顯教譬自性心之清淨，曰心蓮。密教謂肉團心之實形為心蓮。蓮華三昧經曰：「常住妙法心蓮臺。」大日經疏四曰：「凡人汗栗馱心狀，猶如蓮華合而未敷之像，有筋脈約之以成八分。」性靈集七曰：「真言大我本住心蓮，塵沙心數自居覺月。」
The lotus of the mind or heart; the exoteric school interprets it by original purity; the esoteric by the physical heart, which resembles a closed lotus with eight petals.
一心蓮 (一)在顯教，喻稱眾生自性心之清淨為心蓮。 (二)密教以凡夫之肉團心（汗栗馱），形如未開敷之八葉蓮花，故稱心蓮。〔大日經疏卷四〕p1840