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THE MOTHER
SRI AUROBINDO
Contents
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THE MOTHER'S PRESENCE THE CONSTANT PRESENCE
Live always as if you were under the very eye of the Supreme and of the Divine Mother. Do nothing, try to think and feel nothing that would be unworthy of the Divine Presence. THE MOTHER'S PERSONAL AND UNIVERSAL PRESENCE
Q: You have written: "Always behave as if the Mother was looking at you; because she is, indeed, always present". You explained to me that this does not mean that she was physically present everywhere because that was impossible. But when I asked the Mother about this, she said that she was personally present at all places. How to reconcile these contradictory statements ? A: If by physically you mean corporeally, in her visible tangible material body, it is obvious that it cannot be. When you asked Mother that question she did not understand you to mean that ― she said she could be present everywhere, and she meant, of course, in her consciousness. It is the consciousness and not the body that is the being, the person, the body is only a support and instrument for the action of the consciousness. Mother can be personally present in her consciousness. The universal presence, of course, is always there and the universal and personal are two aspects of the same being. 25-8-1936
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Q: You have said: "Always behave as if the Mother was looking at you; because she is, indeed, always present ". Does this mean that the Mother knows all
Page - 105 our insignjficant thoughts at all times, or only when she concentrates ?
A: It is said that the Mother is always present and looking at you. This does not mean that in her physical mind she is thinking of you always and seeing your thoughts. There is no need of that, since she is everywhere and acts everywhere out of her universal knowledge. 12-8-1933 *
Q: In what sense is the Mother everywhere ? Does she know all happenings in the physical plane ?
A: Including what Llyod George had for breakfast today or what Roosevelt said to his wife about the servants ? Why should the Mother "know" in the human way all happenings in the physical plane ? Her business in her embodiment is to know the workings of the universal forces and use them for her works; for the rest she knows what she needs to know, sometimes with her inner self, sometimes with her physical mind. All knowledge is available in her universal self but she brings forward only what is needed to be brought forward so that the working is done. 13-8-1933 *
Q: Someone said that the Mother sees all our physical movements. How does this happen ? Are all our physical movements reflected on her mind and seen by her as images or do they occur in her consciousness at the same time as we do them ? But would that not be very puzzling and cumbersome to her ? Moreover, would it not be a very material kind of telepathy ? A: It would not be worthwhile. Mother can see what people are doing by images received by her in the subtle state which Page - 106 corresponds to sleep or concentration or by images or intimations received in the ordinary state; but much even of what comes to her automatically like that is unnecessary, and to be always receiving everything would be intolerably troublesome as it would the consciousness occupied with a million trivialities; so not happen. What is more important is to know their inner condition and it is this chiefly which comes to her. 29-6-1937 *
Q: (Re. a certain incident that had recently occurred:) I was under the impression that Mother could at once know of such things. Some even say that she knows everything ― all that is material or spiritual. Others maintain that she knows when the question of consciousness is involved, e.g. sex movements, etc., but not so much about material things. A: Good Lord ! You don't expect her mind to be a factual encyclopaedia of
all that is happening on all the planes and in all universes ? Or even on this
earth, e.g. what Lloyd George for dinner yesterday ? 16-7-1935 *
Q: This question of Mother's knowledge became even more interesting for me today. She gave me the flower signifying "Discipline". I began to wonder why this particular flower was given; at last I remembered that
Page - 107 yesterday I had not observed the right discipline in the matter of taking food with X and Y. A: In this respect the Mother is guided by her intuitions which tell her which flower is needed at the moment or helpful. Sometimes it is accompanied by a perception of a particular state of consciousness, sometimes by that of a material fact; but only the bare fact, usually e.g.― it would not specify that it was "that particular thing" that was done or how X or Y came in. Not that that is impossible, but it is unnecessary and does not happen unless needed. 16-7-1935 *
Q: The Mother can know our thoughts, but can she know also the exact words in the thoughts ? A: If the mind of the person is very clear, yes; otherwise it may be only the substance that comes or a part of the thought or some general idea. 19-5-1933 *
What you write about X is true .... She does not realise that Mother knows all these things by other means and any information given to her only adds certain physical precisions to what she knows already.
How can she be open when she has such ideas against the Mother ? They must necessarily shut her up to the Mother's influence.
Mother has written to her that Y had said nothing and that she knew things about X independently of any information, from X's inner being itself which comes to her constantly and tells her or shows her what is in the nature.
