The Mother gave the significances of 880+ flowers as a key to the 'subtle language of flowers', listed here with botanical names, color, comments and photographs.
The Mother: 'Flowers speak to us when we know how to listen to them.. It is a subtle and fragrant language. As if to provide a key to this language, She identified the significances of 880+ flowers. In this book, these flowers and their meanings are presented in the light of her vision and experience. For each flower in Part 1, the following details are given: the Mother's significance, her comment on the significance, the botanical name, and the colour or colours of the flower. Relevant quotations from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother accompany many flower-significances as an aid to understanding them. For most flowers there is a colour photograph to facilitate identification. This reference volume contains indexes, glossaries, descriptions of the flowers and other information. There are three indexes : an Index of the Mother's Significances, an Index of Botanical Names and an Index of Common Names.
THEME/S
Chapter 5
Reveal, who know, the road that I must tread ... Sri Aurobindo
What I call "being on the path" is being in a state of consciousness in which only union with the Divine has any value — this union is the only thing worth living, the sole object of aspiration. Everything else has lost all value and is not worth seeking, so there is no longer any question of renouncing it because it is no longer an object of desire. As long as union with the Divine is not the thing for which one lives, one is not yet on the path. The Mother
It is true that the path is very long, but for one who follows it with sincerity, it is really very interesting. . . . The Mother
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110 Road to the Divine Always long, apparently dry at times, but always abundant in its results. Drimiopsis kirkii. White
110 Road to the Divine
Always long, apparently dry at times, but always abundant in its results.
Drimiopsis kirkii. White
111 Perfect path For each one it is the path that leads fastest to the Divine. Coffea. White
Know more >
This is what we mean by "Divine": all the knowledge we have to acquire, all the power we have to obtain, all the love we have to become, all the perfection we have to achieve, all the harmonious and progressive poise we have to make manifest in light and joy, all the new and unknown splendours we have to realise. The Mother Whatever we see of this Divine and fix our concentrated effort on it, that we can become or grow into some kind of unity with it or at the lowest into tune and harmony with it. . . . Whatever of it we see, we can create or reveal in our conscious nature and being and can grow into it.... Sri Aurobindo
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THE PATH
What do you want the Yoga for? To get power? To attain to peace and calm? To serve humanity? None of these motives is sufficient to show that you are meant for the Path. The question you are to answer is this: Do you want the Yoga for the sake of the Divine? Is the Divine the supreme fact of your life, so much so that it is simply impossible for you to do without it? Do you feel that your very raison d'ȇtre is the Divine and without it there is no meaning in your existence? If so, then only can it be said that you have a call for the path. The Mother
When you come to the Yoga, you must be ready to have all your mental buildings and all your vital scaffoldings shattered to pieces. You must be prepared to be suspended in the air with nothing to support you except your faith. You will have to forget your past self and its clingings altogether, to pluck it out of your consciousness and be born anew, free from every kind of bondage. Think not of what you were, but of what you aspire to be; be altogether in what you want to realise. Turn from your dead past and look straight towards the future. The Mother
HOPE
Our hopes are never too great for manifestation. We cannot conceive of anything that cannot be done.
The Mother
Yes, you are right to have hope; it is hope that builds happy futures. The Mother
112 Hope Paves life's way. Jacquemontia pentantha. Violet blue
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113 Repentance The first step towards correcting mistakes. Chloris barbata. Reddish brown
113 Repentance
The first step towards correcting mistakes.
Chloris barbata. Reddish brown
114 Return The salvation of those who have gone astray. Cordyline terminalis. Pale mauve
115 Stages to the Supreme We will go through as many stages as necessary, but we will arrive. Lupinus. All colours
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ASCENSION
There must be an ascension of the whole being, an ascension of spirit chained here and trammelled by its instruments and its environment to sheer Spirit free above, an ascension of soul towards some blissful Super-soul, an ascension of mind towards some luminous Supermind, an ascension of life towards some vast Super-life, an ascension of our very physicality to join its origin in some pure and plastic spirit-substance. And this cannot be a single swift upsoaring but, like the ascent of the sacrifice described in the Veda, a climbing from peak to peak in which from each summit one looks up to the much more that has still to be done. Sri Aurobindo
SOARING
A being free from all bondages, flying from height to height in a happy seeking for divine transformation.
116 Ascension Stage by stage one climbs towards the Consciousness. Leonotis nepetifolia. Orange
116 Ascension
Stage by stage one climbs towards the Consciousness.
Leonotis nepetifolia. Orange
117 Soaring Take your flight towards the heights. Delphinium. Several colours
117 Soaring
Take your flight towards the heights.
Delphinium. Several colours
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118 Aspiration Innumerable, obstinate, repeating itself tirelessly. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis. White with orange
118 Aspiration
Innumerable, obstinate, repeating itself tirelessly.
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis. White with orange
119 Elan of aspiration Nothing is too high, nothing too far for its insatiable ardour. Cleome hasslerana. Pink
ASPIRATION
[Aspiration] is the call of the being for higher things — for the Divine, for all that belongs to the higher or Divine Consciousness. Sri Aurobindo
This taste for supreme adventure is aspiration — an aspiration that takes hold of you completely and flings you, without calculation and without reserve and without any possibility of withdrawal, into the great adventure of the divine discovery, the great adventure of the divine meeting, the yet greater adventure of the divine realisation. . . . The Mother
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Aspiration is like an arrow.... So you aspire, you want very earnestly to understand, to know, to enter into the Truth. Yes? And then with that aspiration you do this (gesture upwards). Your aspiration rises, rises, rises, rises straight up, very strong and then it strikes against a kind of — how to put it? — a lid which is there, hard like iron and extremely thick, and it does not pass through. And then you say, "See, what's the use of aspiring? It brings nothing at all. I meet with something hard and cannot pass!" But you know about the drop of water which falls on the rock, it ends up by making a chasm: it cuts the rock from top to bottom. Your aspiration is a drop of water which, instead of falling, rises . . . and when it makes the hole suddenly it springs up out of this lid and enters an immensity of light. The Mother
120 Flame of aspiration A flame that illumines but does not burn. Acer. Autumnal colourings
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121 Aspiration for purity Purity is perfect sincerity and one can obtain it only when the being is entirely consecrated to the Divine. Spathiphyllum. Cream white to pale green
121 Aspiration for purity
Purity is perfect sincerity and one can obtain it only when the being is entirely consecrated to the Divine.
