The Mother with Letters on the Mother  

 

Contents

 

Pre-Content

 

 

PART ONE

THE MOTHER

 

PART TWO

LETTERS ON THE MOTHER

 

Section One

The Mother: Individual, Universal, Transcendent

 

The Mother and the Purpose of Her Embodiment

Who Is the Mother?

The Mother and the Supramental Descent

Sri Aurobindo's Recognition of the Mother

 

The Mother: Some Events in Her Life

The Mother's Year of Birth

Early Visions and Experiences

Studying Occultism with Max Théon

Early Occult Experiences

Meeting Jnan Chakrabarti

Arrival in Pondicherry

Some Occult and Spiritual Experiences

The Mother's Illness in 1931 and Her Temporary Retirement

 

Three Aspects of the Mother

Individual, Universal, Transcendent

The Universal Mother and the Individual Mother

The Mother's Universal Action and Her Embodied Physical Action

Concentration on the Embodied Mother

The Transcendental Mother and the Embodied Mother

The Transcendent Mother and the Higher Hemisphere

The Eternal Mother

 

The Mother, the Divine and the Lower Nature

The Consciousness and Force of the Divine

The Mother in the Tantra

The Mother in the Gita

The One and the Supreme Mother

The Cosmic Divine and the Mother

The Self, the Divine and the Mother

The Mother and Self —Realisation

The Mother, the Jivatman and the Soul

The Mother's Interest in the World

The Mother and the Lower Prakriti

 

Forms, Powers, Personalities and Appearances of the Mother

Nirguna and Saguna (Formless and with Form)

Many Powers and Forms

Adyashakti

Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati

Maheshwari

Mahakali

Krishna —Mahakali

Mahakali and Kali

Kali

Durga

Mahalakshmi

Mahasaraswati

The Radha —Power

The Mother's Vibhutis

Different Appearances of the Mother

False Appearances of the Mother

 

Section Two

The Mother, Sri Aurobindo and the Integral Yoga

 

Two in One

One Consciousness

One Force

One Path

No Less nor Greater

One in Two Bodies

Appendix: Two Texts

 

Incarnation and Evolution The Mystery of Incarnation

The Reason for Their Embodiment

Connections in Past Lives

Carrying on the Evolution

The Guru, the Divine and the Truth

The Mother, Sri Aurobindo and the Overmind

The Mother, Sri Aurobindo and the Supramental Descent

The Triple Transformation and Control over Death

 

Difficulties of the Pathfinders

The Burden of Humanity

Difficulties and the Sunlit Path

Vital Sensitiveness

Self —imposed Bareness

Joyous Sacrifice

No Grand Trunk Road

 

Helpers on the Way

Sadhana through the Mother and Sri Aurobindo

The Only Way to Advance

Taking Refuge in Their Protection

Their Attitude towards the Sadhaks

Faithfulness to the Light and the Call

Openness to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo

Their Presence

Calling the Mother and Sri Aurobindo

Receiving Their Influence

Following a Hostile Influence

Misinterpreting Their Words

Criticisms, Humility and Faith

Taking on the Sadhaks' Difficulties

Dealing with the Sadhaks

Awareness of the Sadhaks' Movements

Their Knowledge of Human Nature

Their Patience

Their Help

Speaking One's Thoughts Freely

Sri Aurobindo's Coming out of Retirement

 

The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in Dreams, Visions and Experiences

Visions, Dreams and Experiences of Their Unity

Other Dreams and Experiences

 

Section Three

The Mother and the Practice of the Integral Yoga

 

Yoga Aspiration and Surrender to the Mother

Yoga, Sadhana, Dhyana

Aspiration

Aspiration and the Psychic

The Psychic Fire and Offering

Aspiration, Rejection, Surrender

Surrender to the Mother

 

Opening, Sincerity and the Mother's Grace

The Meaning of Opening

Opening to the Mother and the Integral Yoga

Loyalty and Fidelity

The Psychic and Opening

Sincerity

The Mother's Grace

Opening and Presence

 

The Mother's Presence

She Is Always Present

Feeling the Mother's Presence

Spiritual Possibility due to the Mother's Presence

The Mother's Presence and the Adverse Forces

The Mother's Presence and Human Imperfection

The Mother's Emanations

The Mother's Knowledge and Her Emanations

The Mother's Awareness of Thoughts and Actions

Feeling the Mother's Presence and Seeing Visions

Feeling the Mother's Presence through a Photograph

Remembering the Mother and Feeling Her Presence

The Psychic and the Mother's Presence

Feeling the Mother's Presence in Sleep

Feeling the Mother's Presence at Work

Union with the Mother

 

The Mother's Force

What Is the Mother's Force?

