Chapter Nine
Aswattha or Peepul Tree
The aswattha usually symbolises the cosmic manifestation.
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It [the peepul tree] is the symbol of the cosmic existence.
Jungle
The jungle must be some unregenerated part of the vital nature and the serpent a wrong force emerging from it.
Leaves
Images of leaves and plants usually indicate vital strength or energy.
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A green leaf means vital strength or energy or vitality.
Fruits
The fruits are the results of the sadhana.
Flowers
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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178The vision of flowers is a symbol usually of psychic qualities or movements whether a potentiality or promise or an actual state of development.
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It is usually when the psychic is active that this seeing of flowers becomes abundant.
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The flowers indicate always an opening (usually psychic) in some part of the consciousness.
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The flowersfnIn a vision the correspondent saw a luminous sun sending forth a multitude of flowers.—Ed. 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.
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Red flowers would ordinarily indicate an opening of the consciousness either in the physical or some part of the vital according to the shade.
Lotus
A lotus flower indicates open consciousness.
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A lotus signifies the opening of the (true) consciousness.
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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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179It [the lotus] means consciousness. The opening of the lotus is the opening of some part of the consciousness.
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The opening of the lotusesfnThe correspondent wrote about a vision in which two lotuses blossomed in his body, one at the navel region, the other at the base of the spine.—Ed. 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.
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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.
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A lotus usually indicates an opening into the spiritual. The white and red are symbols of the Mother and the incarnating Divine.
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The white lotus is the symbol of the Mother’s consciousness,—it does not indicate any part of the individual consciousness.
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The red lotus is the flower of the Divine Presence.
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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.
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The red lotus signifies the presence of the Divine on the Earth.
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180It [the blue lotus] can be taken as the (Avatar) incarnation on the mental plane.
Other Flowers
The red rose is the flower of love and surrender, the white is the purity of psychic love.
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Reddish pink rose = psychic love or surrender.
White rose = pure spiritual surrender.
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The java [red hibiscus] is the flower of the Divine Power.
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The [flower named] eternal smilefnHibiscus micranthus, a very small white hibiscus.—Ed. means the self-existent joy and gladness of the Spirit.
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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.fnThe correspondent wrote that in a dream the Mother put a large packet of saffron in her hand.—Ed.