Vol 3 comprises letters written by Sri Aurobindo on the experiences and realisations that may occur in the practice of the Integral Yoga.
Integral Yoga
Vol 3 comprises letters written by Sri Aurobindo on the experiences and realisations that may occur in the practice of the Integral Yoga. Four volumes of letters on the integral yoga, other spiritual paths, the problems of spiritual life, and related subjects. In these letters, Sri Aurobindo explains the foundations of his integral yoga, its fundamentals, its characteristic experiences and realisations, and its method of practice. He also discusses other spiritual paths and the difficulties of spiritual life. Related subjects include the place of human relationships in yoga; sadhana through meditation, work and devotion; reason, science, religion, morality, idealism and yoga; spiritual and occult knowledge; occult forces, beings and powers; destiny, karma, rebirth and survival. Sri Aurobindo wrote most of these letters in the 1930s to disciples living in his ashram. A considerable number of them are being published for the first time.
THEME/S
The aswattha usually symblises the cosmic manifestation.
It [the peepul tree] is the symbol of the cosmic existence.
The jungle must be some unregenerated part of the vital nature and the serpent a wrong force emerging from it.
Images of leaves and plants usually indicate vital strength or energy.
A green leaf means vital strength or energy or vitality.
The fruits are the results of the sadhana.
Flowers indicate a blossoming in the consciousness, sometimes with special reference to the psychic or the psychicised vital, mental and physical consciousness.
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The vision of flowers is a symbol usually of psychic qualities or movements whether a potentiality or promise or an actual state of development.
It is usually when the psychic is active that this seeing of flowers becomes abundant.
The flowers indicate always an opening (usually psychic) in some part of the consciousness.
The flowers1 are the symbols of psychic movements. The sun is the Divine Consciousness. It is the awakening of the psychic consciousness and its activity under the Divine Influence.
Red flowers would ordinarily indicate an opening of the consciousness either in the physical or some part of the vital according to the shade.
A lotus flower indicates open consciousness.
A lotus signifies the opening of the (true) consciousness.
The lotus is always the sign of the consciousness opening somewhere—when the consciousness opened from above, you became aware of a new plane of being of which you were not aware before.
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It [the lotus] means consciousness. The opening of the lotus is the opening of some part of the consciousness.
The opening of the lotuses2 means, I suppose, the opening of the true vital and physical consciousness in which the spiritual being (the Swan) can manifest with all the consequences of that opening.
The lotus must represent owing to its numerous petals the "thousand petalled" lotus above the head which is the seat of the higher consciousness above the thinking intelligence. The vision may mean the opening of the consciousness there and in it the adoration of the Divine.
A lotus usually indicates an opening into the spiritual. The white and red are symbols of the Mother and the incarnating Divine.
The white lotus is the symbol of the Mother's consciousness,—it does not indicate any part of the individual consciousness.
The red lotus is the flower of the Divine Presence.
The red lotus is the presence of the Divine on earth—the sun is the Divine Truth. It indicates the Divine manifestation on earth raising earth consciousness towards the Truth.
The red lotus signifies the presence of the Divine on the Earth.
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It [the blue lotus] can be taken as the (Avatar) incarnation on the mental plane.
The red rose is the flower of love and surrender, the white is the purity of psychic love.
Reddish pink rose = psychic love or surrender. White rose = pure spiritual surrender.
The java [red hibiscus] is the flower of the Divine Power.
The [flower named] eternal smile3 means the self-existent joy and gladness of the Spirit.
I told you saffron meant purification—so if it has any significance, it can only mean that the Mother gave you a power of purification to use.4
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