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Monday, July 17, 2017

The life of the Sacred Lotus flowers

Sacred Lotus, or Nelumbo nucifera, is one of the oldest plants on the earth.
It is said to have adopted water as a habitat about 140-million years ago.

Hokongo-in Temple, of which history starts in 742,
is famous for the lotus flowers in summer.


From the muddy water, Lotuses stretch upward to the sunlight, 
and bloom flowers untainted by the mud.



The flower is ephemeral. Its longevity is only four days.
 Flower bud is very tight and pointy at first .


The first day,
a bud unfurls 3-4 centimeters and then closes maintaining upward pointing bud.




The second day,
the flower bud begins to mature, unfurling into a chalice-like multi-petaled blossom 
with a central head pod.


The third day,
the flower opens to its maximum.


The fourth day,
 the fully opened blossom falls downward, away from the central cupule. 
All the petals drop till noon.
When the petals drop, the central pod enlarges and ripens.



Petals on the verge of falling apart

The leaves are also attractive.
The veins are radiating out from the center to the margins.
The shape  has similar look to the flowers' chalice-like form.
The cylindrical stalks stretching from the bottom of the water high into the air
make aqua forest.


At the Water Garden, there are light, ripples, reflections, shadows, and carps.


Carps look shading themselves from the scorching sun under a water lily pad.


This is a roof-tile displayed in the garden.
The character , swastika, is a symbol of a temple in Japan. 
It is an ancient religious symbol, a sacred and auspicious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, 
dating back to before the 2nd century BC.


There are so many to see in this temple;
hydrangeas, lilies, mushrooms, and moss...., to name a few.













Though there is no official report of the end of the rainy season,
it has been sizzling, scorching, and sweltering hot.
Today high temperature warning is issued in some regions.
I'll have a summer break in blogging and commenting
after I visit around you.
Wish you a nice, healthy, and fruitful summer.
See you in September.

During the Golden Week in May

Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday

48 comments:

  1. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the life of the sacred lotus flower through your wonderful pictures and words, Yoko. Always such a pleasure to talk a walk in nature with you. Thank you so much for enriching my knowledge, the last picture totally brightens my day. Wish you a wonderful summer break, and come back soon!

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  2. Very pretty lotus flowers and cute kid.

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  3. Loved this series of photos showing the sacred Lotus flower Yoko - wish I could grow them here.
    I recall being in China many years ago, and have chicken that had been wrapped in Lotus leaves and then encased in clay before being baked.

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  4. Have a wonderful summer Yoko with all of your lovely family, and see you back here again in September.

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  5. Happy Summer Holidays! You are having a long break and see you in September. Will you be visiting Malaysia?

    I love the lotus flowers in your photographs. Being a Buddhist, we worship this flower and it seems to have many edible uses from their seed to the leaves and lotus roots.

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  6. What a beautiful lotus !!!! I have one lotus tattoo...
    Gorgeous pictures and children...
    Have a nice and zen week !
    Anna

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  7. Hello, your lotusflowers are absolutely stunning!
    Best regards, Ida

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  8. こんにちわ 

    蓮の花びらが、透き通っているような感じで素晴らしいです。
    日本は、今、潤いのある碧の季節ですね。


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  9. I so enjoyed the photographic story of the life of the lotus flower, so beautiful and beautifully explained. Enjoy the summer, hope to see you for Mosaic Monday again in September.

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  10. What beautiful story of Lotus 's life .simply resembles to the man"s life to me .

    short physical appearance though but everlasting memory leaves behind if blooms(lives) well.

    Your blog page is truly a Delight my dear Stardust!!!

    you take photos through your delicate and highly sensitive heart that is what i feel whle looking at your magical capturing.
    wishing you a Happy break dear

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  11. こんばんわー。
    蓮の花の一生を、それぞれYokoさんらしく表現されてるなあと思いました。どの蓮も上品に撮れてますね。
    私達はどの時代に入るのかしら???ね。We live todayの気持ちで、一日一日を大切に過ごしたいものと思います。
    近いうちに、会えると思うけど、ブログでは9月にお会いしましょう。楽しい夏休みを!

