EMOTIONS

The insistence on purification [of the emotions] does not mean that I condemn true feeling and emotion any more than the insistence on a purified mind or will means that I condemn thought and will. On the contrary, the deeper the emotion, the more intense the Bhakti, the greater is the force for realisation and transformation. It is oftenest through intensity of emotion that the psychic being awakens and there is an opening of the inner doors to the Divine.
SRI AUROBINDO

Emotion is an excellent and indispensable thing in human nature, in spite of all its shortcomings and dangers .... [But] our aim is to go beyond emotion to the height and depth and intensity of the Divine Love and there feel through the inner psychic heart an inexhaustible oneness with the Divine which the spasmodic leapings of the vital emotions cannot reach or experience.
SRI AUROBINDO

Emotion is a good element in yoga; but emotional desire becomes easily a cause of perturbation and an obstacle. Turn your emotions towards the Divine, aspire for their purification; they will then become a help on the way and no longer a cause of suffering.
Not to kill emotion, but to turn it towards the Divine is the right way of the yoga.
But it must become pure, founded upon spiritual peace and joy, capable of being transmuted into Ananda. Equality and calm in the mind and vital parts, an intense psychic emotion in the heart can perfectly go together. Awake by your aspiration the psychic fire in the heart that burns steadily towards the Divine - that is the one way to liberate and fulfill the emotional nature.
SRI AUROBINDO

Emotional Attachment to the Divine
Cups of flowery feeling offered to the Divine

Papilionanthe teres [Vanda teres]
Orchid
Medium-sized flower with five ovate widely separated pale pinkish lavender petals and a central arched golden yellow lip with the lower edge extended to form two rounded pinkish lavender lobes; borne in erect racemes. An erect epiphyte with terete leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Native Orchids

Attachment in the Emotional Vital to the Divine
An artistic and graceful attachment, perhaps a little fanciful.


Vanda coerulea
Blue orchid
Medium-sized light lavender-blue flower with a small violet lip and five obovate widely separated petals; borne in racemes on erect scapes. An epiphyte with straplike leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Alexlomas

Broadening of the Emotional Centre
It opens and widens itself in order to receive better.

Gloxinia perennis
Canterbury bells
Medium-sized fragrant purplish blue downy campanulate flower with a darker throat, borne singly from the leaf axil on a sparse terminal raceme. A rhizomatous perennial herb with fleshy spotted stems and waxy heart-shaped leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Eric in SF

Collective Emotions Open to the Divine
Crowds responding to the impulsion coming from the Divine. An event that marks the great stages of terrestrial life.

Mansoa alliacea [Pseudocalymma alliaceum]
Bejuco de ajo, Garlic-vine
Medium-sized light purple trumpet-shaped flower with a white throat, five rounded lobes and a flattened corolla tube; the flowers are borne in dense clusters and have a distinct garlic odour. A moderately vigorous vine with attractive glossy garlic-scented leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Dinesh Valke

Conversion of the Emotional Being
It blossoms in harmonious receptivity.

Hippeastrum
Amaryllis, Knight's star lily, Barbados lily
Large trumpet-shaped light pink flowers with reddish pink lines and a white streak through the middle of each petal; flowers with six flared petals and long curving stamens; borne on tall sturdy scapes. A large bulb with thick, usually strap like leaves that appear after the blooming season.

Photo Courtesy: Tony from Sydney

Dignity of the Emotions
Not to allow one’s emotions to contradict the inner Divinity.

Dahlia
Medium to large (10-15 cm) fully double mauve pink flowers with symmetrically arranged ray florets in a variety of forms (broad, rounded or cupped).


Photo Courtesy: Aakaasha

Elegance in the Emotions

Delicate and refined, does not permit itself any vulgarity.

Barleria cristata
Philippine violet
Small lavender salverform flower, with five rounded separated lobes that emerge from a spiny bracted spike. Erect occasionally spiny shrub and herb.

Photo Courtesy: Dinesh Valke

Emotional Abundance
Good feelings that gives themselves unstintingly.

Lagenaria siceraria
White-flowered gourd, Bottle gourd, Calabash gourd, Hercules' club
Medium-sized white funnelform flower with five tightly overlapping slightly crinkled petals and a pale green tomentose calyx; borne singly. A strong annual vine with pubescent leaves and bearing smooth hard-shelled gourds in an unusual variety of shapes and sizes.

Photo Courtesy: Shu Suehiro

Emotional Beauty in the Cells
Seeking and radiating all the emotions of beauty.

Lantana
Shrub verbena
Tiny mauve salverform flowers in round compact axillary or terminal heads. A vigorous shrub with coarse strongly scented leaves and a long blooming season.

Photo Courtesy:BY-YOUR-⌘

Emotional Opening
The progress of emotions towars the Divine.

Barleria cristata
Philippine violet
Small striped white and lavender salverform flowers with five rounded separated lobes that emerge from a spiny bracted spike. An erect spiny shrub and herb.

Picture Courtesy: Tony

Opening of the Emotional Vital

One of the first step on the way to transformation.

Barleria cristata
Philippine violet
Small pink salverform flowers with five rounded separated lobes that emerge from a spiny bracted spike. An erect spiny shrub and herb.

Photo Courtesy: Senthil

Emotional Protection
Surrender to the Divine is the best emotional protection.

Bougainvillea
Clusters of showy ovate light lavender pink bracts in groups of three or more that enfold tiny white to greenish white salverform flowers. A shrub, vine or small tree, usually armed with spines.