Spathiphyllum. Cream white to pale green
122 Aspiration for integral immortality An organised, tenacious and methodical development of the consciousness. Aerva tomentosa. White
122 Aspiration for integral immortality
An organised, tenacious and methodical development of the consciousness.
Aerva tomentosa. White
123 Aspiration for the Divine Consciousness Blossom, O precious flower, and never close again. Vernonia eleagnaefolia. Pale mauve
123 Aspiration for the Divine Consciousness
Blossom, O precious flower, and never close again.
Vernonia eleagnaefolia. Pale mauve
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124 Triple aspiration Love, life and light, recognising their Master, respond to Sachchidananda. Capparis brevispina. White with yellow
125 Power of collective aspiration A harmonious collective aspiration can change the course of circumstances. Hoya carnosa. Pale pink
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ASPIRATION IN THE PHYSICAL
Have you never watched a forest with all its countless trees and plants simply struggling to catch the light — twisting and trying in a hundred possible ways just to be in the sun? That is precisely the feeling of aspiration in the physical — the urge, the movement, the push towards the light. Plants have more of it in their physical being than men. Their whole life is a worship of light. Light is of course the material symbol of the Divine, and the sun represents, under material conditions, the Supreme Consciousness. The plants have felt it quite distinctly in their own simple, blind way. Their aspiration is intense, if you know how to become aware of it.
126 Psychic aspiration Constant, regular, organised, gentle and patient at the same time, resists all opposition, overcomes all difficulties. Ixora chinensis. Pink
127 Mental aspiration Its expression is precise and clear and very reasonable. Ixora coccinea. Light yellow
128 Aspiration in the physical Manifold, simple and joyful. Ixora coccinea. Deep red
129 Aspiration in the physical for the Supramental Light Clustered, persistent, obstinate, organised, methodical. Ixora javanica. Orange
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130 Prayer Self-giving is true prayer. Zephyranthes. Several colours
131 Psychic prayer Spontaneous and fervent. Zephyranthes. Light pink
132 Mental prayer Spontaneous in a mind that is aspiring for transformation. Zephyranthes. Yellow
133 Vital prayer The vital prays to be purified. Zephyranthes. Deep pink
134 Integral prayer The whole being is concentrated in a single prayer to the Divine. Zephyranthes. White
135 Supramental invocation The spontaneous attitude of the Supermind towards the Divine. Sternbergia lutea. Golden yellow
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PRAYER
Prayer is only a particular form given to . . . will, aspiration and faith. ... Its power and sense is to put the will, aspiration and faith of man into touch with the divine Will as that of a conscious Being with whom we can enter into conscious and living relations.... In spiritual matters and in the seeking of spiritual gains, this conscious relation is a great power; it is a much greater power than our own entirely self-reliant struggle and effort and it brings a fuller spiritual growth and experience.
Sri Aurobindo
Here is my constant prayer to our Lord: "O my beloved Lord, let Thy Will be done, Thy Will alone, without any resistance or opposition. Thy Will is our happiness and our security." The Mother
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT
Religion's real business is to prepare man's mind, life and bodily existence for the spiritual consciousness to take it up; it has to lead him to that point where the inner spiritual light begins fully to emerge. It is at this point that religion must learn to subordinate itself, not to insist on its outer characters, but give full scope to the inner spirit itself to develop its own truth and reality. In the meanwhile it has to take up as much of man's mentality, vitality, physicality as it can and give all his activities a turn towards the spiritual direction, the revelation of a spiritual meaning in them, the imprint of a spiritual refinement, the beginning of a spiritual character. Sri Aurobindo
136 Religious thought Can only be utilised when it is freed from the influence of religions. Wrightia tinctoria. White
137 True worship Total and constant, without demand or claim. Leucas aspera. White
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ADORATION
Worship is only the first step on the path of devotion. Where external worship changes into the inner adoration, real Bhakti begins; that deepens into the intensity of divine love; that love leads to the joy of closeness in our relations with the Divine; the joy of closeness passes into the bliss of union.
The aim of Yoga being union, its beginning must always be a seeking after the Divine, a longing after some kind of touch, closeness or possession. When this comes on us, . . . adoration becomes always primarily an inner worship; we begin to make ourselves a temple of the Divine, our thoughts and feelings a constant prayer of aspiration and seeking, our whole life an external service and worship. Sri Aurobindo
138 Adoration Manifold, smiling, regular, it offers itself tirelessly. Cordia sebestena. Orange
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DEVOTION
In love for the Divine or for one whom one feels to be divine, the Bhakta feels an intense reverence for the Lord, a sense of something of immense greatness, beauty or value and for himself a strong impression of his own comparative unworthiness and a passionate desire to grow into likeness with that which one adores.
The final demand of the Bhakta is simply that his Bhakti may never cease nor diminish. He does not ask for heaven or for liberation from birth or for any other object, but only that his love may be eternal and absolute.
