Hi I visited the Republic Day Flower Show , currently on at Lalbagh. The riot of Colours created by thousands of flowers is unforgettable. What splendor ! Endless rows of enchantment. Dazzling hues. Unbelievable shapes and amazing sizes. When I came out I was like a drunkard, fully sozzled on the beauty of Nature. On the way to the car park, I kept wondering why flowers bring so much joy. I dint possess them, could not even touch them, they were not exclusive to me. Yet they filled me with such happiness and fulfillment. Why ? My (elder)sister ,who was with me ,casually remarked that it was because flowers are angels ! I laughed. Was she kidding ? But she told me that ever since she had read a book by The Mother of Auroville (Pondicherry)she is convinced that flowers are psychic beings capable of spreading little patches of the Divine Essence on earth. " why else offer flowers to gods,"she asked,"when we see or touch a flower we absorb a little of that divinity and that heightened consciousness makes us want to reunite with the Cosmic Being. Dedicating a flower to god is an outward manifestation of that yearning." Later, I read a very small pocket book she gave me. It contained pictures of flowers and The Mother's words. Reading it was like stepping into an ethereal fairyworld. Apparently, The Mother, a realised soul ,often communed with flowers and used them as a means of communication. The most common use we know of is giving a red rose to denote love. The Mother has taught the symbolisms of an exhaustive list of flowers and trees , I learnt. Here are some Quotes from the book: 1. " Flowers aspire for the Divine and express themselves through Beauty and Silence" 2. "Flowers speak to us when we know how to listen to their subtle, fragrant language" 3." Love of flowers can help us find our psychic self" 4. Contact with flowers means contact with the Vital Force that is omnipresent" 5."Each flower is perfect in itself because of the divinity present in it. This presence is a wordless prayer or adoration." 6. " Be like a flower - open, frank, kind and generous. Radiate joy and beauty. Flowers hide nothing , do not with- hold anything from anyone in preference; they are generous , tender and cheerful till they whither. These are qualities of refinement." 7,"Humans are conscious. Animals are instinctive. Flowers are spontaneous in opening to Divinity and recieving it. That is the quality of Angels." Think about it. vidyasarada
Dear Vidhyasarada, That was a beautiful and fragrant post...i did not know that flowers have so much of divinity....but isn't it true...dont we all feel happy looking at flowers....just by looking at it, we get so much happiness....now i feel i will appreciate them more! I have heard that Mother likes flowers as offerings , now i know why! thanks for sharing such lovely posts....keep them coming!
Thanx for the response Sudha. I have visited The Pondicherry Ashram only as a tourist and have seen the wonderful garden they have and the magnificent floral arrangements they make on the Mothers samadhi. But I have not taken interest in The Mother's Teachings or philosophy. So I dont know much about her writings on flowers or anything else. My sisters tells me that She was what is called a Psychic who could understand paranormal things. I have no idea about those. Now, after reading that little book, I think I should make an effort to read more of her works . So, thats one more on the never-ending " Wishlist"! If there are other ILs who have better knowledge about The Mother, could they please share with us ? VS
Pondy Holy Mother Dear VS,Sudha, Very happy to see this discussion. There are a few believers of the Holy Mother in IL. We once had a short discussion about Her in the Spirituality Forum. I think AGR had suggested one manner of worshipping the Mother. I first saw Her photo in the 90s TV serial Premi. (Those were days when info and internet were not prolific in good ole TVM). Something abt Her countenance calmed my mind, my mom told me that She is the Holy Mother of Pondy. Aval Vikatan also brought out a booklet on The Mother which details which flower is to be used for which wish fulfilment. There is a long list. If my memory is right, pink rose is one of the favourites. Chrysathemum is used for success in profession. Lemon grass and scented grass for getting the right persons to help you at right times. VS- If I find the book in my cargo, I will scan it and send you a copy. The Mother is from Tunisia, I think. Very early in life, she became interested in psychic manifestations etc and studied