| Sacred Pink Lotus Sacred Pink Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) has been known from time immemorial as: East Indian Lotus, Sacred water lotus.
Sacred Pink Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
The Sacred Pink Lotus is one of the world's most celebrated flowers. All parts of the Sacred Pink Lotus are used for their astringent, cardiotonic, febrifuge, hypotensive, resolvent, stomachic, styptic, tonic and vasodilator, cancer, and miscellany healing properties. The Sacred Pink Lotus contains lotusine, demethyl coclaurine, neferin, and nuciferine. Pink Lotus flowers, pods, or petals are most commonly used, while the flower stamens are reported to be the most potent part of the plant. Nelumbo nucifera may be smoked or made into a tea. "The effects seem primarily cerebral, but are quite noticeable and very enjoyable. There is a feeling of joy that permeates the whole body, emanating from every cell. This is delightfully wonderful and lasts for some time." Though little known in the modern world and difficult to obtain, the Sacred Pink Lotus is non-addictive, non-toxic, and said to be "relatively safe for long-term use", with no known negative side-effects.
Nelumbo nucifera (Sacred Pink Lotus) have become etched in folklore because of a fabulous people who supposedly occupied the north coast of Africa and lived on the lotus, which brought forgetfulness and happy indolence. Similar in effect to the Sacred Blue Lotus (Nymphaea caerule), the Sacred Pink Lotus is often steeped in wine or tea. Some believe that the lotus came to India from Egypt. Later, Buddhism borrowed the flower from Hinduism. In Buddhist painting and sculpture, whenever Buddha is shown delivering an important sermon, he is shown sitting on a lotus pedestal. Buddhist scriptures enumerate fragrance, purity, delicateness and beauty as the attributes of lotus. From time immemorial to the present day, it has always been in folklore, religion and the arts in one form or the other.
Pink Lotus Blossom (Nelumbo nucifera)
The term lotus is applied in general to several species of plants. About 100 lotus species are found in temperate regions of Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. The pink and purple coloured variety found in the country and widely used in religion is called “Nelumbo nucifera”. Scriptures tell us that it first bloomed with the creation of the universe. Over the centuries it has lost none of its allure. According to Yoga and Tantra there are seven lotus wheels in the human body. The lotus is the object of meditation in Tantrik Buddhism.
In fact is American counterpart, Nelumbo petapetala was source of starchy diet for the American Indians. A number of wild animals feed on the plant. Fish find refuge in its underwater stalks.
Indians believe that Brahma, creator and God of the universe, sprang from a lotus blossom. And the Buddhist prayer "Om! Mani padme hum!" translates as "Oh!, the jewel of the lotus flower!"
The Lotus flower was immortalized in Homer's The Odyssey, in which Ulysses and his crew come ashore on the Island of the Lotus-Eaters:
"I was driven thence by foul winds for a space of nine days upon the sea, but on the tenth day we reached the land of the Lotus-eater, who live on a food that comes from a kind of flower. Here we landed to take in fresh water, and our crews got their mid-day meal on the shore near the ships. When they had eaten and drunk I sent two of my company to see what manner of men the people of the place might be, and they had a third man under them. They started at once, and went about among the Lotus-eaters, who did them no hurt, but gave them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who ate of it
Pink Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the Lotus-eater without thinking further of their return."
“Lotus Seeds”
Resource : www.tryptamind.com/nelumbo_nucifera.html
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