In Buddhist symbolism, the lotus (Sanskrit - "Padma") represents purity of the body, speech, and mind as while rooted in the mud, its flowers blossom on long stalks as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. It is also symbolic of detachment as drops of water easily slide off its petals. According to legend, Gautama Buddha was born with the ability to walk, and lotus flowers bloomed everywhere he stepped.

The lotus flower is one of the Vajrayana Ashtamangala, representative of creation and cosmic renewal and 'primordial purity' and shares in the chakra and mandala symbolism of the Dharmachakra, is also cited extensively within Puranic and Vedic literature.

The Lotus is an ancient polyvalent symbol in Asian culture. Hindus revere it with the gods Vishnu, Brahma and to a lesser degree Kubera, and the goddesses Lakshmi and Sarasvati . Often used as an example of divine beauty and purity, Vishnu is often described as the 'Lotus-Eyed One'. Its unfolding petals suggest the expansion of the soul. The growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its origin holds a benign spiritual promise. The padma is held to be a flower with a thousand petals and is therefore associated with the Sahasrara and indeed all the chakra. The Padma appears as an endemic dais upon which deities rest.