What Does A Lotus Flower Tattoo Mean?

Lotus Flower Tattoo Meanings

A lotus flower tattoo often carries deep symbolism.

The meaning can vary depending on the cultural context, color, and design, but generally, it includes the following interpretations:

Purity and Spiritual Awakening: In many cultures, the lotus flower is associated with purity and spiritual enlightenment. This is partly due to the way the lotus grows, rooted in muddy waters but blossoming above the surface with remarkable beauty. A lotus tattoo symbolizes rising above the material world and moving towards spiritual awakening.
Resilience and Rebirth: The lotus flower’s ability to bloom in adverse conditions is also seen as a metaphor for resilience, strength, and the ability to overcome obstacles. It can represent a person’s journey through hardships and emerging stronger and more enlightened.
Beauty and Elegance: The simple elegance of the lotus flower makes it a symbol of grace, beauty, and perfection. The tattoo can be a reminder to maintain grace under pressure and to strive for beauty in actions and thoughts.
Connection to Eastern Religions: The lotus is an important symbol in various Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, representing various deities and concepts like creation, cosmic renewal, and spiritual emergence.
Personal Growth and Development: For some, a lotus tattoo is a personal symbol of their growth, journey, and the lessons learned along the way. It can represent a period of transformation or a new beginning.
Different Colors, Different Meanings: The color of the lotus flower can alter its symbolic meaning. For instance, a white lotus often denotes purity and perfection, a pink lotus is associated with Buddha in Buddhism, a blue lotus represents knowledge and wisdom, while a red lotus signifies love and compassion.

As with any tattoo, the meaning can also be deeply personal, varying from individual to individual based on their experiences and intentions.

Lotus Tattoo Colors

Color is one of the key features of a tattoo that can provide specific meaning to the subject at hand.

Lotus tattoos are no exception.

Listed below are nearly all of the colors in the rainbow and how they change the lotus flower’s meaning.

Orange Lotus Tattoos

The orange lotus is one that is rare in wildlife which makes it all the more beautiful.

As a tattoo, it means that you are one with all of the teachings of the Buddha.

Its almost gold hue represents the royalty of Buddha and shows that you are one with strong faith.

Purple Lotus Tattoos

The purple lotus tattoo represents creativity, wealth, and wisdom.

There is also a special meaning for purple lotus tattoos that have eight petals.

This tattoo design stands for the noble eightfold path, which is an important part of the Buddha’s teachings.

The purple lotus tattoo is not always religious, however, it certainly has the power to represent your faith if you choose it.

Pink Lotus Tattoos

When a lotus tattoo is pink it refers to the flower’s link to Buddhism.

In fact, this is the best color to get if you want the tattoo to symbolize your own relationship with the Buddha and your religious piety.

This color of the lotus tattoo also symbolizes romance and affection and being at peace and harmony with the world.

Yellow Lotus Tattoos

The yellow lotus flower is sometimes used during meditation because it’s known for practical thinking and can even stimulate the brain.

A yellow lotus tattoo means that your brain is powerful and that you have strong control over your thoughts.

Perhaps you’re known to be a pro meditator!

Red Lotus Tattoos

The color red symbolizes love, romance, and affection.

Therefore, a red lotus tattoo means that you have an affinity for love and are in touch with your emotions.

You may even want to get a red lotus tattoo in honor of someone you cherish and want to remember.

It may even be a great idea to get matching red lotus tattoos with your spouse or significant other.

White Lotus Tattoos

The color white almost always represents religious purity.

The white lotus tattoo captures the innocence and goodness of someone who is doing everything they can to become enlightened.

Having this tattoo basically says to the world that you are striving each day to become closer to the Buddha.

Maybe one day, you will even reach perfection!

Black Lotus Tattoos

A black lotus tattoo is one that many stay away from because it provokes images of death, power, and even rebellion.

However, it can also symbolize elegance and class.

The black lotus tattoo is a strong choice for anyone and should not be received lightly.

Blue Lotus Tattoos

The blue lotus tattoo is quite interesting in the fact that it symbolizes how the power of the soul wins over even such powerful things as knowledge.