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  12. Hello again, I forgot to sign up as a follower on your blog, I certainly will,
    Have a beautiful day, Ida

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  13. Yoko, Thanks for sharing the information about lotus flowers. Enjoy your time away. Sylvia D.

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  14. I love your photography, Yoko! Absolutely stunning!

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  15. I very much enjoyed reading about the lotus flower. It's very beautiful, and you've photographed each stage so well. Your children are adorable and enjoying the bubbles, as children around the world do.

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  16. Thank you for taking us to the Hokongo-in Temple and telling us all about the lotus flower. All your images are stunning. Your children are too cute! I love bubbles, too. Happy Monday!

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  17. Absolutely wonderful flowers, sweet photoes, wonderful! Water garden- unbelieveably clear water! And Happy Children. Have a nice holiday! Plenty of sun and happy !

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  18. These are dreamy pictures as usual, stardust. A new water lily is a lovely surprise about to unfold as it floats and sways in the water anchored to leafy pads that remind me of elephant ears. The children playing look especially carefree. Wishing you all have a wonderful summer!

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  19. Your photographs of the lotus flowers are lovely. And I like the shape and the markings of the lotus leaves. I am sending hugs and kisses to your sweet little grandchildren. Have a wonderful summer playing with them, enjoying the joys of their childhood.

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  20. Yoko - the combination of your photography and your writing is captivating - I can't get my mind off the sentence "From the muddy water, Lotuses stretch upward to the sunlight, 
    and bloom flowers untainted by the mud." We can all take a lesson from the lotus!

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  21. You take such beautiful photos. I love your photos of the lotus flower. I wish I could grow them in my yard.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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  22. Beautiful pictures and fascinating history.

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  23. I like to see the progression of the blossoms each day. I planted a water lily in my pond this summer, and the first bloom opened today! Maybe I will blog about it soon.

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  24. What an interesting story about one of my favourite flowers! I love Water Garden too, they are so relaxing. Lovely photos :)

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  25. Lovely flowers and dragonfly, beautiful images Yoko.

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  26. Olá, lindas flores de lótus, todas a fotos são linda e estão bem captadas e mostrar o belos detalhes.
    AG

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  27. Ephemeral and very very beautiful the flower of the lotus shines in this post freelance thanks to your explanations and your magnificent arts with the camera. There is no insensitive creature not lacking in intelligence for the survival in the land. The carps under his green parasol tries it. The swastika speaks to us about the strong symbolic power of an image and, always it is pleasing to place it in his origins, his real place, there where this power alludes to positive qualities and of spiritual growth.
    Already I see that you would continue and continue with the post to near this temple and, the truth, it is that your collage like summary shows that like that it deserves it. I would accompany you without laziness, but as the brief thing always it stops with spirit to continue in another occasion, I will wait eagerly for your return to the blog. Meanwhile my better desires for you and your family. That you enjoy of these days of rest, Yoko.

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  28. Hi, Yoko! You know so much about lotus, I've never heard that they last 4 days. Fleeting beauty... Your little ones have grown so much))) With you restful summer days, Yoko!

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  29. I really like the photographs of the lotus. The first time I ever saw the plant in real life, I was amazed. I had seen so many depictions of it in sacred pictures, yet somehow I did not think it would really look like that. Actually the shape of the central seed pod reminds me of a small cake, cleverly decorated. :)

    A sweet photo of the children and I specially like the one with the bubbles. (I am replying to your last letter at present and recognise the nice composite photograph.)
    I've been admiring dragonflies of all types here. My favourite is the damselfly, because I love to see the bright metallic flashes of turquoise as it darts over the water surface.

