Flower Sermon

The lotus flower, the species of flower said to have been used during the Flower Sermon.

The Flower Sermon is a story of the origin of Zen Buddhism in which Gautama Buddha transmits direct prajñā (wisdom) to the disciple Mahākāśyapa. In the original Chinese, the story is Niān huā wéi xiào (拈花微笑, meaning "Picking up a flower and smiling").