The Mother besides sees things in vision and receives the thoughts of the Sadhaks at Pranam and other times .... Only the
Page - 108 Mother never acts on these supraphysical intimations unless there is a physical confirmation like the letter itself in this case. For nobody would understand her action ― the Sadhaks living in the physical mind would state her action unfounded, and those affected would deny loudly ― as many have done in the past ― their secret thoughts, feelings and actions. I tell you all this in confidence so that you may understand what is the real basis of Mother´s letters to X. 10-9-1936 THE MOTHER'S EMANATIONS
Q: What is the exact significance of your statement: "Always behave as if the Mother was looking at you; because she is, indeed, always present" ? A: It is the emanation of the Mother that is with each Sadhak all the time. In former days when she was spending the night in a trance not working in the Ashram, she brought back with her the knowledge of all that was happening to everybody. Nowadays she has no time for that. 16-7-1935 *
Q: All this is very interesting; and I suppose you have an equal number of emanations yourself. Their object must be to give us protection. A: I am not aware of any emanations of mine. As for the Mother`s, they are not there for protection, but to support the personal relation or contact with the Sadhak, and to act so far as he will allow them to act. 16-7- 1935 *
Q: Kindly enlighten us a little more regarding the emanations. How do they support the personal relation ? I
Page - 109 thought that all personal relations were with the Mother direct, not through a deputy ! When X says that he feels the Mother's physical touch, with whom does he have the contact ― the Mother or the emanation ? Then again, the different forms of the Mother that one sees in dreams ― are they also her emanations ? A: It is terribly difficult to write of these things, for you are all as ignorant as blazes about these things and misunderstand at every step. The Emanation is not a deputy, but the Mother herself. She is not bound to her body, but can put herself out (emanate) in any way she likes. What emanates, suits itself to the nature of the personal relation she has with the Sadhak which is different with each, but that does not prevent it from being herself. Its presence with the Sadhak is not dependent on his consciousness of it. If everything were dependent on the surface consciousness of the Sadhak, there would be no possibility of the divine action anywhere; the human worm would remain the human worm and the human ass the human ass, for ever and ever. For if the Divine could not be there behind the veil, how could either ever become conscious of anything but their wormhood and asshood even throughout the ages ? (By the side of the question, "When X says that he feels the Mother's physical touch, with whom does he have the contact ... ?" Sri Aurobindo wrote, "With the Mother ― the emanation helping ― which is its business".) 19-7-1935 *
The, Mother when she works in the supraphysical levels goes out in a different emanation to each Sadhak. 11-12-1933 *
Q: In an experience in the dream-state, we see the
Page - 110 Mother sometimes. Is that form an emanation of her or is it her body itself ? A: An emanation. How can her physical body be seen in experience ? 7-7-1933 *
Q: During the afternoon sleep I seem to come often into contact with the Mother. Is it the Mother who sends her emanation ? A: Yes, or rather something of her is always with you. 14-12-1933 MOTHER'S PRESENCE AND THE DIVINE CONSCIOUSNESS
Q: Is there any djfference between the Mother's presence and the Divine Consciousness ? A: One can feel the Divine Consciousness impersonally as a consciousness only. The Mother's Presence is something more ― one feels herself there present within or above or enveloping one or all these together. 8-7-1935 THE MOTHER'S PRESENCE WITHIN
He must go into himself and find the presence of the Divine Mother within and the psychic behind the heart and from there the knowledge will come and all the power to dissolve the inner obstacles.
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The constant presence of the Mother comes by practice; the Page - 111 Divine Grace is essential for success in the Sadhana, but it is the practice that prepares the descent of the Grace. You have to learn to go inward, ceasing to live in external things only, quiet the mind and aspire to become aware of the Mother's workings in you.
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Q: We believe that the Mother is doing the Sadhana in all of us, particularly through the heart; but how is it we scarcely feel this ? There must be some veil in us. A: It is a veil which disappears when the Mother's working as well as her presence is consciously felt at all times. 7-1-1935 *
Q: How and when can one feel the Mother's concrete presence all the time ? A: It is a matter, first of the constant activity of the psychic and secondly of the conversion of the physical and its openness to inner supraphysical experience. Apart from the vital and its disturbances the physical is the chief difficulty in establishing a continuity of Yogic consciousness and experience. If the physical is thoroughly transformed ― opened and conscious― then stability and continuity become easy. 16-10-1933 *
It is quite right and part of the right consciousness in Sadhana that you should feel drawn in your heart towards the Mother and aspire for the vision and realisation of her presence. But there should not be any kind of restlessness joined to this feeling. The feeling should be quietly intense. It will then be easier for the sense of the presence to come and to grow in you.
Page - 112 THE PRESENCE AND THE IMAGE
Q: Is it true that when the Presence (image) is seen in the heart all the habits and movements of the lower nature disappear ? A: The image and the Presence are not the same. One can feel the Presence without seeing the image. But to produce the results you speak of, the Presence in the heart is not sufficient, there must be Presence in the whole consciousness and the Force governing all the action of the nature.
