Egrets, Lotus and Hibiscus Mutabilis, 18th century, Zhang Yu, Chinese, 1734 - 1803, 73 x 22 1/8 in. (185.42 x 56.2 cm) (image), Ink and color on paper, China, 18th century, After the spread of Buddhist belief in China, the lotus was imbued with religious associations and became known as the sacred flower of Buddhism. The lotus flower blooms above the water, just as Buddha was born into the world but lives above it. The lotus fruits are said to be ripe when the flower blooms, just as the truth preached by Buddha immediately bears the fruit of enlightenment. These Buddhist connections, however, do not fully account for the later, widespread popularity of the lotus in Chinese art. A more general belief at the time associated the lotus, which grows out of mud but is not defiled, with noble purity and unflinching courage.