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The Secrets of the Lotus
By
San Kwadjovie
Introduction
Beyond the perennial pyramids, one of the
most pervasive symbols of Ancient Egypt was the lotus flower. It
was revered and featured in various hieroglyphics on tomb and temple
walls. The lotus is a variety of water lilies. The name is shared
by many species but only the sacred white lotus, the Nymphaea lotus,
a native of Egypt, bears relevance for the present article. Just
like many other members of the lotus family, the white lotus hibernates
during a cold season and germinate only when the weather conditions
are favorable. It blooms at night usually in shallow water. Its
blossom yields a tall stalk ending with 15 or more huge almond-shaped
petals. Its leaves are dark green and velvety and may reach 20 inches
in length. The Nymphaea lotus bears many berrylike fruits. The white
lotus is an aquatic flower that thrives in swamps. Its surroundings
thus contrast and enhance its beauty, endowing it with an ethereal
quality. What is more, the plant exhibits a special mud-repellent
quality that has intrigued mystics and scientists alike.
A Pervasive Icon
The sacred white lotus was a pervasive icon
of Egyptian architecture, sculpture and art. The Egyptians lived
in harmony with nature. Nature was their foremost teacher. And their
cosmogonies, their culture and worldview, they derived from nature.
Not surprisingly, they opted early on by the 4th dynasty to surround
themselves with structures evoking the magnificence of the lotus
flower.
In Ancient Egypt art, architecture and sculpture
served only religious purposes. Objects of art were confined to
royal tombs and pyramids, tombs of the elite, and temples. Temples,
in particular, were conceived as abodes for specific Egyptian deities.
According to Egyptian belief, the deities made their appearances
on earth in the sanctuaries of these temples. The sanctuaries contained
cult statues of the local deities and could only be accessed by
priests. To entice the local deities to stay in these sanctuaries,
the architects and artists made sure these structures radiated beauty.
To that effect, they adorned the sanctuaries with precious metals
such as gold, silver and lapis lazuli.
The architecture of these temples was conceived
to convey an enactment of the creation of the universe. The pillars
topped by lotus petals and the polished stone floors represented
the primeval waters. The cult statue inside the sanctuary represented
the creator-god. Every day, at sunrise, officiating priests opened
the shrine to reveal the creator-deity, thus reenacting the moment
when the universe emerged from the dark primeval waters and was
beamed for the first time by the light of the solar child. The officiating
priests then made offerings to the deity in the form of the burning
of incense and the recitation of ceremonial words and hymns.
Some well-intentioned minds have compared
the lotus to the rose. Both are natural wonders that continue to
inspire many artistic works. Ancient Egyptian architecture shows
elders, divinities, and the elite holding the sacred white lotus.
Egyptians offered the sacred flower to relatives, lovers, and friends
as a token of endearment. Granted, the rose is a symbol of affection
in the Christian West. And just like the sacred white lotus, the
rose has inspired many artistic works in Christendom. But the comparison
stops there. The rose is not featured in any cosmogony. Nor is the
rose the inspiration behind Western architecture.
A Cosmogonic Presence
The sacred white lotus has played an important
role in the theories of the creation of the universe that originated
from Ancient Egypt. According to these theories, there has always
existed an uncreated matter without beginning or end. This uncreated
matter consisted of all the essences of the future beings that one
day would see the light. This primeval matter, the Egyptians elevated
to a divinity called Nun. Four schools of thought shared the limelight
on Egyptian cosmogonies. They are as follows: the Heliopolis Theology,
the Hermopolis Theology, the Memphis Theology, and the Theban Theology.
Heliopolis was known as Per-Ra and the center
of the worship of the sun god. The ruins of this important city
can be seen 5 miles east of the Nile River at the apex of the Nile
delta, and about 6 miles northeast of Cairo. Per-Ra reached its
apogee during the New Kingdom when its theology achieved supremacy.
The Per-Ra system posited that a lotus flower and single mound of
dry land emerged from Nun, at the time of the creation of the universe.
The lotus blossomed and out of it the sun god Atum emerged as a
child. Atum, the First Principle, the Demiurge, then managed to
bring forth the other eight elementary principles: Shu (Air) and
Tefnut (Fire), then Geb (Earth), Nut (Sky), and finally Osiris and
Isis, Seth ann Nephtys. These eight principles together with Atum
constitute the Great Ennead of Heliopolis.
Hermopolis, the city of Hermes (Toth), was
the capital of the fifteenth nome of Upper Egypt. In present-day
Egypt, it lies next to a small village called El Ashmunein. In Ancient
Egypt this city was known as Khmunu. Toth or Tehuti was worshipped
in this city in the form of the ibis and baboon. Tehuti was the
master of writing, numbers, measurement, and time and presided over
all forms of knowledge. The Hermopolitan theology asserted that
the Demiurge transformed into a child who emerged from a lotus in
the middle of Nun. Nun, here, was described as a swampy cradle that
was the abode of four couples of serpents and frogs. These couples
were known as Nun (Initial Water) and Nunet (Inertia), Heh (Spatial
Infinity) and Hehet (Spatial Infinity's Opposite ), Kuk (The Darkness)
and Kuket (The Light), Amun (The Hidden ) and Amunet (The Visible).