THE PRESENCE IN FRONT
Q: In the evening meditation, there was an intense movement of surrender from the heart. I had the feeling of Mother's presence immediately in front and aspiration rose from below the feet, from the legs, from the Muladhara centre; there was a willing and loving surrender from the heart, from the entire being, as if for fulfilment. I suppose the psychic being came to the front. But why did I feel the Mother's presence in front and not within me ? A: You had the psychic condition then and that means a coming of the influence of the psychic being to the front. It is when there is complete psychic opening that there is the presence within. The presence in front means that it was with you but had still to enter within. 13-7-1937 THE PRESENCE IN THE HEART-BEATS
But I do not see why I call the feeling sentimental or think that your sense of the presence of the Mother in the heart-beats etc. was unreal. It was your psychic being that suggested it to you. Page - 113 and the response showed that the consciousness was ready. Mother felt that something was happening in you and felt that it was the beginning of a realisation ― she was encouraging it and did not discourage. If it had been a wrong or vital movement she would not have felt like that. 13-8-1934 THE PRESENCE DURING THE DAY
If you feel the Mother's presence for the greater part of the day, it means that it is your psychic being that is active and feels like that; for without the activity of the psychic it would not be possible. Therefore your psychic being is there and not at all far off. 14-3-1935 THE PRESENCE DURING SLEEP
It [the feeling of the Mother's presence during sleep] follows naturally the presence in the waking state, but it takes a little time. 11-1-1935 *
Q: Can one be wide-awake to the Mother's presence in sleep even ? A: That does happen, but usually only when the psychic is in full activity.
THE PRESENCE IN WORK
It is for most people not easy to feel the Mother's presence with the work ― they feel as if they are doing the work, the mind getting busy and not having the right passivity or quietude.
Page - 114 FEELING OF PRESENCE AND ONENESS WITH THE MOTHER
There is no such necessary precedence as that first one must feel the Presence and then only can one feel oneself the Mother's; it is more often the increase of the feeling that brings the Presence. For the feeling comes from the psychic consciousness and it is the growth of the psychic consciousness that makes the constant Presence at last possible. The feeling comes from the psychic and is true of the inner being ― its not being yet fulfilled in the whole does not make it an imagination; on the contrary, the more it grows the more is the likelihood of the whole being fulfilling this truth; the inner bhāva takes more and more possession of the outer consciousness and remoulds it so as to make it a truth there also. This is the constant principle of action in the Yogic transformation ― what is true within comes out and takes possession of the mind and heart and will and through them prevails over the ignorance of the outer members and brings the inner truth out there also. 16-9-1936 *
Q: I wrote to the Mother a prayer in French. Her answer to it was: "Ouvre ton cœur et tu me trouveras déjà là". ("Open your heart and you will find me already there".) What exactly does this signify ? A: What the Mother meant was this that when there is a certain opening of the heart, you find that there was always the eternal union there (the same that you experience always in the Self above). 2-7-1935 *
Q: Some Sadhaks say that they are in union with the Mother. I wonder if it is anything more than a feeling of nearness with the Mother which they sometimes have. A: I suppose they are trying to feel the Mother's presence, so
Page - 115 if they get some sort of feeling of nearness, they call it union. But of course that is only a step towards union. Union is much more than that. 5-3-1934 *
Q: You wrote yesterday, "Openness is not reckoned merely by visions". Quite so. But to have a fusion of the rays of sun and moon on each side of the body and to feel the descent and the Mother's presence in, behind and above oneself, is it not an exceptional vision and experience ? Can it occur without sufficient opening to the Mother ? A: Why should it be exceptional to see the Sun and Moon on each side or to feel the Mother's presence everywhere around ? There are plenty of Sadhaks who have had these or equivalent experiences. What could be exceptional is to feel the Mother's presence like that always. But occasional experiences like these many have had. 15-9-1936 *
Q: During meditation I feel a sort of oneness with the Mother's consciousness; but these days it is not possible to go deep in meditation at all. Is it not possible to have this feeling of oneness without meditating ? A: What is most important is the change of consciousness of which this feeling of oneness is a part. The going deep in meditation is only a means and it is not always necessary if the great experiences come easily without it. 8-4-1934 WRITING TO THE MOTHER AND FEELING HER PRESENCE
The feeling of the Mother's presence or nearness does not
Page - 116 depend on wether you write or do not write. Many who write often do not feel it, some who write seldom feel her always close. 11-6-1936 VElLING OF THE MOTHER'S PRESENCE
The Mother's presence is always there; but if you decide to act ― your own idea, your own notion of things, your own will and demand upon things, then it is quite likely that her I get veiled; it is not she who withdraws from you, but you who draw back from her. But your mind and vital don't want to admit that, because it is always their preoccupation to justify their owns movements. If the psychic were allowed its full predominance, this would not happen; it would have felt it would at once have said, "There must have in me, a mist has arisen in me," and it would and found the cause. 25-3-1932 *
The Presence whose fading you regret can only be felt if the inner being continues to be consecrated and the outer nature is put into harmony or at least kept under the touch of the inner spirit.
But if you do things which your inner being does not approve, this condition will be eventually tarnished and, each time, the possibility of your feeling the Presence will diminish. You must have a strong will to purification and an aspiration that does not flag and cease, if the Mother's grace is to be there and effective. Page - 117 |