{"id":3267,"date":"2013-07-13T01:47:03","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:47:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3267"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:47:03","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:47:03","slug":"05-opening-and-surrender-to-the-mother-vol-letters-of-sri-aurobindo-on-the-mother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-other-editions\/letters-of-sri-aurobindo-on-the-mother\/05-opening-and-surrender-to-the-mother-vol-letters-of-sri-aurobindo-on-the-mother","title":{"rendered":"-05_Opening_and_Surrender_to_the_mother.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n


\nSECTION  THREE <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\tOPENING AND SURRENDER TO THE MOTHER<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-23<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n
\nThe Principal Thing in Yoga<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nTo practice Yoga implies the will to overcome all attachments and turn to the
\nDivine alone. The principal thing in the Yoga is to trust in the Divine Grace at
\nevery step, to direct the thought continually to the Divine and to offer oneself
\ntill the being opens and the Mother’s force can be felt working in the Adhara.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nOpenness to the Mother <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t(1)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nTo be open is simply to be so turned to the Mother that her Force can work in
\nyou without anything refusing or obstructing her action. If the mind is shut up
\nin its own ideas and refuses to allow her to bring in the Light and the Truth,
\nif the vital clings to its desires and does not admit the true initiative and
\nimpulsions that the Mother’s power brings, if the physical is shut up in its
\ndesire, habits and inertia and does not allow the Light and Force to enter in it
\nand work, then one is not open. It is not possible to be entirely open all at
\nonce in all the movements, but there must be a central opening in each part and
\na dominant aspiration or will in each part (not in the mind alone) to admit only
\nthe Mother’s ‘workings’, the rest will then be progressively done.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n28-10-1934<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n(2)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nTo remain open to the Mother is to remain always quiet and happy and confident –
\nnot restless, not grieving or despondent, to let her force work in you, guide
\nyou, give you knowledge, give you peace and Ananda. If you cannot keep yourself
\nopen, then aspire constantly but quietly that you may be open.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n(3)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nYou have only to aspire, to keep yourself open to the Mother, to reject all that
\nis contrary to her will and to let her work in you – doing also all your work
\nfor her and in the faith that it is through her force that you can do it. If you
\nremain open in this way the knowledge and realization will come to you in due
\ncourse.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-24<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t(4)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tOpen yourself simply to the Mother’s help with
\n\t\t\ttrust and confidence, that is the best way of not feeling far from
\n\t\t\ther.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tFull Opening to the
\n\t\t\tMother<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nIt is by the constant remembrance that the being is prepared for the full
\nopening. By the opening of the heart the Mother’s presence begins to be felt
\nand, by the opening to her Power above, the Force of the higher consciousness
\ncomes down into the body and works there to change the whole nature.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n7-8-1934<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nQuieting the Mind to Open to the Mother<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nYes, it is by quieting the mind that you will become able to call the Mother and
\nopen to her. The soothing effect was a touch from the psychic – one of the
\ntouches that prepare the opening of the psychic with its gift of inner peace,
\nlove and joy.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n17-9-1934<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nOpenness to the Mother’s Force<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nKeep yourself open to the Mother’s Force, but do not trust all forces. As you go
\non, if you keep straight, you will come to a time when the psychic becomes more
\npredominantly active and the Light from above prevails more purely and strongly
\nso that the chance of mental constructions and vital formations mixing with the
\ntrue experience diminishes. As I have told you, these are not and cannot be the
\nSupramental Forces; it is a work of preparation which is only making things
\nready for a future Yoga-siddhi.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n18-9-1932<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-25<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n
\nNecessity of Surrender to the Mother<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nThere is not much spiritual meaning in keeping open to the Mother if you
\nwithhold your surrender. Self-giving or surrender is demanded of those who
\npractice this Yoga, because without such a progressive surrender of the being it
\nis quite impossible to get anywhere near the goal. To keep open means to call in
\nher Force to work in you, and if you do not surrender to it, it amounts to not
\nallowing the Force to work in you at all or else only on the condition that it
\nwill work in the way you want and not in its own way which is the way of the
\nDivine Truth. A suggestion of this kind is usually made by some adverse Power or
\nby some egoistic element of mind or vital which wants the Grace or the Force,
\nbut only in order to use it for its own purpose, and is not willing to live for
\nthe Divine Purpose, – it is willing to take from the Divine all it can get, but
\nnot to give itself to the Divine. The soul, the true being, on the contrary,
\nturns towards the Divine and is not only willing but eager and happy to
\nsurrender.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tIn this Yoga one is supposed to go beyond every
