Apart from its importance in classical Hindu thought, the symbol of the lotus appeared in decorations in Egypt, Mesopotamia and ancient Greece, notes Lin Lang-yi. These images may also have influenced how the lotus was portrayed in ancient Buddhist art.
林良一更認為，佛教蓮花所具有的象徵意義，除了源自古代印度宗教思想，遠古埃及、美索不達米亞、甚或希臘都已廣泛使用蓮花象徵、出現蓮花紋飾，並與佛教互相影響、變化。