Sometimes Niaou (Emptiness) and Niaouet (Matter) took the place
of the latter couple. The sacred lotus in this cosmogony represented
the four elements (earth, water, air and fire). The Primordial Eight
(the Ogdoad) were construed as the parents of Ra, the child that
emerged from the lotus, and Light itself.
Memphis was the original capital of Ancient
Egypt. It was located south of the modern city of Cairo at the tip
of the Nile delta. Some scholars place the origin of this city in
the fourth millenium BC. It was known as Het-ka-Ptah or the "abode
of the soul of Ptah." The Memphite Theology placed Ptah as the head
of the Great Ennead. As the great-creator-god, Ptah created the
other gods including some of the Heliopolitan and Hermopolitan Enneads.
In this theology, Ptah was the "primordial hill" or Ta-Tenenn who
conceived and created the universe through his word.
Thebes replaced Memphis as the capital of
Ancient Egypt from 2040 to 1353. Under Pharaoh Akhnaton, the capital
was moved to Akhetaten (el-Amarna). But shortly after Akhnaton's
death, Thebes was restored as the capital. Thebes was located in
Upper Egypt on both sides of the Nile River, about 450 miles from
the modern city of Cairo. In theocratic Ancient Egypt, Thebes' gods
and goddesses were the most important deities. In Thebes, Amon,
later known as Amen-Ra played the role Ptah played in Memphis. The
Theban theology was based on a "primordial trinity" made of Kam-at-f,
Ir-Ta, and Amun. Kam-at-f, the serpent was at the origin of times.
Before passing on he begot a son, Ir-Ta, the creator of Earth. Ir-Ta
also created the Eight Primordials, including Amun, who declares
to be the original Kam-at-f. In this cosmogony the solar child who
emerges from the lotus, in other words Ra, is also assimilated with
Amun.
The Lotus and Modern
Science
The white lotus takes root in swamps. It rises
above the swampy waters but is not soiled by these waters. These
remarkable qualities have mesmerized scientists and mystics alike
over the years. Modern science recently took up the challenge of
decoding the secret of the sacred flower. It proceeded to answer
two main questions:
. How does the lotus flower repeal mud?
ยท How does the lotus leaf manage to stay dry?
During the last decade scientists Wilhelm
Barthlott and Christopher Neinhuis of the University of Bonn started
studying ways leaves evolved to clean themselves in rain, fog, and
dew. In the course of these studies they realized that leaves could
be construed as forests of tiny nails sticking out through the top
surfaces. When a speck of dust falls on a leaf, the strength of
the adhesion depends upon the surface area of the mutual contact
between the leaf and the dust. Because of those nails, the contact
area is minuscule. Imagine that a drop of water rolls over the nails
toward the speck of dust. The dust speck is attracted to the drop
of water, sticks to it, and gets carried away. Barthlott and Neinhuis
realized that this phenomenon was most pronounced in the case of
the lotus leaf. They discovered that the lotus leaf is covered by
an extremely dense layer of pointy little bumps. This then was the
secret of the mystic flower. That is what gives the lotus its very
remarkable self-cleaning property. Barthlott decided to call this
phenomenon the "lotus effect." They have received numerous awards
for their scientific ingenuity and technical innovation. Self-cleaning
entities (cars, trains, houses, etc) offer obviously infinite commercial
possibilities.
Conclusion
The white lotus will continue to amaze humankind.
This natural wonder is the only plant that fruits and flowers at
the same time. And it is said to offer one of the highest vibrations
among flowers. As Africa is striving to regenerate herself, she
is tasked to renew her symbolism of yore. The white lotus is the
symbol of renaissance per excellence. In the Book of Coming Forth
By Day, a deceased person expresses the wish to be transformed
into the sacred flower, which is a statement of hope and rebirth.
Furthermore, the lotus root is edible and is very delicious.
This miracle plant also offers therapeutic
potentials. Here again Ancient Egypt provides wonderful teachings.
Contrary to some civilizations that view the universe as a set of
dichotomies, Ancient Egypt viewed the universe as one entity populated
by interdependent beings. Fragrance and perfume for the Ancient
Egyptians not only offer beauty but have also spiritual and therapeutic
properties. Therefore, they conceived a patron god for perfume.
This god, Nefertem was alternatively presented as an aspect of Ra
or as an independent deity. When he was shown as an aspect of Ra,
he was depicted as a baby. The independent deity was portrayed as
a nice-looking young man wearing lotus flowers on his head. As the
patron god of perfume, Nefertem was very much connected to the healing
arts. He healed by using the power of flowers and had a predilection
for the sacred lotus. Imhotep, the multi-genius who was deified
as the god of medicine after his death was considered as Nefertem's
younger brother.
Modern aromatherapy owes much to Ancient Egypt.
Aromatherapy uses essential oils to provide spiritual, emotional,
and physical relief. The essential oil of the lotus is used for
perfume, to relieve anxiety and for its spiritual properties. This
native plant has played an intense role in Africa's development
in the past. It may be part of her future.
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