The Meaning of Mac OS X Lion’s Wallpaper ✎

December 12th, 2010 · 7 notes · #mac #os #x #lion #macrumors #wallpaper

Attempting to create a Mac OS X Lion look-alike desktop, which I did, I had to look for the wallpaper first. I stumbled upon a thread in the MacRumors forums asking where it could be found. A couple people snagged the wallpaper from the 1080p stream and cropped it. 

In the thread, someone asked why Apple had put up a stupid pink flower rather than a ferocious lion as the wallpaper. Someone opened up a new account titled “lotus bud” and wrote a single, meaningful post:

The flower is a lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) which blooms rich of symbolism, namely in the eastern traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, of which Mr. Jobs is well aware.

From these perspectives, the roots of a lotus are found beneath the surface of pond mud, from there the stem grows up through the murky waters, and then finally the remarkably beautiful flower blossoms pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the mind from the primeval mud of attachment, through the waters of experience, and into the bright rays of enlightenment.

It does not seem unreasonable to suspect that Apple uses this imagery, in full knowledge of its historical significance, because they believe their work is a continuation of this metaphorical progress.