It is April and
getting hot in India, and the lovely fragrance of the
Jasmine flowers fills the air. It is the fragrance of
purity as Jasmine symbolises "purity". But
what is true purity.
The Mother
explains so beautifully and so simply:
"On earth,
true purity is to think as the Divine thinks, to
will as the Divine wills, to feel as the Divine
feels."
"This is
purity – to accept no other influence but
only the influence of the Divine."
And if one
wants purity in the vital, "it begins with
the abolition of desire." As for the mental,
to be "silent, attentive, receptive,
concentrated on the Divine – this is the
path to purity."
The Jasmine has
always been a very popular flower both in the East
and the West. Several perfumes, essences and attars
are made from Jasmine and the flowers are used to
give aroma to Chinese Tea. In India Jasmine is often
used as an offering to the Gods, be it in the form of
a garland (which are sold in the evenings as the buds
bloom at that time) or be it as flowers which are
showered at the feet of Lord Shiva, the God of Dance,
in the first item of an Indian Dance performance. The
Mogra, a variety of Jasmine is considered sacred to
Lord Vishnu. Women in South India wear Jasmine
garlands in their hair. There are nearly 300
varieties of Jasmines. They are shrubby or climbing
plants distributed mostly in tropical and sub-tropical
climate. The Jasminum Sambal, which is indigenous to
South India, grows best in the hot season directly
exposed to the sun. If water touches the flowers they
turn brown and fall. It is propagated through
cuttings. The leaves are said to be as efficatious as
belladonna. A decoction of leaves and roots is used
for sore eyes.