139 Devotional attitude Modest and self-effacing, it yields remarkable fruit. Aegle marmelos. Greenish white
140 Devotion Modest and fragrant, it gives itself without asking anything in return. Ocimum tenuiflorum. Pale greenish white
141 Conquering fervour An ardour that fears no obstacles. Ocimum americanum. White
142 Joy of union with the Divine Abundantly scented, it fills the heart with joy. Ocimum basilicum. White
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JOY OF UNION WITH THE DIVINE
To see nothing but the Divine, to be at every moment in union with him, to love him in all creatures and have the delight of him in all things is the whole condition of [the God lover's] existence. . . . The joy of heaven and the joy of earth are only a small shadow of his possessions; for as he grows into the Divine, the Divine too flows out upon him with all the light, power and joy of an infinite existence. Sri Aurobindo
SEEKING SUPPORT ONLY IN THE DIVINE
Never seek support elsewhere than in the Divine. Never seek satisfaction elsewhere than in the Divine. Never seek the satisfaction of your needs in anyone else than the Divine — never, for anything at all. All your needs can be satisfied only by the Divine. All your weaknesses can be borne and healed only by the Divine. He alone is capable of giving you what you need in everything, always. The Mother
143 Right use of the granted Grace No deformation, no diminution, no exaggeration, a clear sincerity. Saponaria officinalis. White or pink
144 Seeking for support only in the Divine The Divine is the only support that never fails. Solanum seaforthianum. Light lavender
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145 Offering The only offering that truly enriches is one that is made to the Divine. Alcea rosea. Several colours
146 Offering of all obscurities Offer your obscurities sincerely to the Divine and you will be able to receive the Light. Alcea rosea. Dark purple
147 Psychic offering This is the spontaneous attitude of the psychic towards the Divine. Alcea rosea. Light pink
148 Offering of the emotions Emotions placed at the service of progress. Alcea rosea. Lavender pink
149 Offering of the vital The immediate result of conversion. Alcea rosea. Dark red
150 Integral offering of the vital An important stage on the way to transformation. Alcea rosea. White and lavender
151 Offering of the material vital Indispensable for conversion. Alcea rosea. Reddish violet
152 Offering of the most material vital The first step towards transformation. Alcea rosea. Very dark red
153 Offering of the physical The proof of the resolution to liberate oneself from the ego. Let the physical offer itself sincerely to the Divine and it will be transformed. Alcea rosea. Red
154 Combined offering of two parts of the being This heralds the progress and effectiveness of the being. Alcea rosea. Bicoloured
155 Integral offering The surest way to realisation. Alcea rosea. White
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OFFERING
Yoga means union with the Divine, and the union is effected through offering — it is founded on the offering of yourself to the Divine. . . . You must feel at every step that you belong to the Divine; you must have the constant experience that, in whatever you think or do, it is always the Divine Consciousness that is acting through you. You have no longer anything that you can call your own; you feel everything as coming from the Divine, and you have to offer it back to its source. When you can realise that, then even the smallest thing to which you do not usually pay much attention or care, ceases to be trivial and insignificant; it becomes full of meaning and it opens up a vast horizon beyond.
ENTIRE SELF-GIVING
The Divine gives itself to those who give themselves without reserve and in all their parts to the Divine. For them the calm, the light, the power, the bliss, the freedom, the wideness, the heights of knowledge, the seas of Ananda. Sri Aurobindo
[The soul's inherent aspiration] is what comes up when there is the sheer self-giving, when "I seek you for this, I seek you for that" changes to a sheer "I seek you for you." It is that marvellous and ineffable absolute in the Divine that X means when he says, "Not knowledge nor this nor that, bur Krishna." The pull of that is indeed a categorical imperative, the self in us drawn to the Divine because of the imperative call of the greater Self, the soul ineffably drawn towards the object of its adoration because it cannot be otherwise, because it is it and He is He. That is all about it.
156 Unconditional integral offering The joy of self-offering without asking anything in return. Ipomoea tricolor 'Pearly Gates'. White
157 Entire self-giving Completely open, clear and pure. Ipomoea alba. White
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REMEMBRANCE
It is by the constant remembrance that the being is prepared for the full opening. By the opening of the heart the Mother's presence begins to be felt and, by the opening to her Power above, the Force of the higher consciousness comes down into the body and works there to change the whole nature. Sri Aurobindo
REMEMBRANCE OF SRI AUROBINDO
Sri Aurobindo came to tell the world of the beauty of the future that must be realised. He came to give not a hope but a certitude of the splendour towards which the world moves. The world is not an unfortunate accident, it is a marvel which moves towards its expression. The world needs the certitude of the beauty of the future. And Sri Aurobindo has given that assurance.
158 Remembrance Constant remembrance of the Divine is indispensable for transformation. Lycianthes rantonnei. Mauve
159 Constant remembrance of the Divine Spontaneous and joyful. The ideal condition. Lonicera japonica. Ivory white
160 Remembrance of Sri Aurobindo Let us strive to realise the ideal of life he has set before us. Lobelia erinus 'Cambridge Blue'. Blue
161 Glad remembrance In activity and in silence, in taking and in giving, always the glad remembrance of Thee. Clarkia unguiculata 'Rosea plena'. Several colours
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162 Lasting remembrance The remembrance of that which has helped the being to progress. Myosotis sylvatica. Sky blue
163 Emotional remembrance Only the circumstances that have helped us in our search for the Divine should be the object of this remembrance. Dicentra spectabilis. Rose pink
164 Subconscient remembrance Must be purified of all that is useless. Cynoglossum amabile. Sky blue
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165 Opening The help is constant in all domains. It is for us to know how to benefit from it. Barleria. Many colours
166 Mental opening The first step of the mind towards transformation. Barleria prionitis. Golden yellow
167 Emotional opening The progress of the emotions towards the Divine. Barleria cristata. White and lavender
168 Opening of the emotional vital One of the first steps on the way to transformation. Barleria cristata. Pink
169 Vital opening to the Supramental Light (No comment) Barleria. Bluish purple
170 Integral opening of the being to the Divine The first step of the ascent. Barleria cristata. White
OPENING
Opening is a release of the consciousness by which it begins to admit into itself the working of the Divine Light and Power.
