Flower: Purple Orchid
Sacred Symbol: Chinese Character for Water
Mantra/Prayer: Confucius Quote
Wherever you go, go with all your heart
In ancient China, orchids were considered a symbol of integrity,
nobility, and friendship.
Confucianism, variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion,
theory of government or way of life, developed from the teachings of
Confucius (551–479 BCE), who was known to have been particularly
fond of orchids, referencing them several times in his works.
He likened virtuous people to orchids, associating them with strength,
resilience, moral purity and refinement:
“The orchid grows where others cannot, enduring the hardships of hunger and
thirst, and is loosely tied to the things that support it. And, even with all the
difficulty of its life, the orchid graces the world with beautiful colour and rare
fragrance. This is like the life of a true gentlemen who sets himself to learn
self-discipline, and whose character shines no matter where he is or what he
experiences.” – Confucius, Analects (translation by Jonathan Steffen).
Purple orchids today are seen as symbols of royalty and wealth, and used
to express admiration, respect, or dignity
The sacred symbol in the middle of the painting is the
Chinese ideogram for ‘Water’, often used as a symbol for Confucianism.
In Chinese philosophy, the water symbol represents the ‘source of life’ for
its importance in sustaining life.
In The Analects, or the sayings of Confucius, we find infrequent usage of
water imagery, yet in each case the usage is significant. For instance, in
Book VI, verse 21 (translated by Waley): “The Master said, the wise man
delights in water, the good man delights in mountains. For the wise move, but
the good stay still. The wise are happy, the good secure.”
Confucius suggests wise action would be to live near both water and
mountains, making explicit connection between wisdom and water
The phrase “Wherever you go, go with all your heart”,
attributed to Confucius, reminds us to give everything we choose in life
our very best