A simile for rarity, as fig trees do not have discernible blossoms. In Tibet the udumbara (Ficus glomerata), being unknown, became portrayed as a gigantic lotuslike flower. The Chinese adds the adjective “rare” and, like the Tibetan, simply transliterates udumbara.

A simile for rarity, as fig trees do not have discernible blossoms. In Tibet, the udumbara (Ficus glomerata), being unknown, came to be portrayed as a gigantic, lotus-like flower.