Blueflowers

Blue Lotus flower

Flowers are often depicted as symbols of transcendence. At one particular instance in a Buddhist meditation exercise, a single flower was held up by Buddha himself and asked his students to meditate on the bloom. One particular student was noted to have achieved enlightenment at one point of the meditation and understood the whole point of the exercise. Flowers have been symbols of beauty and power since ancient times. The blue lotus flower is a symbol of resurrection and rebirth in Ancient Egypt and Buddhist culture. It is also known as blue Egyptian water lily and sacred blue lily. Egyptian mythology describes it as blossoming in the morning, closes at nightfall and submerging underwater. It rises up again the following day. In truth, it blossom at mid-morning and closes in midafternoon but does not ascend or submerge.
It was the vessel of the sun god when it first emerged from the primordial waters in Egyptian mythology. Thus the blue lotus flower symbolized the sun and creation. In the Osirian religious cult, the 4 sons of Horus were standing on a lotus blossom in front of Osiris, the god of the afterlife. In the famous Book of the Dead spells that transforms a person into a lotus are written and said to be a fulfillment of the promise of resurrection. It has mild psycho-active components and is taken as tea or drank with wine in rituals. The flower was fully utilized by the Egyptians from tea, tinctures and eaten raw. It believed to improve circulation and had manifested aphrodisiac effects.
In Buddhism, the flower represents purity and enlightenment. The different colors symbolize the different aspects of transcendence much like the role of chakras in Yoga. The blue lotus flower reflects victory over the spirit of one self. This means the stripping off of worldly attachments, wisdom, knowledge and intelligence, leaving all these behind and becoming open to spirituality. It also symbolizes the purification of the body, mind and soul after which spiritual liberation is experienced. In Buddhist art, a flower that is partially open meant that the mind is open in receiving enlightenment. A closed bloom meant the mind is closed.
In modern society, the blue lotus flower is utilized in different drinks such as wine, tea and martinis. As a tea, the whole flower is boiled in water for 10 to 20 minutes. To extract the flavor for alcoholic beverages, the flower’s petals are steeped and soaked in water. It contains alkaloids that inhibit the central nervous system inducing muscle rigidity. Since ancient time, it’s been used for making perfumes and scented oils. It is the prime ingredients in some perfumes today. It is often employed in aromatherapy.  It allegedly has divine essence, conveying increase awareness and tranquility.
The blue lotus flower not only depicts beauty but of spiritual wellbeing. Creation, resurrection and rebirth are not only implied in physical manifestations but also in spirit as well. In essence the ancient Egyptians mystical beliefs in regard to the flower are almost the same as the spiritual convictions of the purpose of the bloom in Buddhist tradition.