In Eastern cultures, going back to times immemorial, the lotus has always held a special place among flowers for its beauty, fragrance, and purity. In Buddhism in particular, it has come to symbolize spiritual awakening, so much so that Buddha has often been seen depicted sitting in meditation pose on a pad of lotus flowers. It is no surprise then that the flower’s name has always been among the most popular names for girls. In my book, Once upon a Mulberry Field, the main female character’s name is Liên — the literary word for “lotus” in Vietnamese.

Clarification: The shown picture may actually be of a water lily, a close cousin of the lotus that Monet had immortalized in his paintings. Generally speaking, the lotus flower has larger petals and a big seed pod in its center.

To find out more about this beautiful and special flower, I invite you to read this very interesting article by Nina Shadi of the website “With an Open Heart.” All you need to do is click here.