What does a white lotus symbolize?

Answer 1

Lotuses are symbols of purity and 'spontaneous' generation and hence symbolize divine birth. According to the Lalitavistara, 'the spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the new lotus in the [muddy] water which does not adhere to it', and, according to esoteric Buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus: when the virtues of the Buddha develop therein the lotus blossoms. This is why the Buddha sits on a lotus in bloom. In Tantrism, it is the symbol of the feminine principle. The lotuses are usually differentiated by their colour and grouping, in three or five flowers, which may or may not be combined with leaves. White lotus This symbolizes Bodhi, the state of total mental purity and spiritual perfection, and the pacification of our nature. It generally has eight petals corresponding to the Noble Eightfold Path of the Good Law. It is the lotus found at the heart of the Garbhadhatu Mandala, being the womb or embryo of the world. It is characteristic of the esoteric sects, and the lotus of the Buddhas. Red lotus This symbolizes the original nature of the heart (hrdaya). It is the lotus of love, compassion, passion, activity and all the qualities of the heart. It is the lotus of Avalokitesvara. Blue lotus This is the symbol of the victory of the spirit over the senses, of intelligence and wisdom, of knowledge. It is always represented as a partially opened bud, and (unlike the red lotus) its centre is never seen. It is the lotus of Manjusri, and also one of the attributes of Prajnaparamita, the embodiment of the 'perfection of wisdom'. Pink lotus This is the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity, sometimes confused with the white lotus it is the lotus of the historical Buddha. Purple lotus This is the mystic lotus, represented only in images belonging to a few esoteric sects. The flowers may be in full bloom and reveal their heart, or in a bud. They may be supported by a simple stem, a triple stem (symbolizing the three divisions of Garbhadhatu: Vairocana, lotus and vajra), or a quintuple stem (symbolizing the Five Knowledges of Vajradhatu). The eight petals represent the Noble Eightfold Path and the eight principal acolyte deities of the central deity on the mandalas. The flowers may also be depicted presented in a cup or on a tray, as a symbol of homage. from http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_lotus.htm

Answer 2

While used in other places the symbol of the White Lotus is most often featured in connection with Yoga.

According to Larry Payne, PhD, Yoga is classically defined as the practice of quieting the mind to grow closer to God. In Yoga the white lotus is symbolic of this, the highest state of being. There is further confirmation of this illusion in the comparison of the crown chakra, or highest energy center to that of a white lotus. In the process of quieting the mind a specific mediation is alluded to by Pantanjali, author of The Yoga Sutras and the world's foremost ancient authority on Yoga. He points to the image of the lotus on the stillness of the water. The water he calls Ishavara, The Father. The lotus is called Pursha, the child. He then states, "When we sleep, we sleep as children resting in the bosom of the Father."

Krishnamacharya, the modern world's foremost authority on Yoga, takes this image further when he states, "Surrender to the peace, surrender to the love, surrender to the joy." Is this not the highest state of being?