In this yoga the whole principle is to open oneself to the Divine Influence. It is there above you and, if you can once become conscious of it, you have then to call it down into you. It descends into the mind and into the body as Peace, as a Light, as a Force that works, as the Presence of the Divine with or without form, as Ananda. Sri Aurobindo
What you should do is to throw the doors of your being wide open to the Divine. The moment you conceal something, you step straight into Falsehood. The least suppression on your part pulls you immediately down into unconsciousness. If you want to be fully conscious, be always in front of the Truth - completely open yourself and try your utmost to let it see deep inside you, into every corner of your being. That alone will bring into you light and consciousness and all that is most true. The Mother
Widen yourself to the extreme limit of the universe . . . and beyond. Always take upon yourself all the necessities of progress, and resolve them in the ecstasy of Unity. Then you will be divine. The Mother
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171 Opening to Sri Aurobindo's Force Sri Aurobindo's help is constant. It is for us to know how to receive it. Thunbergia kirkii. Lavender
172 Opening to the Light Harmonises with all that can lead towards the Light. Thunbergia erecta. Several colours
173 Opening of the higher vital to the Light The vital existing only for the Divine. The vital knowing no other master than the Divine. Thunbergia erecta. Lavender and white
174 Opening of the material vital to the Light One of the essential conditions for peace. Thunbergia erecta. Deep violet
175 Integral opening to the Light The assurance of the coming peace and joy. Thunbergia erecta 'Alba'. White
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176 Receptivity Conscious of the Divine Will and surrendered to it. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Many colours
177 Psychic receptivity The psychic responds joyfully to the ascending force. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Pink or rose pink
178 Receptivity of the supramentalised psychic This is what happens to the psychic that continues to progress. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Pink and orange
179 Mental receptivity Always ready to learn. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Yellow
180 Emotional receptivity Emotions wanting to be divinised. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Lavender pink or mauve
181 Vital receptivity Happens only when the vital understands that it must be transformed. The vital blossoms in aspiration for the Divine. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Dark red or deep violet
182 Physical receptivity One should have it only towards the Divine. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Bright red
183 Integral receptivity The whole being perceives the Divine Will and obeys it. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. White
184 Manifold receptivity Nothing resists the Light. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Multicoloured
185 Supramentalised receptivity The receptivity of tomorrow. Gladiolus Xhortulanus. Orange
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186 Broadening of the being All the parts of the being broaden in order to progress. Sinningia speciosa. Many colours
187 Organised emotional broadening The broadening should not be the result of an instinctive impulse but of a conscious organisation. Sinningia speciosa. White and purple
188 Broadening of the most material vital The limitations of the ego begin to be shaken. Sinningia speciosa. Purple
189 Blossoming The result of trust and success. Tulipa. All colours
RECEPTIVITY
Receptivity - the power to receive the Divine Force and to feel its presence and the presence of the Mother in it and allow it to work, guiding one's sight and will and action. Sri Aurobindo
BROADENING
When the consciousness is narrow and personal or shut in the body, it is difficult to receive from the Divine — the wider it expands, the more it can receive. A time comes when it feels as wide as the world and able to receive all the Divine into itself. Sri Aurobindo
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190 Concentration Does not aim at effect, but is simple and persistent. Euphorbia milii. Bright red
CONCENTRATION
It is well known that the value of a man is in proportion to his capacity of concentrated attention; the greater the concentration the more exceptional is the result, to the extent that a perfect and unfailing concentrated attention sets the stamp of genius on what is produced.
Concentration is a state one must be in continually, whatever the outer activity. By concentration I mean that all the energy, all the will, all the aspiration must be turned only towards the Divine and His integral realisation in our consciousness. The Mother
Our one objective must be the Divine himself to whom, knowingly or unknowingly, something always aspires in our secret nature. There must be a large, many-sided yet single concentration of the thought on the idea, the perception, the vision, the awakening touch, the soul's realisation of the one Divine. There must be a flaming concentration of the heart on the All and Eternal and, when once we have found him, a deep plunging and immersion in the possession and ecstasy of the All-Beautiful. There must be a strong and immovable concentration of the will on the attainment and fulfilment of all that the Divine is and a free and plastic opening of it to all that he intends to manifest in us.
TAPASYA
Tapasya is a strong concentration of the energies for a result - but usually concentration of them in the practice of some discipline for a spiritual result.
Tapasya is the concentration of the will to get the results of sadhana and to conquer the lower nature.
When the will and energy are concentrated and used to control the mind, vital and physical and change them or to bring down the higher consciousness or for any other yogic purpose or high purpose, that is called Tapasya.
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191 Tapasya A discipline with the aim of realising the Divine. Datura. White
192 Mental tapasya The process leading to the goal. Datura. Yellow
193 Vital tapasya The vital undergoes a rigorous discipline in order to transform itself. Datura. White tinged violet
194 Integral tapasya The whole being lives only to know and serve the Divine. Datura. White, double
195 Perfect tapasya That which will reach its goal. Brugmansia suaveolens. White
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196 Detachment from all that is not the Divine A single occupation, a single aim, a single joy - the Divine. Ipomoea cairica. Light rose purple or light mauve
DETACHMENT FROM ALL THAT IS NOT THE DIVINE
Detachment [from the imperfections and weaknesses of one's nature] means that one stands back from them, does not identify oneself with them or get upset or troubled because they are there, but rather looks on them as something foreign to one's true consciousness and true self, rejects them and calls in the Mother's force into these movements to eliminate them and bring the true consciousness and its movements there.
