{"id":3881,"date":"2013-07-13T01:51:57","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3881"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:51:57","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:51:57","slug":"03-19-january-1955-vol-07-questions-and-answers-volume-07","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/07-questions-and-answers-volume-07\/03-19-january-1955-vol-07-questions-and-answers-volume-07","title":{"rendered":"-03_19 January 1955.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\n19 January 1955 <\/font> <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n


\n <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

This talk is
\nbased upon\u00a0 <\/span>Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3,<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/span>\u201cIn Difficulty\u201d.
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, what is
\nthe work of the higher mind? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Work?
\nWhat exactly do you want to know? What it ought to do? Or what should one\u2026? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Its role. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The
\nrole of the higher mind? It ought to receive inspirations from above, ought to transmit
\nthem in the form of ideas to the most material mind, so that the latter may
\nexecute things, make formations. It serves as an intermediary between the
\nhigher power and the active mind. The higher mind is a mind of idea-formation
\nand at the same time\u2026 (The noise of the wind drowns Mother’s voice for a
\nmoment.) <\/span><\/p>\n

That’s its purpose. It can also try to give some understanding of things
\nwhich are above the more ordinary mentality, to explain, to clarify general
\nideas and the principles which go beyond them. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, if the
\nhostile forces were not there, could we not progress? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

If
\nthe world were not there, it wouldn’t be there. \u201cIf\u201d! The moment you put an
\n\u201cif\u201d, your question no longer makes sense. Things are as they are because they
\nare as they are. They are like that because they have to be like that;
\notherwise they would not be like that. So one can’t say, \u201cIf it were not like
\nthat, how would it be?\u201d That’s a question which makes no sense. It is like
\nthat, it is like that. <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
\n15<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

If you change anything at all in the world, it becomes another world. If
\nyou say, \u201cWe are going to take thi7s away from the world\u201d \u2013 but if that thing
\nwere not there it would be another world, it would not be the world as it is.
\nThese are vain speculations, useless, you understand. Things are like that. We
\nmust start from what is and go elsewhere. But we can’t say, \u201cWhat exists\u2026 if it
\nwere otherwise\u2026\u201d What’s the good? It is like that. <\/span><\/p>\n

All that you can say is, \u201cSince the hostile forces are there, what is
\nthe best way of using them, of making use of their presence?\u201d That’s a question
\nwith some sense. But if you tell me, \u201cIf they were not there?\u201d Excuse me, they
\nare there! It is beside the point, you see, they are there. We must take them
\nas they are. Therefore, all that you can do is to say, \u201cI would like them not
\nto be there.\u201d This indeed is quite justified. But one must work in order to
\nmake them useless. Then they will no longer be there. When they become useless,
\nthey will disappear from the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

We must take things as they are at present and go forward to something
\nelse which, we hope, will be better than what is. That’s all that one can do. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, here it is
\nwritten: \u201cThe method of the Divine Manifestation is through calm and harmony,
\nnot through a catastrophic upheaval.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes.
\nSo? You don’t know that? You ought to know it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some people always imagine that catastrophes are the result of the
\ndivine Will. There are others \u2013 as soon as they receive a force, they are
\nterribly upset; and then they tell you, \u201cAh, when the Divine acts He upsets one
\ncompletely.\u201d It is absolutely wrong. It is not the Divine who upsets you, it is
\nyour own imperfection or else it may be just an attack of one of the forces he
\nspeaks about \u2013 the adverse forces. But if you have no imperfection you cannot
\nbe upset. Still, it is certainly not the <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
\n16<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

Divine
\nwho upsets you. It is as in what follows this, where it is said: it is not the
\nMother who is testing you, it is the outer circumstances. It isn’t very comfortable
\nthis way? (Mother laughs<\/i>) You seem to
\nbe sorry that it isn’t the Divine who causes the upsettings. <\/span><\/p>\n

