The lotus, or bua in Thai, is a symbol of purity in both Hinduism and Buddhism. In the Buddha’s birth story, dazzling lotuses magically appear at each of the infant’s first footsteps. Lotuses also represent the human journey from suffering to enlightenment, beginning deep down in the murky water — which represents the monotonous cycle of birth, death and rebirth — before “blossoming” above the water at the point of enlightenment. In Thai Buddhist temples, lotuses are routinely incorporated into many ceremonies.