Northeast Asian History Network

Northern Wall of the Main Chamber - Lotus Pattern 1

This is a detailed view of the lotus patterns depicted near the noble couple on the northern wall of the main chamber in Susahn-ri Tomb. The lotus is a flower that grows beautifully from the mud of a pond and symbolizes purification and rebirth in Buddhism. In other words, the muddy pond symbolizes the secular world, and the blooming lotus represents purity and reincarnation in the Buddhist Land of Bliss. In Buddhism, the Sukhavati Rebirth (reborn in the Land of Bliss) was generally represented with paintings of figures appearing inside blooming lotuses referred to as the lotus transformation motif.
The lotus seen in the image is depicted inside the noble couple's house in the center of the mural. A line of three lotus buds that have yet to bloom can be seen under the eaves of the roof. Sepals and stems are depicted under each lotus rendered in yellow with red outlines.
The lotus flowers depicted next to the noble couple indicate that the chamber space belongs in the Buddhist Land of Bliss in the afterlife. Perhaps this signifies that the nobleman's desires for Sukhavati Rebirth was at last realized.