Photo Courtesy: sama sama - massa

Emotional Receptivity
Emotions wanting to be Divinised.

Gladiolus Xhortulanus
Garden gladiolus
Tall elegant compact one-sided spike of small to medium-sized lavender-pink or mauve flowers with six flared petals that are often ruffled and frilled; a bulbous plant with sword-shaped leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Mtbjohn

Emotional Sincerity
Does not try to falsify the emotions.

Aster amellus
Italian aster
Small single compositae flower with narrow Lavender pink ray florets and a centre of tiny yellow disc florets; borne in corymbs. An attractive perennial herb

Photo Courtesy: Bernd Haynold

Emotional Wealth

The only true emotional wealth is love for the Divine.

Nymphaea
Water lily
Large showy usually very fragrant lavender flowers with numerous narrow pointed or rounded petals, many prominent erect stamens and four petal- like sepals; borne singly on long stems, either floating or held above the water. An aquatic rhizomatous herb with large floating peltate leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Gertrud K

Emotions Awake to the First Contact with the Divine
The Light begins to work in the emotional consciousness.

Acanthus montanus
Mountain thistle
Small light purple to purple tubular flowers tinged white with the lower edge divided into three lobes, set in a spiny calyx and borne in tall spikes. A small shrub with spiny leaves.


Picture Courtesy: Nipplerings72

Emotional Centre
Vibrant and sensitive, it needs to be controlled.

Canna Xgeneralis
Canna lily
Large showy deep rose pink flower with three soft round irregular petals borne in terminal clusters on sturdy stems; erect perennial rhizomatous herb with lush foliage.

Photo Courtesy: Forest & Kim Starr

Offering of the Emotions
Emotions put the service of progress.

Alcea rosea
Hollyhock
Medium to large single or double funnel-shaped lavender pink flowers with satiny overlapping lobes and a short staminal column covered with loose yellow pollen; borne on tall spirelike stems. A tall biennial herb with rough hairy leaves.

Picture Courtesy: GFDL

Opening of the Emotional Centre to the Light
An important event in human development.

Pandorea jasminoides
Pandora vine, Bower vine, Southern Bell
Medium-sized sweetly fragrant white salverform flower with a flattened corolla tube, five deeply cut rounded lobes and a pinkish lavender throat covered with fine hairs; borne in terminal panicles. A light vine with attractive glossy foliage.

Photo Courtesy: Jen64

Organised Emotional Broadening
The broadening should not be the result of an instinctive impulse but of a conscious organisation.

Sinningia speciosa
Florists' gloxinia, Gloxinia, Brazilian gloxinia, Violet slipper gloxinia
Showy medium-sized single velvety bell-shaped white flower with numerous purple dots and with a spreading limb divided into five to twelve lobes with ruffled edges; borne singly or in small clusters on long stems. A low tuberous perennial herb with broad pubescent leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Essjay

Psychic Influence in the Emotions
Indispensable for beginning sadhana.

Justicia carnea
Clusters of small narrow rose pink bilabiate flowers, the lower lip divided into three elongated lobes with a tiny white pattern on the central lobe. A small subshrub with opposite oblong-lanceolate leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Nipplerings72

Purity in the Emotional Centre
Indispensable for progress.

Thunbergia fragrans
Medium-sized white salverform flower with a delicate limb divided into five somewhat spatulate lobes and a flattened corolla tube that arises from the side of two small light green bracts; borne singly. A light climber with lanceolate to triangular leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Dinesh Valke

Refinement of Emotions
With progress even the emotions become refined.

Brunfelsia australis
Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow, Morning-noon- and-night, Paraguayan jasmine
Small fragrant salverform flower with a short corolla tube and a limb divided into five wavy overlapping lobes; flower opens purple with a white eye and changes from purple to lavender on the second day and to white on the third; borne singly. A small shrub

Picture Courtesy: Forest & Kim Starr

Renunciation of Emotional Desires

Indispensable for transformation.

Angelonia salicariifolia
Small fragrant bilabiate flowers with two upper and three lower recurved rounded lobes; white with purple markings; borne in terminal racemes. A perennial herb with viscid aromatic leaves.

Photo courtesy:casch


Emotional Remembrance
Only the circumstances that have helped us in our search for the Divine should be the object of this remembrance.

Dicentra spectabilis
Bleeding heart
Small rose pink heart-shaped pendulous flowers with four petals, the two outer petals recurved, spurred and divided to show two protruding white inner petals; borne on long gracefully arching stalks. A herbaceous perennial with deeply cut leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Wuzur

Emotional Skill in Work
When work becomes attractive and is done with joy, how much better it is done.

Phlox drummondii
Annual phlox, Drummond phlox
Small white salverform flowers with a mauve centre; with a narrow tube and a flattened limb divided into five broad slightly overlapping lobes; borne in dense terminal clusters. A long-flowering garden annual.

Photo Courtesy: Bitter Girl

Transparency of the Emotional Vital
At once the condition and result of the abolition of the ego.

Callistephus chinensis
China aster
Medium-sized slightly scented semi double compositae light mauve flowers with a yellow central disc and numerous narrow ray florets creating a soft pom-pom effect; borne singly. A compact bushy annual.

Photo not available.

Trust of the Emotional Vital in the Divine
Smiling and sweet, it is sheltered from grief.

Asystasia gangetica
Small, White funnelform flower with a lavender spot on the throat; with a short corolla tube and a limb divided into five rounded overlapping lobes; borne in one-sided racemes. Spreading lightly pubescent perennial herbs with opposite ovate leaves.

Photo Courtesy: Toptropicals


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