You must always step back into yourself - learn to go deep within — step back and you will be safe. Do not lend yourself to the superficial forces which move in the outside world. Even if you are in a hurry to do something, step back for a while and you will discover to your surprise how much sooner and with what greater success your work can be done. If someone is angry with you, do not be caught in his vibrations but simply step back and his anger, finding no support or response, will vanish. Always keep your peace, resist all temptation to lose it. Never decide anything without stepping back, never speak a word without stepping back, never throw yourself into action without stepping back. All that belongs to the ordinary world is impermanent and fugitive, so there is nothing in it worth getting upset about. What is lasting, eternal, immortal and infinite - that indeed is worth having, worth conquering, worth possessing. It is Divine Light, Divine Love, Divine Life - it is also Supreme Peace, Perfect Joy and All-Mastery upon earth. . . . The Mother
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RENUNCIATION OF DESIRES
Our renunciation must obviously be an inward renunciation; especially and above all, a renunciation of attachment and the craving of desire in the senses and the heart, of self-will in the thought and action and of egoism in the centre of the consciousness. For these things are the three knots by which we are bound to our lower nature and if we can renounce these utterly, there is nothing else that can bind us. Sri Aurobindo
197 Renunciation of desires The essential condition for realisation. Tectona grandis. Cream white
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198 Renunciation of emotional desires Indispensable for transformation. Angelonia salicariifolia. White with purple
199 Renunciation of vital desires It has understood the futility of desires. Angelonia salicariifolia. Purple
200 Integral renunciation of vital desires An indispensable condition for true progress. Angelonia salicariifolia. White
201 Absence of desire Luminous and fragrant, it expresses both peace and joy. Atalantia monophylla. White
RENUNCIATION
There is a sovereign royalty in taking no thought for oneself. To have needs is to assert a weakness; to claim something proves that we lack what we claim. To desire is to be impotent; it is to recognise our limitations and confess our incapacity to overcome them.
If only from the point of view of a legitimate pride, man should be noble enough to renounce desire.
The Mother All renunciation is for a greater joy yet ungrasped. Some renounce for the joy of duty done, some for the joy of peace, some for the joy of God and some for the joy of self-torture, but renounce rather as a passage to the freedom and untroubled rapture beyond. Sri Aurobindo
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ABOLITION OF THE EGO
What we call ourself is only the ego. Our true self is the Divine. The Mother
Human nature is shot through in all its stuff with the thread of the ego; even when one tries to get away from it, it is in front or could be behind all the thoughts and actions like a shadow. To see that is the first step, to discern the falsity and absurdity of the ego-movements is the second, to discourage and refuse it at each step is the third, — but it goes entirely only when one sees, experiences and lives the One in everything and equally everywhere. Sri Aurobindo
Our ego, boasting of freedom, is at every moment the slave, toy and puppet of countless beings, powers, forces, influences in universal Nature. The self-abnegation of the ego in the Divine is its self-fulfilment; its surrender to that which transcends it is its liberation from bonds and limits and its perfect freedom. Sri Aurobindo
There is no happiness in smallness of the being, says the Scripture, it is with the large being that happiness comes. The ego is by its nature a smallness of being; it brings contraction of the consciousness and with the contraction limitation of knowledge, disabling ignorance. . . . To recover what is lost we must break out of the worlds of ego. Sri Aurobindo
202 Unselfishness Deeply open so as not to refuse anything. Beaumontia jerdoniana. White
203 Abolition of the ego One exists only by the Divine and for the Divine. Eucalyptus. Cream white
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204 Chastity A little austere and proud, it is very reserved. Citrus limon. White
205 Continence Control over oneself. Citrus maxima. White
CONTINENCE To be continent is to allow no other movements in the being (mental, vital and physical) than those strictly indispensable to manifest the Divine's Will. The Mother
CONTINENCE
To be continent is to allow no other movements in the being (mental, vital and physical) than those strictly indispensable to manifest the Divine's Will.
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CONTROL
First learn to know yourself perfectly and then to control yourself perfectly. You will be able to do it by aspiring at every moment. It is never too early to begin, never too late to continue. The Mother
You may be sure that becoming conscious of the Divine Presence in oneself considerably changes one's whole way of being and gives an exceptional control over all activities, mental, vital and physical. And this control is infinitely more powerful and luminous than anything one can obtain through external means.
206 Control Control over the lower impulses is the first step towards realisation. Pitcairnia museosa. Bright red
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DISCIPLINE
Without character, without some kind of high or strong discipline, there is no enduring power of life. Sri Aurobindo
Discipline is indispensable to progress. It is only when one imposes a rigorous and enlightened discipline on oneself that one can be free from the discipline of others. The supreme discipline is integral surrender to the Divine and to allow nothing else either in one's feelings or one's activities. Nothing should ever be omitted from this surrender — this is the supreme and most rigorous discipline.
It can be said that any discipline whatsoever, if it is followed strictly, sincerely, deliberately, is of considerable help, for it makes the earthly life reach its goal more rapidly and prepares it to receive the new life. To discipline oneself is to hasten the arrival of this new life and the contact with the supramental reality.
207 Exclusivism The inability to do several things at the same time. Nerine sarniensis. Bright red
208 Discipline Sets the example and hopes to be followed. Ocimum basilicum. White
209 Determination Knows what it wants and does it. Kopsia fruiticosa. Light pink
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210 Resolution Nothing can stop its development. Brunfelsia americana. White 211 Steadfastness What it has chosen it keeps and does not like to change. Psidium guajava. White 212 Application Modest but harmonious. Fittonia vershaffeltii. Pale yellow
210 Resolution
Nothing can stop its development.
