Some people compare the process of reaching enlightenment and conquering obstacles in life to a plant's ability to emerge from murky waters & blossom into a beautisstaaful flower. Because they associated the lotus with the sun and rebirth, ancient Egyptians also held the lotus in high regard. It was a common decorative element in architecture & art, and it had a function in religious ceremonies. Poets, painters, and philosophers have all drawn inspiration from the lotus throughout history.