EDITOR'S NOTE   This edition of Flowers and Their Messages, containing more than eight hundred flowers arranged alphabetically by botanical name, has the same format as the first two editions. Revised and enlarged, it gives a more detailed and accurate description of the flowers, as well as additional flower illustrations and passages from the writings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.   Flowers and Their Messages is primarily a book of the Mother, where Sri Aurobindo's touch is undoubtedly felt since the spiritual significances of the flowers correspond to His incisive psychological analysis of the different planes of consciousness and parts of our being. It may also be called a book of

    THE MOTHER     Flowers and Their Messages     SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM PONDICHERRY   First Published: 1973 Second Edition: 1979 Third Revised Edition: 1984 Fourth Newly Revised Edition: 1992 Reprinted: 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004     All Rights Reserved No matter appearing in this book or part thereof may be reproduced in any form, except small extracts for purposes of review, without the written permission of the publishers.     Price Rs. 175.00  ISBN 81-7058-297-0   © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 1973, 1992 Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry - 605 002

Classified List of Significances   ABOLITION ALCHEMY 134 Aspiration for Supramental Guidance in the Subconscient 184 Abolition of the Ego 97 ANANDA 115 Aspiration for the Divine Consciousness 248 ABSENCE Ananda in the Centres 45 Absence of Desire 24 Ananda in the Physical 115 Aspiration for the Right Attitude 66 Absence of Grief 220 Ananda in the Physical Body 45 Aspiration for Trust in the Divine 23 Ananda of Endurance 255 ABUND

REFERENCES:   Unless otherwise stated, the references are taken from the Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library (SABCL) and The Mother's Collected Works (MCW).References are not given for texts or sentences given specially for this book.   MCW, 1:362 (Frontispiece) 15 MCW, 1:354 (Renunciation of Vital Desires) I MCW, 3:72 16 SABCL, 24:1538 (Mastery of Sex) I MCW, 3:132 19 SABCL, 28:38 (Inspiration) I MCW, 9:210-11 21 MCW, 12:60 (Spiritual Speech) II The Mother, Talk of 18.1.56 22 MCW, 14:67 (Simple Sincerity) II

-003_The Mother^s Flower Significancescopy Abelmoschus esculentus Okra, Gumbo, Lady's-finger light yellow rotate flower with dark maroon centre; seasonal vegetable   Mentalised Power Power becomes utilisable.   Abutilon hybridum Chinese lantern, Flowering Maple several colours of pendulous bell-shaped flowers; shrub   Promise The future is full of promise.   Abutilon hybridum bright yellow flowers   Mental Promise The assurance that the Supramental goal will be realised. Abutilon hybridum deep red-purple flowers with darker veins   Vital Promise The vital is full of possibilities ready to develop.

Flower Language   You can easily make a speech using flowers and I have noticed that this can effectively replace the old Vedic images, for instance, which no longer hold meaning for us, or the ambiguous phraseology of the ancient initiations. Flower language is much better because it contains the Force and is extremely plastic—since it is not formulated in words, each one is free to arrange and receive it according to his own capacity. You can make long speeches using flowers.   *   From the end of 1929 to the middle of 1930 the Mother played a flower game with a small group of disciples. Arranging a few flowers in her hand, she made up a sentence in English based o

Glossary   Parts of a Flower     Bilabiate flower: Two-lipped flower   Bract (bracteate): Modified or coloured leaf associated with the flower     Catkin   Cladode: Flattened leaf-like stem Page-297       Campanulate flower       Compositae flower     Corolla     Corona     Corymb     Cyme Page-298       Funnelform flower       Head     O

Index of Common Names   Abyssinian sword lily 6 Blue-eyed African daisy 19 Chilly pepper 49 Acerola 157 Blue lace flower 239 China aster 41 African tulip tree 226 Blue sage 218 Chinaberry 161 African violet 217 Bluewings 239 China rose 211 Agati 221 Bottlebrush 40 Chinese bellflower 194 Air plant 148 Bottle gourd 150 Chinese forget-me-not 83 Alexandrian laurel 44 Bouncing Bet 219 Chinese-hat

The Hibiscus Group   Colour and Details of Petals Colour of Centre Size Single/ Double Variety Significance White, slender or rounded separated petals S-L S Light of the Purified Power White V.S S miniatus Eternal Smile White, slender or rounded separated petals, erect or pendulous bright red, vermilion or magenta S-L S Power of Integral Purity White S-M D syriacus Will One with the Divine Will White, gradually turning pink M-L D mutabilis

Note on the Texts and Photographs   Background information on the texts and photographs is given below, along with references to the texts of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.     Photographs of Flowers   Most of the 630 flower-photographs in this book were taken in the gardens and courtyards of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry and in the nurseries, gardens, fields and forests of Auroville. Some photographs, especially those of flowers that grow well only in cooler climates, were photographed in Bangalore and Ootacamund, India, and in Germany. In some of the photographs, the colour of the flower differs in hue or intensity from the