Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra
- Freedom and Transcendence: The most common philosophical association is with freedom, as their ability to fly allows them to move effortlessly between the earth and sky, unconstrained by earthly boundaries. This capacity is a metaphor for overcoming limitations and aspiring to higher states of being.
- The Soul and Spirituality: In many traditions, from ancient Egypt to Sufi mysticism, birds represent the human soul or spirit. The soul is often depicted as a bird in flight, a symbol of its journey in the afterlife or its return to a divine source after death.
- Messengers and Mediators: Birds are often seen as messengers between the physical world and the spiritual or divine realms. In Greek and Roman antiquity, priests (augurs) interpreted the flight and song of birds to divine the will of the gods and predict future events.
- Hope and Renewal: The presence and song of birds, particularly at dawn or the arrival of spring, serve as timeless symbols of hope, new beginnings, and the restorative power of nature.
- Mindfulness and Presence: Philosophers like Philippe Dubois and Élise Rousseau suggest that birds teach us about the importance of living in the moment and responding directly to our environment. Their ability to be present in the here and now offers a lesson on mindfulness in a distracted world.
- Resilience and Adaptability: Some philosophers observe how birds handle natural forces like wind resistance. Instead of fighting it, they glide, demonstrating the wisdom of "surrendering" to strong forces to conserve energy and find an opportune moment to fly again, a powerful analogy for navigating adversity in human life.
- Aesthetics and Joy: Process theology, as explored by Charles Hartshorne, suggests that birds possess a genuine sense of the beautiful, which is evident in their complex songs and elaborate courtship displays. This implies that joy and the experience of beauty are integral parts of the natural universe.
- Community and Cooperation: Certain birds, like quails or crows, are noted for their community-mindedness and cooperative behaviors, which can offer insights into social structures and the value of mutual support among humans.
- Owls are widely associated with wisdom and knowledge in Western thought (linked to the Greek goddess Athena) but are sometimes viewed as omens of death or bad luck in other cultures.
- Doves symbolize peace, love, and the Holy Spirit in Christian and secular contexts.
- Eagles represent strength, courage, and power, often used as national or military symbols.
- Crows/Ravens are often seen as clever but also as messengers between the physical and spiritual worlds.
- GoogleAI
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+does+philosophy+appraise+or+imagine+the+birds&oq
By elisa freschi on 10 November 2025
Did Kumārila believe in the language-independent existence of deities? In their efficacy within sacrifices? I believe he did not. Sacrifices work independently of deities who at most might be Epicurean-like entities, with no function in human lives. For this purpose, I am going to examine a passage in Kumārila's Ṭupṭīkā ad 9.1, adhikaraṇa 4, p. 1652ff (Śubbāśāstrī 1929 edition). The whole passage starts because Śabara is discussing the role of the deity in sacrifice.
https://indianphilosophyblog.org/2025/11/10/kumarila-on-deities/
At the heart of this lies what political economist Kean Birch calls “assetisation”; the art of turning anything, from a spare bedroom to an idle moment online, into a source of recurring income. Platforms act as intermediaries, inserting themselves into the drama of production and consumption so they can claim a share of every scene’s value. Like landlords collecting rent from tenants, they profit simply by owning the stage on which others perform.
A useful metaphor here is the shopping mall. A mall owner earns not only from rent paid by shopkeepers but from every exchange, encounter, and movement within its walls. Likewise, digital platforms collect their dues not just in money but in data; the raw material of today’s attention economy.
https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=5093790&post_id=178363227
Healthy Landscapes begins by reviewing practical experience, as well as theoretical and scientific evidence, from several related disciplines around the world. This is used to construct a provisional framework consisting of ten theoretical pathways for the environment to promote mental, physical,social, behavioral, and ecological health: Relieving mental stress; restoring direct attention; promoting environmental preference; promoting sublime and transcendent perceptions; promoting active lifestyles; preventing the spread of infectious diseases; promoting ecological services; enhancing social support; promoting the sense of belonging; and improving the sense of security. From these 24 theoretical pathways, the authors go on to identify 67 critical environmental characteristics for creating healthy communities, which are used to inform the design guidelines they go on to apply to community environment scenarios.
"Who Do You Think You Are?" addresses the global crises and our disconnection from our deepest level of self. This documentary distinguishes itself by addressing social issues within the context of the spiritual notion that everything changes when we know deeply who we are. Stunning visuals and original music enrigh this very timely film.
Visit: www.integralinspirations.com
Flowers and Their Messages —The Mother
"I give you flowers", the Mother once told a sadhak, "so that you may develop the Divine qualities they symbolise". In this book more than eight hundred flowers are listed with their botanical names and their spiritual names and significances as revealed by the Mother. 124 black-and-white sketches and 70 colour photographs help to identify the flowers and reveal their beauty. There are also numerous selections from the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother which have been chosen to lead the reader to a deeper understanding of the spiritual significances behind the flowers.
"Flowers teach us the charm of silence and also the self-giving that demands nothing in return."
The Sunlit Path —Selections from Conversations of the Mother
In this book, which is a collection of brief passages mostly from conversations with disciples and students at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, the Mother invites her listeners and readers to answer the call of adventure by courageously taking the path of spiritual self-perfection and transformation. The excerpts are arranged thematically to present the Mother's guidance to the seeker, showing the way through shadows and stumbles to a sunlit path through such topics as how to control one's thoughts, breaking the hard shell of the ego, the absolute necessity of a perfect sincerity, the right attitude to take when faced with even the most mundane affairs of life, the nature of dynamic meditation, and the liberation of a complete surrender to the Divine.
To make the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother more easily accessible to readers worldwide, a growing selection of Sri Aurobindo Ashram publications is now available for purchase on Amazon Kindle and for reading on Kindle Unlimited. Our eBook catalogue comprises over 100 titles – in multiple languages – with new additions every week. You can access our eBooks from any Kindle device or via the Kindle app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer using the following link: https://www.sabda.in/static/eBooks.php
By Amod Lele on 7 November 2025
Susanta Bhattacharya, a doctoral candidate in Indian philosophy in Kraków, Poland, published in Journal of Indian Philosophy earlier this year and asked us to share a summary. The full title of the piece is "Does Liberation Entail Disembodiment? Re-examining the Concept of Pratiprasava in the Yogasūtra". Feedback is welcomed.
By Amod Lele on 9 November 2025
It's hard for me to view B.R. Ambedkar as a real Buddhist, when he threw out the Four Noble Truths after getting to Buddhism by a mere process of elimination. But then, to a real Buddhist, it shouldn't matter – at least it shouldn't matter much – whether you are a "real Buddhist"! Buddhism has no more essence, no more svabhāva, than anything else does. What really matters is relieving suffering. What's more important than his status as a Buddhist is that Ambedkar's rejection of the Four Noble Truths deeply inhibits the relief of suffering – or rather, it has the potential to. Yet things might be a bit more complicated than that.
https://indianphilosophyblog.org/2025/11/09/ambedkar-and-the-nation-of-islam-as-skillful-means/
