-05_Birds in Mother^s Garden (continued) - 1 Feb 2015.htm Blog #12 - February 1, 2015 Birds in Mother's Garden - continued Sri Aurobindo on Birds Sri Aurobindo: “The Bird in the Veda is the symbol, very frequently, of the soul liberated and upsoaring, at other times of energies so liberated and upsoaring, winging upwards towards the heights of our being, winging widely with a free flight, no longer involved in the ordinary limited movement or labouring gallop of the Life-energy, the Horse, Ashwa.” The Secret of the Veda bird, white-fire dragon-bird. Sri Aurobindo: “Yes: the purpose is

-44_Hibiscus (Part 7) - 08 Nov 2015.htm Hibiscus (Part 7) As I continue to photograph more flowers given significances by the Mother, I hope to concentrate on the hibiscus with an aspiration to photograph all those Mother has named. It is not easy to photograph hibiscus due to the long staminal column and the anthers which usually go out of focus. One time while attending a Hibiscus show the photographer assigned to taking the photographs showed me his system. Although it did not allow for special lighting he taught me to photograph the flowers at a 45 degree angle so that the petals and the anthers would be on relatively the same pla

-34_Protection - The Brilliant Bougainvilleas (Part 5) - 23 Aug 2015.htm Protection: The Brilliant Bougainvilleas (Part 5) This blog continues our introduction to this spectacular flowering plant given the significance, 'Protection', by The Mother. Bougainvilleas are native to South America and abundant in Brazil, but were imported into Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand and other tropical areas in the 1800's. One of the most striking introductions of recent years is the double-bracted cultivars. They grew in popularity and were distributed around the world in the 1970's and later. There are no true flowers in thi

-15_Late Spring - Hydrangeas (Part 1) - 12 Apr 2015.htm Late Spring - Hydrangeas (Part 1) We continue with our Spring pageant of the flowers in Mother's Garden. There have been many great men who communed with Nature, men like George Washington Carver, the great botanist who found more than a hundred uses for the peanut and once said that anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough. Among his greatest contributions was promoting alternative crops such as soybeans and sweet potatoes when cotton had depleted the soil and was under attack by boll weevils. Luther Burbank developed more than 800 varieties of plants, ma

-10_Lotuses (Part 2) - 08 Mar 2015.htm Lotuses (Part 2) Then Savitri surged out of her body’s wall And stood a little span outside herself And looked into her subtle being’s depths And in its heart as in a lotus-bud Divined her secret and mysterious soul. But now the half-opened lotus bud of her heart Had bloomed and stood disclosed to the earthly ray; In an image shone revealed her secret soul. In its deep lotus home her being sat As if on concentration’s marble seat, Calling the mighty Mother of the wo

-12_Rhododendrons and Azaleas - Abundance of Beauty (Part 2) - 22 Mar 2015.htm Rhododendrons and Azaleas - Abundance of Beauty (Part 2) It has been said that in China there are perhaps hundreds of rhododendrons still to be identified and one day shared with the world. The rhododendron is prized in many gardenswhere cooler climates prevail and once covered vast areas of the Himalayan slopes. A consciousness of beauty and of bliss, A knowledge which became what it perceived, Replaced the separated sense and heart And drew all Nature into its embrace. Ascending

-46_Shared Experiences (Part 2) - 22 Nov 2015.htm Shared Experiences (Part 2) Wherever I am invited to speak at a function I always open with some lines from Savitri and find a great receptivity in many souls. For the first speech I gave to the Southern California Plumeria Society I chose lines that spoke of Nature and ended with the line: "All Nature was at beauty's festival.” At the conclusion of my talk an elderly lady came up to me and said, "I must have that book. Can you tell me where I can purchase it?" Immediately I ga

-48_Shared Experiences (Part 4) - 06 Dec 2015.htm Shared Experiences (Part 4) Two weeks ago after the OM Choir in the Video Room of the Ashram School I met with a family and their young daughter whom I would guess was about the age 9. I thanked her for coming and said that it was very important for young people to attend. Then I spoke with her parents who wanted to attend the OM Choir in Auroville the coming Tuesday. I told them where to meet on Balcony Street at 5:00 P.M. and I would arrange the bus for them and others who were attending.

-36_Protection - The Brilliant Bougainvilleas (Part 7) - 06 Sep 2015.htm Protection: The Brilliant Bougainvilleas (Part 7) Sri Aurobindo and the Mother wrote to disciples about Their protection, and how to keep it always with one. Emotional Protection Mother's comment: "Surrender to the Divine is the best emotional protection." The experience you had of the power of the Name and the protection is that of everyone who has used it with the same faith and reliance. To those who call from the heart for the protection, it cannot fail. Sri Aurobindo Collected Works of Sri

-23_Orchids (Part 2) - 07 Jun 2015.htm Orchids (Part 2) In our flower books we have both phrases, "Attachment to the Divine" and "Attachment for the Divine". Perhaps it is due to the translation from French to English but it has always seemed to me that one is attached to something, not for something. We will soon have the French edition of The Spiritual Significance of Flowers on our website, motherandsriaurobindo.org so one will be able to compare the translations. The next four photos are of Vanda trees Vanda trees - Emotional Attachment to the Divine Mother's C