The lotus flower has several meanings. In Buddhism, the fortune of the lotus flower is derived from its environment. It grows in muddy water. The lotus flower must rise from the murk to bloom. This is the path of enlightenment. Born into murkiness, the lotus flower is purified as it rises above the murky waters. The path of purification requires faith to resist temptation. Human beings are born in a world where there is suffering. This suffering is essential to the human experience; strife makes us stronger and teaches us to resist the temptation of evil. When we expel evil thoughts from our mind we are able to stand above the muddy water and become one with the Buddha. Each phase of the lotus flower’s development represents a different stage of enlightenment. The closed flower signifies the time before enlightenment and a fully blooming flower represents full enlightenment and self-awareness. Finally, the lotus flower represents rebirth. The rebirth can be a change of perspective, an acceptance of principles where there once were none, the dawning after one’s darkest day, the ability to see past wrongs, and a reawakening of the spirit. The meaning of the lotus flower in Buddhism is a rebirth as a reincarnation; the soul leaves this world in its present form to be reborn in another. “Sacred Lotus Flower” is a mixed media digital painting.