Brunfelsia americana. White
211 Steadfastness
What it has chosen it keeps and does not like to change.
Psidium guajava. White
212 Application
Modest but harmonious.
Fittonia vershaffeltii. Pale yellow
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REGULARITY
To be able to be regular is a great force, one becomes master of one's time and one's movements. Sri Aurobindo
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213 Regularity Indispensable for all serious accomplishment. Martynia annua. Pale pink
214 Regularity Indispensable for all serious accomplishment. Digitalis. Several colours
215 Thoroughness Indispensable for all true progress. Verbena Xhybrida. Many colours
216 Psychic thoroughness With tireless patience it works for the perfection of the being. Verbena Xhybrida. Pink
217 Vital thoroughness The vital must become calm and docile. Verbena Xhybrida. Mauve
218 Physical thoroughness Takes great care of details in the execution of work. Verbena Xhybrida. Dark red
219 Integral thoroughness Nothing is neglected in order to reach the divine goal. Verbena Xhybrida. White
220 Artistic thoroughness Neglects nothing in its search for perfection. Verbena Xhybrida. Soft red
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221 Continuity To know how to persist in one's effort. Acalypha. Several colours
222 Attempt towards continuity Vigorous and repeated, but not lasting. Acalypha wilkesiana 'Godseffiana'. Pale green tinged red
223 Vital continuity Rich, abundant, persistent. Acalypha wilkesiana. Soft pink
224 Physical continuity Prolongs and prolongs itself and never comes to an end. Acalypha hispida. Red or purple
225 Material continuity Powerful, enduring, solid. Acalypha godseffiana. Dull red
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226 Endurance Going to the end of the effort without fatigue or relaxation. Zinnia elegans. Many colours
227 Courageous endurance Strong and energetic, never complains. Zinnia elegans. Royal purple
228 Victorious endurance It will endure till the end of the battle. Zinnia elegans. Orange
229 Spontaneous endurance Natural, effortless, smiling. Zinnia elegans. Light green
230 Joyful endurance Whatever happens, it keeps on smiling. Zinnia elegans. Bright coral pink
231 Ananda of endurance To know how to bear and endure undoubtedly creates a strong and lasting joy. Zinnia elegans. Cream with red
232 Supramentalised endurance The attitude is such that difficulties lose their power to harrass. Zinnia elegans. Golden yellow
233 Psychic endurance It will smile at life whatever its difficulties may be. Zinnia elegans. Pink
234 Mental endurance The difficulty of the problems to be solved will never discourage it.Zinnia elegans. Yellow
235 Endurance of the higher vital Whatever the circumstances, it never fails. Zinnia elegans. Pinkish mauve
236 Vital endurance Whatever the obstacles, we shall always go forward! Zinnia elegans. Violet red
237 Physical endurance Knows neither fatigue nor exhaustion. Zinnia elegans. Dark red
238 Integral endurance It will go on unfailingly till the end of its task. Zinnia elegans. White
239 Manifold endurance Whatever the endurance needed, it is always there to do its duty. Zinnia elegans. Multicoloured
240 Detailed endurance Nothing is too small to be neglected; all circumstances are met with the same care. Zinnia angustifolia. Several colours
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241 Power of perfect endurance Manifests rarely, but is very precious. Strobilanthes kunthianus. Bluish violet
ENDURANCE
Let endurance be your watchword: teach the life-force in you - your vital being — not to complain but to put up with all the conditions necessary for great achievement. The body is a very enduring servant, it bears the stress of circumstance tamely like a beast of burden. It is the vital being that is always grumbling and uneasy. . . . The very essence of endurance is that the vital should learn to give up its capricious likes and dislikes and preserve an equanimity in the midst of the most trying conditions. . . . Nothing great is ever accomplished without endurance.
PERSEVERANCE
The most essential quality is perseverance, endurance, and a — how to put it? — a kind of inner good mood that helps you not to get discouraged, not to become sad, and to face all difficulties with a smile. There is an English word which expresses this very well — cheerfulness. If you can keep this within you, you resist much better, you fight much better, in the Light, these bad influences which try to prevent you from progressing. The Mother
It is by persevering that one conquers difficulties, not by running away from them. One who perseveres is sure to triumph. Victory goes to the most enduring.
Perseverance is patience in action. The Mother
PATIENCE
Patience is the capacity to wait steadily for the realisation to come. The Mother
To know how to wait is to put Time on your side.
By having patience under all kinds of pressure you lay the foundations of peace. Sri Aurobindo
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242 Perseverance The decision to go to the very end. Calendula officinalis. Yellow or orange
243 Detailed perseveranceOne continues the work begun for as long as necessary. Wedelia. Bright yellow
244 Patience Indispensable for all realisation. Mimusops elengi. Cream white
245 Accomplishment Accomplishment is undoubtedly the fruit of patience. Mimusops elengi. Yellow orange
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SERVICE
You have to regard yourself as a soul and body created for [the Divine Mother's] service, one who does all for her sake. Even if the idea of the separate worker is strong in you and you feel that it is you who do the act, yet it must be done for her. . . . There must be no demand for fruit and no seeking for reward; the only fruit for you is the pleasure of the Divine Mother and the fulfilment of her work, your only reward a constant progression in divine consciousness and calm and strength and bliss. The joy of service and the joy of inner growth through works is the sufficient recompense of the selfless worker. Sri Aurobindo
There is no greater joy than to serve the Divine. The Mother
246 Service To be at the service of the Divine is the surest way to attain realisation. Peltophorum pterocarpum. Yellow
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WORK
To do the work that one does in all sincerity, as perfectly as one can, is certainly one of the best ways to serve the Divine. The Mother
Work is part of the Yoga and it gives the best opportunity for calling down the Presence, the Light and the Power into the vital and its activities; it increases also the field and the opportunity of surrender.
