The lotus flower

The lotus flower, a Buddhist metaphor

The lotus flower represents a Buddhist metaphor. This beautiful flower blossoms in the middle of swamps, which represents the possibility for any individual to reach enlightenment, whatever his or her starting environment. The lotus draws its beauty from the darkness of the mud, which makes a reference to the Buddha who decided to give up his life of prince after seeing the old age and the death of his eyes. The lotus flower can symbolize the path of enlightenment:
• roots, purely material and below the surface of the water.
• leaves that open with the day above the surface of the water.
• Finally, the majestic flower that emerges from the heart and could be assimilated to enlightenment.

The lotus flower is related to the rebirth and development of the spirit. It symbolizes spiritual growth and the ability to rise beyond the obstacles of life.

Botany & history

As one of the oldest flowers on Earth and not much changed since its appearance, the lotus flower is paradoxically at the center of the most recent technological research ... It is its leaves that interest the researchers the most, and in particular their hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties, which allow them to remove all soils, even the most stubborn. This is the "lotus effect" due to a combination of electrical and physical properties at the nanometer scale, which makes the drops of water unable to adhere to the sheet, roll on it carrying away soiling. Researchers are now able to make self-cleaning windows inspired by these properties.

The sacred lotus also surprised scientists a few years ago because of the exceptional longevity of its seeds. In China, they found lotus seeds older than 1 000 in the dry bed of an ancient lake. They put them in cultivation ... and they managed to germinate them! This property is undoubtedly due to the hardness and the tightness of the envelope which protects the seeds.

They finally found that the sacred lotus flowers are "thermoregulatory": during the pollination period, they generate heat and can increase the ambient temperature up to 30 ° C! This would be a mechanism selected during evolution to attract pollinating animals.

Lotus Flower Jewelry

Omyoki offers Lotus Flower jewelry, designed in France and then handmade by talented artisans in India, Nepal and in Tibetan communities. Original creations, in limited editions, and sometimes as a unique piece. This video puts in image, this history of know-how and craftsmen.
Each workshop was visited, to check the working conditions, the quality of life and the fair remuneration of the craftsmen. A personal relationship has been established with each artisan, around countless teas and spending hours chatting, as it should be in Asian countries.