THE MOTHER

 

The Spiritual Significance of Flowers

 

Part I

 

Test and Photograph

 

Contents

 

 

 

Chapter 1

Chapter 7

Aditi and Avatar

Spiritual Attainments

Aditi

Mastery

Avatar

Wisdom

 

Inspiration

Chapter 2

Revelation

The Divine

Consciousness turned towards the Light

Sachchidananda

Conversion

 Divine Presence

New birth

Divine Love

Realisation

Divine Grace

Victory

Divine Help

Transformation

Protection

Immortality

 

Beauty

Chapter 3

Art

The New Creation

Refinement

Promise

Dignity

New world

Wealth

New creation

 

The future

Chapter 8

Superhumanity

Power

 

Godhead

Chapter 4

Agni

Living for the Divine

Supramental Consciousness

To live only for the Divine

Beauty of supramental youth

Attachment to the Divine (orchids) 

Charm of the new creation

Trust in the Divine

Individual power

Friendship with the Divine

Dynamic power

Love for the Divine (roses)

Power of progress

 

 

Chapter 5

Chapter 9

Road to the Divine

Planes of Consciousness and Parts of the Being

Ascension

Complexity of the centres

Aspiration

Supramental influence

Prayer

Spiritual aspiration

Devotion

Spiritual beauty

Remembrance

Psychic work

Opening

Psychological perfection

Receptivity

Mind

Tapasya

Higher mind

Renunciation of desires

Mental simplicity

Unselfishness

Quiet mind

Discipline

Vital opening

Thoroughness

Vital purity

Endurance

Elegance in the emotions

Service

Refinement of sensations

Work

Physical consciousness turned entirely towards the Divine

Organisation

Light in the blood

Help

Peace in the cells

Progress

Peace in the sex centre

 

Health

Chapter 6

Dreams

Bases of Spiritual Life

Power of Truth in the Subconscient

Sincerity

Divine Will acting in the Inconscient

Purity

 

Simplicity

Chapter 10

Humility

Collaboration of Nature

Peace

Blossoming of Nature

Silence

Spontaneous aspiration of Nature towards the Divine

Gratitude

Abundance

Cheerfulness

Light in fairyland

Goodwill

Bird of paradise

Balance

 

Harmony

Chapter 11

Generosity

Awakening of Matter

Faithfulness

Psychic awakening in Matter

Right attitude

Gold

Enthusiasm

Fire

Life energy

 

Plasticity

Chapter 12

Courage

Radha and Krishna

Boldness

Radha's consciousness

Absolute truthfulness

Krishna's light in the Overmind

Spiritual speech

Krishna's play

No quarrels

Krishna's Ananda

Certitude

 

 

Part II

 

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

 

First Edition 2000

(C) Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 2000

Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department

Pondicherry, India

Printed in Singapore at Ho Printing

ISBN 81-7058-609-7

Chapter 10

 

Collaboration of Nature

 

In her green wildernesses and lurking depths,

 In her thickets of joy where danger clasps delight,

He glimpsed the hidden wings of her songster hopes,

A glimmer of blue and gold and scarlet fire.

In her covert lanes, bordering her chance field-paths

And by her singing rivulets and calm lakes

He found the glow of her golden fruits of bliss

 And the beauty other flowers of dream and muse.

SRI AUROBINDO

 

Nature proves her collaboration with a smile of flowers.

THE MOTHER

 

0 Nature, Material Mother, thou hast said that thou wilt collaborate and there can be no limit to the splendour of this collaboration.

THE MOTHER

 

Page-297


NATURE MAKES AN OFFERING OF HER BEAUTY

842 Nature makes an offering of her beauty

 

842 Nature makes an offering of her beauty

It is a spontaneous and effortless offering.

Ipomoea. Many colours

 

The world's senseless beauty mirrors God's delight. That rapture's smile is secret everywhere; It flows in the wind's breath, in the tree's sap, Its hued magnificence blooms in leaves and flowers.

SRI AUROBINDO

 

Flowers are the moment's representations of things that are in themselves eternal.

SRI AUROBINDO

 

In trees and plants, it is the need to grow in order to obtain more light, more air, more space; in flowers, it is the offering of their beauty and fragrance in a loving efflorescence.

THE MOTHER

 

When the sun sets and all becomes silent, sit down for a moment and put yourself into communion with Nature: you will feel rising from the earth, from below the roots of the trees and mounting upward and coursing through their fibres up to the highest outstretching branches, the aspiration of an intense love and longing — a longing for something that brings light and gives happiness, for the light that is gone and they wish to have back again. There is a yearning so pure and intense that if you can feel the movement in the trees, your own being also will go up in an ardent prayer for the peace and light and love that are unmanifested here.

THE MOTHER

 

The trees rise towards the sky, beautiful symbol of Nature's aspiration towards the Light.

THE MOTHER

Page-298


BLOSSOMING OF NATURE

843 Blossoming of Nature

 

843 Blossoming of Nature

Abundant and strong, nothing can stop its growth.