WORKS OF LOVE
The one true reward of the works of love is to grow ever in capacity and delight of love up to the ecstasy of the spirit's all-seizing embrace and universal passion....
247 Work Let us offer our work to the Divine — this is the sure way to progress. Acacia auriculiformis. Deep yellow
248 Works of love The best condition for work. Impatiens wallerana. Many colours
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249 Cheerfulness in work for the Divine Work for the Divine and you will feel an ineffable joy filling your being. Coreopsis tinctoria. Several colours
250 Disinterested work done for the Divine The surest way to progress. Crinum. White
251 Disinterested work done for the Divine in the vital Calm and powerful, it reaches its goal. Crinum. White with reddish purple
CHEERFULNESS IN WORK FOR THE DIVINE Try to enjoy everything you do. When you are interested in what you do, you enjoy doing it. To be interested in what you do, you must try to do it better and better. In progress lies great joy. The Mother
CHEERFULNESS IN WORK FOR THE DIVINE
Try to enjoy everything you do.
When you are interested in what you do, you enjoy doing it.
To be interested in what you do, you must try to do it better and better.
In progress lies great joy. The Mother
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DISINTERESTED WORK
All action must be in [the integral Yoga] part of the God-life, our acts of knowledge, our acts of power and production and creation, our acts of joy and beauty and the soul's pleasure, our acts of will and endeavour and strength and not our acts only of love and beneficent service. Its way to do these things will be not outward and mental, but inward and spiritual, and to that end it will bring into all activities, whatever they are, the spirit of divine love, the spirit of adoration and worship, the spirit of happiness in the Divine and in the beauty of the Divine so as to make all life a sacrifice of the works of the soul's love to the Divine, its cult of the Master of its existence. Sri Aurobindo
Disinterested work is work done with no other motive than that of doing as well as possible the Divine's work.
252 Power aspiring to become an instrument for the divine work Power, opening to a higher consciousness, awakens to the need of being at the service of the Divine. Passiflora vitifolia. Bright red
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253 Mahasaraswati's perfection in work Is not satisfied with makeshift. Rondeletia odorata. Bright orange or deep pink
MAHASARASWATI
Mahasaraswati is the [supreme] Mother's Power of Work and her spirit of perfection and order. . . . Of all the Mother's powers she is the most long-suffering with men and his thousand imperfections. Kind, smiling, close and helpful, nor easily turned away or discouraged, insistent even after repeated failure, her hand sustains our every step on condition that we are single in our will and straightforward and sincere; for a double mind she will not tolerate and her revealing irony is merciless to drama and histrionics and self-deceit and pretense. A mother to our wants, a friend in our difficulties, a persistent and tranquil counsellor and mentor, chasing away with her radiant smile the clouds of gloom and fretfulness and depression, reminding always of the ever-present help, pointing to the eternal sunshine, she is firm, quiet and persevering in the deep and continuous urge that drives us towards the integrality of the higher nature.
For [Mahasaraswati] everything must be done down to the last detail, and done in an absolutely perfect way. And she wants, she insists that it should be done physically, totally, materially, that it should not remain in the air, you see, like a mental or vital action, but that it should be a physical realisation in all its details, and all the details should be perfect, that nothing should be neglected. The Mother
Mahasaraswati [is] the goddess of divine skill and of the works of the Spirit, and hers is the Yoga that is skill in works, yogah karmasu kaushalam, and the utilities of divine knowledge and the self-application of the spirit to life and the happiness of its harmonies.
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SKILL IN WORK
Yoga, says the Gita, is skill in works, and by this phrase the ancient Scripture meant that the transformation of mind and being to which it gave the name of Yoga brought with it a perfect inner state and faculty out of which the right principle of action and the right spiritual and divine result of works emerged naturally like a tree out of its seed. Sri Aurobindo
254 Skill in work Must be used consciously. Phlox drummondii. Many colours
255 Skill in psychic work Listen silently to the command that comes from the Supreme Lord and you will have the capacity to carry it out. Phlox drummondii. Pink with white
256 Skill in mental work To know how to observe in silence is the source of skilfulness. Phlox drummondii. Yellow
257 Emotional skill in work When work becomes attractive and is done with joy, how much better it is done. Phlox drummondii. White and mauve
258 Skill in vital work The seat of all capacities and all skills, which have only to be disciplined in order to be realised. Phlox drummondii. Purple
259 Physical skill in work Skilful hands, a clear vision, concentrated attention, tireless patience, and what one does is done well. Phlox drummondii. Carmine red
260 Skill in material work Skilful hands, precise care, sustained attention, and one compels Matter to obey the Spirit. Phlox drummondii. Bright red
261 Skill in integral work All that is done is done well, whatever the work undertaken. Phlox drummondii. White
262 Artistic work All work at the service of beauty. Phlox drummondii. Very light pink
263 Radiating skill in work When the instruments of work (hands, eyes etc.) become conscious and the attention is controlled, the capacity for work seems to be limitless. Phlox drummondii. Many colours
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ORDER
There must be order and harmony in work. Even what is apparently the most insignificant thing must be done with perfect perfection, with a sense of cleanliness, beauty, harmony and order. The Mother
ORGANISATION
A clear and precise vision of what is to be done and a steady, calm and firm will to have it done are the essential conditions for an organisation to be run properly.