it in a disciplined way. Her Eyes are supposed to be empowering and healing. Keeping a picture of Her Eyes at home will ward off eye diseases. I think Aravind Netralaya has that pic in all their hospitals. I became a strong believer a couple of years back when my life was down in all ways. I have decided not to read any of Her books or teachings. I believe that I was drawn to Her naturally thru the heart, and I want the relationship/bonding to stay that way. My life improved abundantly in peace after The Mother stepped in. I can summon Her smiling face at any stressed moment and feel better. Whenever I need some genuine help, someone comes from the blue to volunteer that. It could be as important as a visa, or as flippant as the right shade of eye shadow to apply, The Mother is there to help me out always. Am rambling here. Sincerely Vidya
Hello VS ! The Mother once remarked that plants and flowers aspire for the Divine but they express their aspiration through silence and beauty. There is a book on the same from Pondicherry Ashram. With numerous photographs, illustrations, charts and articles, this interesting and informative book gives the spiritual significance of flowers as revealed by the Mother. Each flower denotes a quality or an aspiration. Even paper flowers, artificial flowers etc are significant. Enery flower is offered, irrespective of whether it has a fragrance or not. Offering flowersto Mother everyday, is an enjoyable ritual, which I never miss. For example, Nagalingapoo gives Lakshmi Kataksham, manoranjitham gives a clear mind, nandhiyavattai gives pure mind - I have a full list ! Please see the photo below. Mother's ees are supposed to be very powerful & specially worshipped. Love, Chithra
You Have Filled Some Gaps in My Education, VS! Dear VS, Even your post was like a soft flower spending its mild fragrance and gently dancing to the tunes of the breeze. Honestly, this insight about flowers, which you got from your sister, the Mothers words are so profound. I used to wonder often our obsession with flowers. The millions spent on bouquets, garlands, flowers kept in vases had been a puzzle to the Accountant in me. But today I have realised their real value, their real significance. I had the same feeling when I visited the International Flower Market in Amsterdam some 14 years back. You see flowers for miles on end. As you very aptly described I was kind of drunk. But unfortunately I did not have the blessing of an insightful elder sister. So I had to wait for 14 years to get the explanation from you. It was a really good post. I could even smell the flowers as I was reading your well-crafted post. Well done, VS. regards, sridhar
Thanks Vidhya and Chitra , for the woderful explanations on Mother and her assn with flowers. I have a pic of Mother inmy prayer room, given to me by my chitti who is her ardent worshipper. I also had lived in Pondy for abt a year and have pleasant, peaceful memories of visiting her Ashram. Like Vidhya has said, i too just have a special bond in my heart and have not got into the flower giving ritual, since i can not find flowers all the time. But it would be nice to know more about the flowers offerings etc. I am sure these details may bo on the net too..... But Vidhyasarada, arent you glad that you decided to post this .....see so many of us are enjoying the fragrance!
Vidya Saradha, that was a good post. I haven't seen the world like you. All these informations from you and others are new for me.I love flowers. and liked the sentence 6. " Be like a flower - open, frank, kind and generous. Radiate joy and beauty. Flowers hide nothing , do not with- hold anything from anyone in preference; they are generous , tender and cheerful till they whither. These are qualities of refinement." Thanks for the post.
Blooming beauty of thoughts Hi Vidya, Hmmmmmmm I can smell the fragrance and feel the softness of petals from your post. Chitra's photo attachment adds beauty to the wonderful thoughts expressed. Love Meena
some more Mother thoughts This is such a nice thread, VS- thanks,terimah kasih. Sudha, as you said the web has some details, I tried the URL below. http://www.sriaurobindosociety.org.in/mother/motherl1.htm Another interesting trivia for Mother enthusiasts, try the No11 Agarbatti made by Pondicherry Cottage Industries. The fragrance was directly approved by the Mother and the manufacturers have kept the formula unchanged over the years. Apparently, it is called No11, since the Mother rejected 10 samples before choosing this particular fragrance to waft over posterity.
