fragrance of flowers,/the fragrance of clothes,/dissolve into the vastness;/when it is still,/when it is heard,/the sound of singing curls up in the void.

Influence: The lotus comes out of the mud but is not stained, and the lotus washes the ripples without being evil.

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