What Does Ambuja Mean?

purple lotus

A beautiful lotus in full bloom at the Tanah Lot Temple in Bali.

How did I ever settle on the name Ambuja Yoga? Well, it kinda fell in my lap. I had my heart set on a different name and I really loved it, but that name was not meant for me. So I searched and I searched and eventually I found ambuja. It’s typically an Hindu girls name and I LOVE that it means “born from the lotus.” It’s so symbolically beautiful. The fact that we can rise out of the mud to become our best selves.

“One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water.”
— Bhagavad Gita 5.10

Ambuja simply translates as lotus in the Sanskrit language, but it is commonly seen as meaning “born from the lotus” and it’s associated with the Goddess Lakshmi. According to the Hindu tradition Lakshmi is the mother of the universe and she is the embodiment of Param Prakriti, the divine feminine capable of purification, empowerment, love and support.

The lotus appears extensively in Buddhism and it symbolically represents our ability to evolve and grow out of the muck and bloom into a beautiful flower and into enlightenment.

The roots of a lotus flower extend into the mud and the stem grows up through the water and the flower blossoms above the surface. In Buddhist thought, this pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. Though there are other water plants that bloom above the water, it is only the lotus which, owing to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to twelve inches above the surface” (www.religionfacts.com)

Each color of lotus has a different meaning, but to keep it simple, since our lotus is blue, the blue lotus is symbolic of the spirit’s victory over the senses. And it is often associated with wisdom and knowledge. The blue lotus reminds me that life is our greatest teacher and reminds me to always live with conscious awareness and to be open to learning from all that is new and different. Everyday I remind myself to practice gratitude because I have learned from every struggle and every joyous moment.

 

Autumn Adams
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