In a way, the blue lotus tattoo is a symbol of religious wisdom.

This tattoo color of lotus also represents confidence, truthfulness, and inspiration.

Lotus Tattoo Ideas

So, you’re thinking about getting a lotus tattoo, and you’re wracking your brain for a design concept.

Here we are!

We have compiled quite a few ideas for a lotus flower tattoo and now present you with them along with their meanings.

Koi and Lotus Tattoos

The koi fish and the lotus flower are both two popular symbols in Chinese culture.

The koi fish tattoo is known for symbolizing overcoming obstacles and achieving one’s goals.

Adding the lotus to the mix provides the meaning of luck!

Therefore, this tattoo is great luck for you in achieving whatever you set your mind to.

Tribal Lotus Tattoos

Tribal lotus tattoos are 90s chic and have an air of femininity to them.

The simplicity of the black ink is far from simple in design— the tribal tattoos can be highly detailed.

Their meaning lies in spirituality— someone who has this tattoo is very connected to their God/Gods in a profound way.

This tattoo is often meant to show pride in one’s allegiance to the Buddha and represents one’s journey towards enlightenment.

Japanese Lotus Tattoos

This tattoo is colorful and often surrounds the flower in waters with a strong current.

People in Japan celebrate the lotus flower for its ability to escape dark murky waters into the sun and bring out a beautiful flower.

Because of this, to the Japanese the lotus flower symbolizes rebirth.

A Japanese lotus tattoo can represent a new period of your life and change.

In Japan the lotus flower also represents Buddhism, so a tattoo of one could mean you are strong in your faith.

Rose and Lotus Tattoos

The rose and lotus tattoo shows two flowers that are often combined into one image.

A lotus with a rose tattoo means that you value romance in your life, perhaps above anything else, and that you wear your heart on your sleeve.

This is also a tattoo you could get in honor of someone you love.

Mandala Lotus Tattoos

The mandala lotus tattoo is a symbol of peace on Earth, meditation, and Buddism.

The two strong Buddhist symbols placed together in a wonderful tattoo epitomize Buddhist teachings.

This tattoo is for someone who is strong in their faith and believes in harmony for all.

Geometric Lotus Tattoos

A geometric lotus tattoo is such a wonderful choice because not only is it interesting and beautiful to look at, but it has a profound meaning.

The world is full of symmetry and opposite forces, which are symbolized by the geometry of this lotus tattoo.

A lotus done in a geometric tattoo style symbolizes the complexity of nature and the struggle between opposing forces, which combined, have a Godly power.

Yin Yang Lotus Tattoos

The yin yang lotus tattoo is one that people have been receiving for a long time!

There are many different ways to incorporate the yin yang tattoo into a lotus flower, but no matter how it is created its meaning is courage, romance, and not giving up in battle (which today more often means the battle of life).

These Eastern tattoo symbols together also create a meaning of following the Buddhist teachings and achieving harmony in life.

Small Lotus Tattoos

Searching for the perfect tiny tattoo?

A lotus flower is an excellent choice, whether it’s semi-realistic or in a geometric tattoo style.

This tattoo means that you value peace and serenity.

It is a small tattoo symbol of trust in whatever higher power you believe in to do right by you and everyone you love.

Minimalist Lotus Tattoos

A minimalist lotus tattoo, much like a geometric lotus tattoo, represents the simple things in life.

This tattoo could be a representation of your Buddhist faith if you choose it to be.

However, a minimalist lotus tattoo can also be a symbol of your love for nature.

Realistic Lotus Tattoo

People choose to receive a realistic lotus flower tattoo for a number of reasons.

The flower is so beautiful that this tattoo could be done simply for aesthetics.

On the other hand, it’s not just a pretty flower tattoo.

This tattoo has powerful meanings of love for the Buddha, a desire for peace above all else, or a strong belief in whichever religion you follow.

Watercolor Lotus Flower Tattoo

This tattoo is typically a block outline of the lotus flower, filled in with colorful watercolor which seemingly drips down from below the lines.

This is often a religious tattoo that shows that the teachings of Buddism are beautiful and profound.