Progress in Sadhana and the Mother's Force

Reliance on the Mother's Force

Becoming Conscious of the Mother's Force

Descent of the Mother's Force

Pressure of the Descending Force

Faith and the Working of the Mother's Force

Surrender to the Mother and the Working of Her Force

Assimilation of the Mother's Force

Calling the Mother's Force

Receptivity and Openness to the Mother's Force

Pulling the Mother's Force

The Mother's Force and the Forces of the Lower Nature

The Mother's Force and the Three Gunas

Conditions for the Working of the Mother's Force

Discrimination and the Working of the Mother's Force

Mental Knowledge and the Working of the Mother's Force

The Mother's Force and the Body

The Mother's Therapeutic Force

Receiving the Mother's Force at a Distance

 

Sadhana through Work for the Mother

Finding the Mother's Force in Work and Action

Work for the Mother in the Integral Yoga

Work for the Mother as Karmayoga

Following the Mother's Will

The Mother's Consciousness and the Divine Law

Opening to the Mother in Work

Remembering the Mother in Work

Offering Actions to the Mother

Work for the Mother and the Worker's Ego

 

The Mother's Lights

Lights and the Mother

The Mother's White Light

The Mother's Diamond Light

The Golden Light of Mahakali

Seeing Light around the Mother

 

The Mother in Visions, Dreams and Experiences

Seeing the Mother in Visions and Dreams

Developing the Ability to See the Mother

Experiences of the Mother and Her Powers

Hearing the Mother's Voice

Visions, Voices and Progress in Sadhana

 

The Mother's Help in Difficulties

Difficulties and the Mother's Help

Difficulties and the Mother's Force

Difficulties and the Mother's Grace

Turning to the Mother for Help

Personal Effort and the Mother's Help

Opening to the Mother in Difficulty

The Mother's Protection

Calling the Mother in Difficulty

Praying to the Mother

The Mother's Help and the Hostile Forces

Natural Disasters, Adverse Forces and the Mother's Help

Helping Others and the Mother's Help

The Mother's Help in Worldly Matters

 

Section Four

The Mother in the Life of the Ashram

 

The Mother and the Sadhana in the Ashram

The Mother Does the Sadhana

The Mother's Victory

Being Taken Up by the Mother

Broad Lines of the Sadhana

The Mother and Other Paths of Yoga

Turning Entirely to the Mother

Acceptance of the Mother

Confidence in the Mother

Recognising the Mother's Divinity

Discontent with the Mother

 

The Mother as Guru and Guide

The Mother's Way of Dealing with Sadhaks

The Mahakali Method

Understanding the Mother's Actions

Misunderstanding the Mother's Words

Asking Questions to the Mother

Writing to the Mother

Leaving the Mother and the Ashram

 

The Mother and the Discipline in the Ashram

The Mother in Sole Charge of the Ashram

Demands on the Mother's Time

The Mother and Material Things

The Mother and the Vital Difficulties of the Sadhaks

The Mother's Attitude towards Quarrels between the Sadhaks

The Mother and the Satisfaction of Desires

The Mother and the Control of Sexual Desire

Uneasiness in Mixing with Others

The Mother's Advice on Some Practical Matters

Imitation of "Great Sadhaks"

 

Work for the Mother in the Ashram

All Ashram Work Is the Mother's Work

Doing Work for the Mother

Work for the Mother and Kartavyam Karma

Work, Sadhana and the Mother

Vital Energy and the Mother's Work

The Mother and the Organisation of Work

The Mother's Use of Department Heads

The Mother and Clashes between Workers

The Mother and Mistakes in Work

 

Relation between the Mother and Her Children

True Relation with the Mother

Inner Contact with the Mother

The Right Way of Loving the Mother

Receiving What the Mother Gives

Telling the Whole Truth

Psychic Relation with the Mother

The Vital Element of Love

Devotion or Bhakti for the Mother

Consecration to the Mother

The Mother's Love

Inner Union and Outer Relation with the Mother

Relation with the Mother and with Others

False Suggestions of the Mother's Displeasure

Nearness to the Mother and Progress in Sadhana

Closeness to the Mother and Speaking French

Special Relation with the Mother

 