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  30. こんばんは。とても美しい写真ですね。蓮が早朝、ポンと音をたてて咲くなどという迷信もはびこる位神秘な植物ですね。
    日本ではレンコンとして食べられてしまいますね。

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  31. Hello dear Yoko!
    I am delighted with your excellent photos.
    I have never seen such a large collection of lotuses. They are wonderful.
    Kisses and greetings from Poland.
    Lucja

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  32. These pictures are very lovely, very summer flowers.
    I greet from distant Poland.
    Monika

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  33. Hello Yoko,
    That's a lot of gorgeous beautiful lotus flowers captured in photo instants, once again, like in fairytales! I love these flowers and i like so much the way you presented so many things about them. It is a joy to observe them from upclose... So many details of the lovely rose to white petals! it must be a very cosy and peaceful place to have a nice walk!
    Thank you so much for sharing the beauty of lotus blossoms! A pleasant, sunny summer vacation to you! Best regards, Alexa

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  34. I loved seeing how you showed the progressive growth of the lotus flowers. They are so beautiful (as are your grandchildren). Wishing you the best for a delightful summer.
    Susan

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  35. Stunning captures of the glorious lotus flowers!

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  36. The first time I saw lotus flowers was in Hawaii. I was amazed by their size! So beautiful too as are all your images. Thank you for sharing about them. The children look happy having bubble fun. They have made me smile.

    Lovely days to you!

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  37. How wonderful, Yoko !!! Thanks for the explanation. And thanks for your kind comments always, and for sharing photos. It's a very beautiful post.
    Good weekend.
    Besos.

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  38. Yoko, olá!
    Agradeço de coração os votos deixados no meu blog! Desejo felicidades e alegrias para você e sua família.
    Não posso deixar de elogiar a qualidade das suas fotos, para encantar! A primeira foto é uma composição maravilhosa, um prazer para os olhos.
    Eu sinto a sacralidade da flor de lótus e gostei de conhecer mais nesta postagem, tão bem elaborada. Percebo a sua generosidade, delicadeza e amorosidade, em compartilhar conosco este conhecimento. Não sabia que a duração da flor é de 4 dias. Parece que no 4º dia a cor das pétalas, fica mais clara.
    Quando visitei um jardim de lótus, percebi que muitas libélulas ficavam em volta das flores. Uma visão delicada e poética.
    Quando estiver disponível e se você quiser, poderá ver o meu passeio em um Jardim de Flores de Lótus, localizado no Brasil - Lótus
    Sim, concordo com você Yoko, as pétalas parecem um cálice: Cheers!
    Beijos e abraços do Brasil!

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  39. Olá, maravilhosa partilha com a bela flor mais antiga do planeta, as fotos são maravilhosas.
    Feliz fim de semana,
    AG

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  40. Absolutely beautiful! That's one flower we definitely don't have in my area, and I find it fascinating. You'd think they could survive in Florida based on their climate needs. Maybe they can and have just never been transplanted here?

    I'm wishing you the BEST summer away. I'll be taking time off the blogosphere soon enough to have a baby and recover, but I'll miss your beautiful posts while away.

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  41. Prachtig bloemen weelde laat je zien oogstrelend mooi!!
    Heel bijzonders de kapers onder het blad,een mooie foto,s!
    de kinderen genieten mooi om te zien.
    Yoko ik wens je een mooie zomer met veel geniet momenten.
    Tot september...............
    groetjes Christiene.

    Beautiful flowers luxuries make you look beautiful!
    Very special the hijackers beneath the leaf, a nice picture, s!
    The kids enjoy watching.
    Yoko I wish you a beautiful summer with lots of fun moments.
    Until September...............
    Greetings christiene

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    I can share the ideas of the future as this is really what I was looking for,
    I am very comfortable and pleased to come here. Thank you very much.
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  43. Just now I found your blog and I was immediatley impressed by your wonderful pictures. Your Lotus flower picture is lovely. Recently when I visited the zoo of Stuttgart in Germany I saw Lotus flowers the first time in my life. For sure I come back to explore your blog.
    Greetings from Germany
    Sigrid

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  44. Yoko, You've outdone yourself with the Lotus photos. I enjoyed this post very much. Love seeing your Grands having bubble fun! It's snowing here as I write this!

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  45. I really like your site and content so much,thanks for sharing the information keep updating, looking forward for more posts.

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