\n\t\t\tmental idealistic culture. Ideas and Ideals belong to the mind and
\n\t\t\tare half-truths only; the mind too is, more often than not,
\n\t\t\tsatisfied with merely having an ideal, with the pleasure of
\n\t\t\tidealizing, while life remains always the same, untransformed or
\n\t\t\tchanged only a little and mostly in appearance. The spiritual seeker
\n\t\t\tdoes not turn aside from the pursuit of realization to mere
\n\t\t\tidealizing; not to idealise, but to realise the Divine Truth is
\n\t\t\talways his aim, either beyond or in life also – and in the latter
\n\t\t\tcase it is necessary to transform mind and life which cannot be done
\n\t\t\twithout surrender to the action of the Divine Force, the Mother.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nTo seek after the Impersonal is the way of those who want to withdraw from life,
\nbut usually they try by their own effort, and not by an opening of themselves to
\na superior Power or by the way of surrender; for the Impersonal is not something
\nthat guides or helps, but something to be attained and it leaves each man to
\nattain it according to the way and capacity of his nature. On the other hand, by
\nan opening and surrender to the Mother one can realise the Impersonal and every
\nother aspect of Truth also.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nThe surrender must necessarily be progressive. No one can make the complete
\nsurrender from the beginning, so it is quite natural that when one looks into
\noneself, one should find its absence. That is no reason why the principle of
\nsurrender should not<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-26<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\nbe accepted and carried out steadily from stage to stage, from field to field,
\napplying it successively to all the parts of the nature.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tThe Process of Yoga<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nAll has to be done by the working of the Mother’s force aided by your
\naspiration, devotion and surrender.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n30-10-1934<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nSurrender to the Mother<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nIt is then a samkalpa of surrender. But the surrender must be to the Mother –
\nnot even to the Force, but to the Mother herself.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n4-10-1936<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nFailure in Sadhana<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nIf there is a refusal of the psychic new birth, a refusal to become the child
\nnew-born from the Mother, owing to attachment to intellectual knowledge or
\nmental ideas or to some vital desire, then there will be a failure in the
\nsadhana<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nThe Right Attitude of Surrender<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nThe effort demanded of the sadhaks is that of aspiration, rejection and
\nsurrender. If these three are done the rest is to come of itself by the Grace of
\nthe Mother and the working of her force in you. But of the three the most
\nimportant is surrender of which the first necessary form is trust and confidence
\nand patience in difficulty. There is no rule that trust and confidence can only
\nremain if aspiration is there. On the contrary, when ever aspiration is not
\nthere because of the pressure of inertia, trust and confidence and patience can
\nremain. If trust and patience fail when aspiration is quiescent, that would mean
\nthat the sadhaks is relying solely on his own effort – it would mean, "Oh, my
\naspiration has failed, so there is no hope for me. My aspiration fails, so what
\ncan Mother do?" On the contrary, the sadhaks should feel, "Never mind,<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-27<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\nmy aspiration will come back again. Meanwhile I know that the Mother is with me
\neven when I do not feel her; she will carry me even through the darkest period."
\nThat is the fully right attitude you must have. To those who have it depression
\ncan do nothing; even if it comes it has to return baffled. That is not tamasic
\nsurrender. Tamasic surrender is when one says, "I won’t do anything; let Mother
\ndo everything. Aspiration, rejection, surrender even are not necessary. Let her
\ndo all that in me." There is a great difference between the two attitudes. One
\nis that of the shirker who won’t do anything, the other is that of the sadhak
\nwho does his best, but when he is reduced to quiescence for a time and things
\nare adverse, keeps always his trust in the Mother’s force and presence behind
\nall and by that trust baffles the opposition force and calls back the activity
\nof the sadhana.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n26-10-1936<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nSincere Surrender to the Mother<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nIt is necessary if you want to progress in your sadhana that you should make the
\nsubmission and surrender of which you speak sincere, real and complete. This
\ncannot be as long as you mix up your desires with your spiritual aspiration. It
\ncannot be as long as you cherish vital attachment to family, child or anything
\nor anybody else. If you are to do this Yoga, you must have only one desire and
\naspiration, to receive the spiritual Truth and manifest it in all your thoughts,
\nfeelings, actions and nature. You must not hunger after any relations with
\nanyone. The relations of the sadhak with others must be created for him from
\nwithin, when he has the true consciousness and lives in the Light. They will be
\ndetermined within him by the power and will of the Divine Mother according to
\nthe Supramental Truth for the divine life and divine work; they must not be
\ndetermined by his mind and his vital desires. This is the thing you have to
\nremember. Your psychic being is capable of giving itself to the Mother and
\nliving and growing in the Truth; but your lower vital being has been full of
\nattachments and samskaras and an impure movement of desire and your external
\nphysical mind was not able to shake off its ignorant ideas and habits and open
\nto the Truth. That was the reason why you were unable to progress, because you
\nwere keeping up an element and movements which could not be allowed to remain;
\nfor they were the exact opposite of what has to be established in a divine life.