Calluna vulgaris. Rose pink

844 Spontaneous joy of Nature

 

844 Spontaneous joy of Nature

It is man who has made Nature sorrowful.

Papaver rhoeas. Several colours

845 Kindness of Nature

 

845 Kindness of Nature

She is kind when she is loving.

Trifolium. Several colours

Page-298


NATURE'S HOPE FOR REALISATION

846 Nature's hope for realisation

 

The Divine reveals himself in the world around us when we look upon that world with a spiritual desire of delight that seeks him in all things.

 

SRI AUROBINDO

 

At these blessed hours all earth sings a hymn of gladness, the grasses shudder with pleasure, the air is vibrant with light, the trees lift towards heaven their most ardent prayer, the chant of the birds becomes a canticle, the waves of the sea billow with love, the smile of children tells of the infinite and the souls of men appear in their eyes.

THE MOTHER

 

The whole creation speaks of the Divine to him who knows how to listen in his heart.

THE MOTHER

 

846 Nature's hope for realisation

Nature knows that one day she will be able to realise.

Mangifera indica. Cream to pale pink

 

847 Divine Knowledge

It is succulent, nourishing, strengthening.

Mangifera indica. Several colours

 

847 Divine Knowledge

Page-300


SPONTANEOUS ASPIRATION OF NATURE TOWARDS THE DIVINE

848 Spontaneous aspiration of  Nature towards the Devine

849 First conscious reception of the Light in the Nature

 

848 Spontaneous aspiration of  Nature towards the Devine

Wide open, spontaneous, irrevocable in its spontaneous power.

Leucantthemum vulgare. White

 

849 First conscious reception of the Light in the Nature

The origin or starting-point of the will to progress. Nature has an instinctive thirst for Light.

Commelina. Blue to lavender

Page-301


850 Joy of vegetal Nature in answer to the new Light

851 Vegetal goodwill towards the supramental forces

Flowers spoke in ardent hues an unknown joy.

SRI AUROBINDO

 

850 Joy of vegetal Nature in answer to the new Light

It dances with joy and laughs happily.

Callistemon. Bright red

 

851 Vegetal goodwill towards the supramental forces

Each does what it can. Cuphea micropetala. Cream yellow

Page-302


852 Nature aspires to be supramentalised

 

852 Nature aspires to be supramentalised

The first response of plant life to the action of the supra- mental forces.

Stictocardia beraviensis. Glowing rose red

 

853 Awakening and first response of Nature to the supramental manifestation

853 Awakening and first response of Nature to the supramental manifestation

Interested, she opens herself and tries to understand.

Jatropha integerrima. Reddish pink

Page-303


ABUNDANCE

854 Abundance

 

854 Abundance

All at once Nature gives much to us and we have the joy of  abundance.

Cucurbita maxima. Golden yellow

 

855 Multitude

 

855 Multitude

Gives itself freely and satisfies innumerable needs.

Cocos nucifera. Pale golden orange

 

Page-304


856 Growth

 

856 Growth

It will multiply and assert its right to be.

Primula. Many colours

857 Primitive succulence

 

857 Primitive succulence

Pleasing to a simple taste.

Muntingia calabura. White

  Page- 305


858 Scented marvel

 

858 Scented marvel

One of the innumerable gifts of Nature.

Cyclamen purpurascens. Rose pink to magenta

 

859 Sun-drop

Luminous and lovely, it brings joy.

Physalis alkekengi. Orange red

 

860 Rising star

Let us hope it is the right one.

Aganosma roxburghii. White

 

859 Sun-drop

 

860 Rising star

Page-306


LIGHT IN FAIRYLAND

861 Light in fairyland

 

862 Joy in fairyland

863 Fairy freshness

 

861 Light in fairyland

The fairies are ready to let themselves be guided by the Divine.

Kalanchoe pinnata. Yellow green

 

862 Joy in fairyland

Light, smiling, effortless, it invites us to share its joy.

Kleinhovia hospita. Pale pink

 

863 Fairy freshness

Charming, it refreshes the eyes.

Haematoxylum campechianum. Light yellow

 

Page- 307


BIRD OF PARADISE

864 Bird of paradise  

I too have wandered in star-jewelled groves,

Paced sun-gold pastures and moon-silver swards

And heard the harping laughter of their streams

And lingered under branches dropping myrrh;

I too have revelled in the fields of light

Touched by the ethereal raiment of the winds,

Thy wonder-rounds of music I have trod,

Lived in the rhyme of bright unlabouring thoughts,

I have beat swift harmonies of rapture vast,

Danced in spontaneous measures of the soul

The great and easy dances of the gods.

O fragrant are the lanes thy children walk

And lovely is the memory of their feet

Amid the wonder-flowers of Paradise.

 

SRI AUROBINDO

 

864 Bird of paradise

A bird that never flies away.

Heliconia. Orange red

 

Page-308