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What is the meaning of the lotus flower in Buddhism?

The lotus is one of the most well-known symbols of Buddhism. The
lotus flower is one of the “Eight Auspicious Symbols” in the religion,
and is one of the most important images in the faith. The roots of a
lotus flower extend into the mud and the stem grows up through the water
and the flower blossoms above the surface.

In Buddhist thought, this pattern of growth signifies the progress
of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of
experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. Though there
are other water plants that bloom above the water, it is only the lotus
which, owing to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to
twelve inches above the surface.

According to the Buddhist scholar Lalitavistara,

“The spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the lotus in the muddy water which does not adhere to it.”

According to another scholar,

“In
esoteric Buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus:
when the virtues of the Buddha develop therein, the lotus blossoms; that
is why the Buddha sits on a lotus bloom.”