Page 212 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A-Z 205
A blue lotus blossom (qing) stands for cleanliness (qing) and modesty. The lotus is
also a symbol of the Immortal He Xian-gu; and a picture of a man in a boat
surrounded by lotus blossoms is a representation of the writer and philosopher Zhou Dun-
yi (1017–73), who was particularly fond of the flower.
The presence of the word for ‘lotus’ in a man’s name indicates that the bearer of the
name is a Buddhist or is in some way connected with Buddhism; in women’s names, it
expresses the wish that the woman will be pure and respected.
A he-bao, a ‘lotus package’, is a silk purse which has the property of warding off
spirits; a ‘little purse’, however, is a metaphor for the vagina. Purse and goldfish together
symbolise the wish ‘May you have gold (the goldfish) in abundance (yu = (a) fish, (b)
abundance) in a purse.’

Lotus with magic bowl and the herb of immortality:
‘Concord as your heart desires’

It was said in Peking that the lotus bloomed on the 8th day of the 4th month, i.e. on the
birthday of the Buddha. The 8th day of the 1st month is the ‘day of the lotus’. If a
woman sews on this day, she will have menstruation trouble.