It is necessary to organise one's own affairs. . . . And those who can do this are usually people who can put their ideas in order and can also organise their character and finally can control their movements.... If one can take life in this way, it becomes truly interesting. If one lives in confusion, in disorder, in an inner and outer chaos in which everything is mixed up and one is conscious of nothing and still less in command of things, that is not living.
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264 Order To put each thing in its place gives it its true value. Randia speciosa. Cream white
265 Organisation Indispensable for all good work. Pseuderanthemum. Several colours
266 Aspiration for organisation Neat and methodical, order at the expense of multiplicity. Pseuderanthemum. White and reddish purple
267 Organisation in the vital Indispensable for all realisation. Pseuderanthemum. White and pink
268 Material organisation Manifold and well-arranged in order to face difficulties. Pseuderanthemum. White and purplish red
269 Integral organisation Preliminary necessity for transformation. Pseuderanthemum. White
270 Organisation of details Indispensable for all lasting accomplishment. Pseuderanthemum. White and reddish purple
271 Result of harmonious organisation More effective than showy. An effective simplicity. Pseuderanthemum. White and maroon
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273 Grouping Indispensable for collective action. Clerodendrum paniculatum. Reddish orange
272 Organised team-work Each one in his place and all together. Averrhoa carambola. Rose purple
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HELP
One cannot help others to overcome their sorrows and sufferings unless one has overcome all this in oneself and is master of one's feelings and reactions.
The best way of helping others is to transform oneself. Be perfect and you will be in a position to bring perfection to the world. The Mother
The best way to help the world is to transform ownself by an integral and intensive yoga. The Mother
275 Help You bring help to him who knows how to use you. Cymbopogon citratus. Greenish purple
274 Perfect planning of work Can only be obtained with the consciousness of the Divine. Clerodendrum inerme. White
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276 Collaboration Always ready to help and knows how to do it. Dianthus caryophyllus. Many colours 277 Obedience To learn to obey is good; to obey only the Divine is better. Dianthus chinensis. Several colours 278 Detailed obedience The obedience to the Divine Will ought to be total. Dianthus barbatus. Several colours 279 Perfect obedience Without agitation or reserve, in every domain, joyous obedience to the divine command. Dianthus chinensis. Several colours, double
276 Collaboration
Always ready to help and knows how to do it.
Dianthus caryophyllus. Many colours
277 Obedience
To learn to obey is good; to obey only the Divine is better.
Dianthus chinensis. Several colours
278 Detailed obedience
The obedience to the Divine Will ought to be total.
Dianthus barbatus. Several colours
279 Perfect obedience
Without agitation or reserve, in every domain, joyous obedience to the divine command.
Dianthus chinensis. Several colours, double
COLLABORATION Collaboration and reciprocal goodwill are indispensable for good work. The Mother It is only in harmonious collaboration that effective work can be done. The important thing is to find the point on which you can all agree — and after this is firmly established, each one must be ready to yield his personal will in order to keep intact this point of harmony. The Mother OBEDIENCE Obedience is necessary so as to get away from one's own mind and vital and learn to follow the Truth. SRI AUROBINDO In yoga obedience to the Guru or to the Divine and the law of the Truth as declared by the Guru is the foundation of discipline. SRI AUROBINDO
COLLABORATION
Collaboration and reciprocal goodwill are indispensable for good work. The Mother
It is only in harmonious collaboration that effective work can be done. The important thing is to find the point on which you can all agree — and after this is firmly established, each one must be ready to yield his personal will in order to keep intact this point of harmony. The Mother
OBEDIENCE
Obedience is necessary so as to get away from one's own mind and vital and learn to follow the Truth. SRI AUROBINDO
In yoga obedience to the Guru or to the Divine and the law of the Truth as declared by the Guru is the foundation of discipline. SRI AUROBINDO
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280 Cheerful endeavour The joy that one finds in the effort towards the Divine. Arctotis venusta. White
281 Thirst to understand Very useful for transformation. Crossostephium artemisioides. Yellow
282 Thirst to learn One of the qualities that facilitate integral progress. Ipomoea lobata. Bright red
283 Progress This is why we are on earth. Catharanthus roseus. Several colours
284 Uninterrupted but spasmodic progress Now here, now there, apparently very impulsive. Catharanthus roseus. Rose violet with white
285 Vital progress Organisation around the Divine Will and progressive surrender to that Will.Catharanthus roseus. Light rose violet
286 Integral progress in the vital The vital consents to be purified. Catharanthus roseus. White with violet
287 Constant progress in Matter The result of an ardent aspiration. Catharanthus roseus. Light pink with red
288 Integral progress in Matter Matter awakens to consciousness. Catharanthus roseus. White with red
289 Integral progress Can only be satisfied by integrality. The best way to go fast. Catharanthus roseus 'Albus'. White
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PROGRESS
Give up all personal seeking for comfort, satisfaction, enjoyment or happiness. Be only a burning fire for progress, take whatever comes to you as an aid to your progress and immediately make whatever progress is required. The Mother
It is especially the will for progress and self-purification that lights the fire. The will for progress. When those who have a strong will turn it towards spiritual progress and purification, they automatically light the fire within themselves. The Mother
The thirst for progress, the thirst to know, the thirst to transform yourself, and above all the thirst for Love and Truth — if you keep that, you go faster. Truly a thirst, a need, you know, a need. All the rest has no importance, what you need is that. No more bonds - free, free, free, free! Always ready to change everything, except one thing: to aspire. That thirst. The "Something" we need, the Perfection we need, the Light we need, the Love we need, the Truth we need, the supreme Perfection we need — and that's all. The formulas — the fewer the formulas, the better. A need, a need, a need ... which only the Thing can satisfy, nothing else, no half measure. Only That. And then, move on, move on! Your path will be your path, it doesn't matter; any path, any path whatever. The Mother
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