Meeting the Mother

Right Attitude during Interviews with the Mother

Impossibility of Giving Interviews to Everyone

Interviews with Outsiders

Significance of Birthday Interviews

Right Use of Birthday Interviews

Group Meditation with the Mother

The Morning Pranam

Experiences during Pranam

Right Way to Make Pranam

The Mother's Expression at Pranam

The Mother's Smile at Pranam

Smiles and Seriousness

Wrong Ideas about the Mother's Showing Displeasure

Wrong Ideas about the Mother's Smile and Touch

The Mother's Hand at Pranam

Feeling the Mother's Touch at Pranam

Flowers at Pranam

Avoiding Pranam

Pranam and Non —Pranam Days

Fixed Places at Pranam

The Change from Pranam to Meditation

Outsiders at Pranam

Making Pranam at a Distance

Making Pranam to Others

Pranam in the Reception Hall

The Soup Ceremony

The Value of Darshan

Public Darshan Days

The First Blessing

 

Aspects of the Mother's Life in the Ashram

The Mother's Music

The Mother's Attitude towards Music and Other Arts

Golconde

The French Book L'Ether Vivant

Meeting the Dead

Speaking to People about Past Lives

Sending Ethereal Beings to the Sadhaks

An Occult or Yogic Faculty

The Mother Takes upon Herself Difficulties and Illnesses

The Mother and Medicines

The Mother and Eye Treatment

Giving Money to the Mother

The Mother's Accounts

The Mother's Attire

The Mother's Photograph

The Mother's Naming of Cats

The Mother's Symbol

The Mother's Flag

 

Section Five

On Three Works of the Mother

 

On Prières et Méditations de la Mère

General Comments on the Mother's Prières

Comments on Specific Prières

Hearing the Mother Read Her Prières

Reading the Mother's Prières

 

On Conversations with the Mother

Comments Mother's Conversations and Prières

 

On Entretiens avec la Mère

Comments on Specific Entretiens

 

PART THREE

TRANSLATIONS OF PRAYERS OF THE MOTHER

 

Prayers and Meditations

November 28, 1913

February 15, 1914

August 27, 1914

August 31, 1914

September 1, 1914

September 25, 1914

September 28, 1914

September 30, 1914

October 5, 1914

October 7, 1914

October 14, 1914

October 25, 1914

November 8, 1914

February 15, 1915

March 3, 1915

March 7, 1915

March 8, 1915

December 26, 1916

December 27, 1916

December 29, 1916

March 31, 1917

April 28, 1917

July 12, 1918

December 28, 1928

 

Radha's Prayer

Radha's Prayer

 

NOTE ON THE TEXTS

Three Aspects of the Mother

 

Individual, Universal, Transcendent

 

I am or was under the impression that Mother is the Cosmic and Supracosmic Mahashakti.

I don't quite understand the question. I have explained in The Mother that there are three aspects, transcendent, universal and individual, of the Mother.

31 May 1933

 

*

 

 

As I see it, there are two Shaktis in the world: the Cosmic Shakti and the individual Shakti  —our Mother. I believe it is difficult to remain in direct connection with the Cosmic Shakti, while the individual Shakti is always here before us. I would like to know more about these Shaktis.

There is one divine Force which acts in the universe and in the individual and is also beyond the individual and the universe. The Mother stands for all three, but she is working here in the body to bring down something not yet expressed in this material world so as to transform life here  —it is so that you should regard her as the Divine Shakti working here for that purpose. She is that in the body, but in her whole consciousness she is also identified with all the other aspects of the Divine Force.

16 June 1933

The Universal Mother and the Individual Mother

 

The universal and individual Mother are the same  —these are two aspects of the Supreme Mother  —but the differentiation is for the multiple action and play. So also one feels the self as one's own self in an individual way but also that there is the same self

 

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individualised in others and all are one.