Colorful Lotus Flower Tattoo

Colorful lotus tattoos are a general category of lotus tattoos that realistic and watercolor lotus tattoos fall under.

Therefore, a colorful lotus tattoo can mean many things: this kind of tattoo can mean anything from following Buddism to simply a wish for love and peace for the world.

If you have a colorful lotus tattoo, it means you are a generous person who seeks to help others.

Tattoo Placement

There are quite a lot of body placements possible for a lotus tattoo.

Part of this depends on whether or not you want your lotus tattoo to be large, small, or somewhere in between.

Here are some great lotus tattoo placements:

Lotus Wrist Tattoo

A lotus tattoo on the wrist signifies that you wish to see this tattoo all the time.

A wrist tattoo is in your face— it’s there all the time for you to see as well as for others to notice.

This type of tattoo shows that whatever you believe the lotus to stand for, you stand behind it.

Lotus Shoulder Tattoo

A shoulder lotus flower tattoo is typically large and often is either a colorful lotus tattoo or a geometric lotus tattoo.

A shoulder tattoo is easy to hide, proving this tattoo could have a special meaning to you that is private.

This may very well be your Buddhist faith, which is one possible meaning for a lotus shoulder tattoo.

Foot Lotus Flower Tattoo

Lotus tattoos on the feet tend to be large and take up most of the front of the foot.

They also tend to be very colorful, some even realistic-looking.

This kind of tattoo represents a wish for peace on Earth and harmony within nature.

Lotus Thigh Tattoo

Having a lotus tattoo on the thigh shows that you are serious about your faith and you will not waiver.

These tattoos tend to be on the larger side, often on the side of the thing that reaches up towards the hips.

Many of these are mandala lotus tattoos.

Lotus Forearm Tattoo

Forearm lotus tattoos are very popular because the lotus looks great there!

This is a kind of tattoo that is shown often to others.

Lotus Finger Tattoo

A lotus tattoo on the finger is a bold statement that shows you are serious about your faith, whichever religion you practice, and are dedicated to.

It also shows that you value peace and would never purposely hurt others.

Lotus Ankle Tattoo

Ankle tattoos are tiny tattoos, and therefore are a way of celebrating the power of the lotus flower without such a large commitment as a thigh or forearm tattoo.

This tattoo shows that you have a touch of harmony in your bones and are either a Christian or a Buddhist in faith.

Lower Back Lotus Tattoo

This tattoo is adventurous, indeed!

There’s nothing more exciting than a lower back tattoo, and to have a lotus there is even more enchanting.

This tattoo means that you are an alternative thinker, always seeing life outside the box.

Lotus Chest Tattoo

A lotus chest tattoo is a serious tattoo that should not be received unless you truly believe in your religion in full faith.

This tattoo screams to the world that you are serious about your faith and that you will defend anyone who is attacked.

Lotus Neck Tattoo

Last, a neck lotus tattoo symbolizes the strength you find in your faith.

Alternatively, this tattoo could be pointing toward your throat chakra meaning that you seek to communicate better with people and that you never want to lose your voice.

Conclusion

A lotus tattoo is a powerful message, no matter what tattoo style or where it is on your body.

Also, it’s important to note that in almost every case that we have explained above, a lotus flower tattoo can mean faith to you if that’s what you want it to stand for.

The lotus flower tattoo is all about peace and generosity, never hate or greed.

Because of this, there’s really no bad reason to get a lotus tattoo— the lotus tattoo is one of the best tattoos out there to get.

FAQ

Is it offensive to get a lotus flower tattoo?

No, a lotus tattoo symbolizes more than just Buddhism.

It symbolizes faith and peace on Earth as well.

What do the dots on a lotus flower tattoo mean?

The dots above the lotus flower makes the flower an unalome symbol which signifies enlightenment.

The dots below symbolize how death is the moment we fade to nothing.

Will it be offensive if I get an unalome and lotus flower tattoo?

If you are of the Buddhist faith, it would not be offensive to get an unalome tattoo.

If you do not believe in enlightenment, then there’s really no point in getting it anyways.

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