\nThe Mother can only free you from these things, if you really want it, not only
\nin your psychic being, but in your physical mind and all your vital<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-28<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\nnature. The sign will be that you no longer cherish or insist on your personal
\nnotions, attachments or desires, and that whatever the distance and wherever you
\nmay be, you will feel yourself open and the power and presence of the Mother
\nwith you and working in you and will be contented, quiet, confident, wanting
\nnothing else, awaiting always the Mother’s Will.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nFeel Her Presence<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nRemember the Mother and, though physically far from her, try to feel her with
\nyou and act according to what your inner being tells you would be her Will. Then
\nyou will be best able to feel her presence and mine and carry out atmosphere
\naround you as a protection and a zone of quietude and light accompanying you
\neverywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t12-12-36<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nSurrender to the Mother’s Light<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t <\/span>Put
\n\t\t\tall before the Mother in your heart so that her Light may work on it
\n\t\t\tfor the best. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t21-4-1935<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nThe Sound Way to Advance<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nAllow a quiet and steady will to progress to be settled in you; learn the habit
\nof a silent, persistent and thorough assimilation of what the Mother puts into
\nyou. This is the sound way to advance.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nMarch 1928<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nThe Only Method of This Yoga<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nThere is no method in this Yoga except to concentrate, preferably in the heart,
\nand call the presence and power of the Mother to take up the being and by the
\nworkings of her force transform the consciousness; one can concentrate also in
\nthe head or between the<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-29<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\neyebrows, but for many this is a too difficult opening. When the mind falls
\nquiet and the concentration becomes strong and the aspiration intense, then
\nthere is a beginning of experience. The more the faith, the more rapid the
\nresult is likely to be. For the rest one must not depend on one’s own efforts
\nonly, but succeed in establishing a contact with the Divine and a receptivity to
\nthe Mother’s Power and Presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nFaith in The Mother’s Working<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nOne has to cleave firmly to the faith in the Mother’s working behind all
\nappearances and you will find that that will carry you through.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n31-8-1935<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nThe Only Way to Succeed in the Supramental Yoga<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nThere is in a very fundamental part of your nature a strong formation of
\nego-individuality which has mixed in your spiritual aspiration a clinging
\nelement of pride and spiritual ambition. This formation has never consented to
\nbe broken up in order to give place to something more true and divine.
\nTherefore, when the Mother has put her force upon you, or when you yourself have
\npulled the force upon you, this in you has always prevented it from doing its
\nwork in its own way. It has begun itself building according to the ideas of the
\nmind or some demand of the ego, trying to make its own creation in its "own
\nway", by its own strength, its own sadhana, its own tapasya. There has never
\nbeen here any real surrender, any giving up of yourself freely and simply into
\nthe hands of the Divine Mother. And yet that is the only way to succeed in the
\nSupramental Yoga. To be a Yogi, a Sannyasi, a Tapaswi is not the object here.
\nThe object is transformation, and the transformation can only be done by a force
\ninfinitely greater than your own; it can only be done by being truly like a
\nchild in the hands of the Divine Mother.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nObedience to the Mother’s Force<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nIf you want to get back your faith and keep it, you must first quiet your mind
\nand make it open and obedient to the Mother’s force. If you have an excited mind
\nat the mercy of every influence and impulse, you will remain a field of
\nconflicting and contrary forces<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-30<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\nand cannot progress. You will begin to listen to your own ignorance instead of
\nthe Mother’s knowledge and your faith will naturally disappear and you will get
\ninto a wrong condition and a wrong attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nMarch, 1928<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nLoyalty and Fidelity to The Mother<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nIf an adverse Force comes, one has not to accept and welcome its suggestions,
\nbut to turn to the Mother and to refuse to turn away from her. Whether one can
\nopen or not, one has to be loyal and faithful. Loyalty and fidelity are not
\nqualities for which one has to do Yoga. They are very simple things which any
\nman or woman who aspires to the Truth ought to be able to accomplish.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nObedience to The Mother <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t(1)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nI wrote the general law of spiritual life and obedience. You have to know that
\nas well as its special application here. Moreover, many here are satisfied with
\nsaying "the Mother is divine", but they do not follow her commands – others do
\nnot really regard her as Divine – they treat her as if she were an ordinary
\nGuru. I have said what obedience means in Yoga, nothing more can be said than
\nthat.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n(2)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nIf they have a greater experience or consciousness than the Mother, they should
\nnot stay here but go and save the world with it.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nRight Way of Going through Worldly Life<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nThe life of samsara is in its nature a field of unrest – to go through it in the
\nright way one has to offer one’s life and actions to the Divine and pray for the
\npeace of the Divine within. When the mind becomes quiet, one can feel the Divine
\nMother supporting the life and put everything into her hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t16‐4‐1933<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-31<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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