4 November 1934

 

*

 

   

What people mean by the formless svarūpa of the Mother,  —they mean usually her universal aspect. It is when she is experienced as a universal Existence and Power spread through the universe in which and by which all live. When one feels that Presence one begins to feel a universal peace, light, power,   bliss without limits  —that is her svarūpa. One meets this more often by rising in consciousness above the head where one is liberated from this limited body consciousness and feels oneself also as something wide, calm, one self with all beings  —free from passion and disturbance in an eternal peace. But it can be felt through the heart also  —then the heart too feels itself wide as the world, pure and blissful, filled with the Mother's presence. There is also the Mother's personal and individual presence in the heart which brings immediately love and bhakti and the sense of a close intimacy and personal oneness.

9 June 1935

The Mother's Universal Action and Her Embodied Physical Action

 

Being sincere to the Mother demands communication of all our secret thoughts. There should be no secrecy between the mother and the child. But apart from this, is there any other utility of confessions?

There is the utility of the physical approach to the Mother  —the approach of the embodied mind and vital to her embodied Power. In her universal action the Mother acts according to the law of things  —in her embodied physical action is the opportunity of a constant Grace,  —it is for that that the embodiment takes place.

12 August 1933

 

*

 

 

Is there any law of the working of the Mother's Grace? Why does the Mother in her universal action act according to the law of things, but in her embodied physical by constant Grace?

 

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It is the work of the Cosmic Power to maintain the cosmos and the law of the cosmos  —transforming it by a slow evolution. The greater transformation comes from the Transcendent above the universe, and it is that transcendent Grace which the embodiment of the Mother is there to bring into action.

13 August 1933

Concentration on the Embodied Mother

 

When calling down the Force, should I concentrate on the embodied Mother or open to and concentrate on the consciousness of the Universal Mother?

The embodied Mother must be the foundation of the concentration  —even when you receive from the universal Consciousness above you, it is from her consciousness that you are receiving.

5 March 1934

The Transcendental Mother and the Embodied Mother

 

There are many Mothers in the cosmic and spiritual planes who help people in their search for the Divine. Above them, I have read, is the transcendental Mother and above her comes the supreme Mother. X and Y profess to have seen and spoken to the transcendental Mother in her embodied aspect. This is hard to believe.

There are not many Mothers, there is One in many forms. The transcendental is only one aspect of the Mother. I don't know what is meant by the embodied aspect of the transcendental Mother. There is the embodied aspect of the One Mother  —what she manifests through it depends on herself.

7 July 1936

The Transcendent Mother and the Higher Hemisphere

 

"At the summit of this manifestation of which we are a part there are worlds of infinite existence, consciousness, force and bliss over which the Mother stands as the unveiled eternal

 

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Power."1 The Transcendent Mother thus stands above the Ananda plane. There are then four steps of the Divine Shakti:

(1) The Transcendent Mahashakti who stands above the Ananda plane and who bears the Supreme Divine in her eternal consciousness.

(2) The Mahashakti immanent in the worlds of Sat-Chit —Ananda where all beings live and move in an ineffable completeness.

(3) The Supramental Mahashakti immanent in the worlds of Supermind.

(4) The Cosmic Mahashakti immanent in the lower hemisphere.

Yes; that is all right. One speaks often however of all above the lower hemisphere as part of the transcendence. This is because the Supermind and Ananda are not manifested in our universe at present, but are planes above it. For us the higher hemisphere is पर [para], the Supreme Transcendence is  परात्पर  [paratpara]. The Sanskrit terms are here clearer than the English.

27 January 1932

 

*

 

 

X asked me the meaning of the term "transcendent". He also asked if the Supermind is a world of transcendence. So far as I can see, the gradations of the upper hemisphere are, in a sense, the heights of transcendence, with the Mother at the summit.

Yes.

Is it here at the summit that the Mother is the Transcendent Mother and the Divine is the Transcendent Divine?

Yes; but from the point of view of the present triple world of mind, life and body governed by the Overmind (Maya), the Supermind and the supramental Divine (all the upper hemisphere in fact) can be spoken of as Transcendent.

27 January 1932

1 Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, p. 15. 

 

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The Eternal Mother

X came to our house. I asked him, "First, one Mother must be born, then another Mother, then another Mother, is it not so? Who is the Mother who was first born before the others were born? How did She come to exist?" He said he did not know, but that Sri Aurobindo and Mother would know and can tell me. Therefore please reply so that I can know everything clearly.

The first mother is the "Mother"  —the eternal Mother; she always exists, she has no beginning or end.

4 March 1933

 

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