The upsetting is always caused by a resistance. If there were no
\nresistance there would be no upsetting. So it can be a resistance which is the cause
\nof cataclysms, earthquakes and cyclones, tidal waves, engulfment of continents,
\nvolcanic eruptions, etc. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Mother, are the hostile
\nforces conscious of the function assigned to them, that is\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

No.
\nHe has said in the book that they have assigned it to themselves. He has said
\nin the text: \u201cThe hostile forces have a certain self-chosen function,\u201d that is,
\nit is they who have decided to do this. <\/span><\/p>\n

But what do you want to ask? Why have they been given these functions? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

No, I asked whether the
\nhostile forces were conscious of the function assigned to them. Because that
\nwould mean that the hostile forces help in the spiritual accomplishment. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

There
\nis nothing that finally does not help. If they did it deliberately, they would
\nno longer be hostile forces, they would be collaborators. For you must take
\ncare of one thing, you must not speak of \u201chostile forces\u201d when thinking of
\nforces which are hostile to us. These forces are not hostile to human beings,
\nto their quietude or happiness, they are hostile to the divine Work. <\/span><\/p>\n

And usually I have heard many people speaking of \u201chostile forces\u201d \u2013 for
\ninstance, \u201cthe hostile forces of illness which attack me\u201d. This is too personal
\na point of view, it may not be the result of hostile forces; you call them
\nhostile because they <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
\n17<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

attack you.
\nBut in fact, when one speaks of hostile forces it means forces hostile to the
\ndivine Work or the divine Will. So, if they collaborated with this Work, they would
\nno longer be hostile, you see. That’s quite peremptorily logical. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, one can’t say that it is any kind of work for the progress of
\nhumanity or even for the progress of the universe. But there is nothing, not
\neven the most hostile things, which can’t be used for the divine Work. It
\ndepends on how it is taken. But it must be said that in their relation with
\nhuman beings they take a very wicked pleasure in testing them. For example, if
\nyou are not extremely strong and extremely sincere, and you tell yourself, \u201cOh,
\nI am sure of my faith\u201d \u2013 this for instance among many other things \u2013
\nimmediately something happens which is going to try to shake your faith
\ncompletely. This is one\u2026 I suppose that’s their diversion, their amusement. <\/span><\/p>\n

How many times, you know, when someone boasts\u2026 it may be very
\nchildishly\u2026 but when someone boasts about something: \u201cOh, I am sure of that, I
\nshall never make that mistake\u201d, immediately I see a hostile formation passing
\nthere, like that, and it enters by the little hole made by the boasting. It
\nenters within, like that, and then penetrates, and so prepares everything for
\nyou to do exactly what you didn’t want to. But this is an amusement, it is
\ncertainly not to help you to progress. But if you know how to take it, it does
\nhelp you to progress. You say, \u201cGood, another time I won’t boast.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

And as these forces are very conscious on the mental and vital plane,
\none doesn’t even need to pronounce the words. If the thought\u2026 for example, if
\nyou have worked well to correct something, either a bad habit or a material
\nweakness, anything, you have worked hard to correct this thing, and as you have
\nworked well you have succeeded to a certain extent. Then, if simply mentally
\nyou state that you have succeeded, the next minute it begins again. It is\u2026 you
\nsee, you must not even think, it is not a question of saying, the question is
\nsimply of thinking: \u201cWhy, it was like that before, and now it is like this. Ah, <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
\n18<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>it is fine!\u201d Finished. The next minute it
\nbegins again. <\/span><\/p>\n

And this is certain, because there are witnesses all around you who are
\nnotoriously malicious, and this amuses them terrifically. Sometimes I actually
\neven hear them laughing when someone says something frankly. I hear a little
\nlaugh like that. Oh, it amuses them very much. And the next minute or the next
\nday, crash! It is undone. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

How can we get rid of
\nthese witnesses? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Ah!
\nFrom the practical point of view, you must be in a state of inner silence, with
\na mental activity exclusively occupied with forming the thing you want to do,
\nthe progress you want to accomplish, that is to say, the mental construction
\nyou need for your work. And your capacity for observation \u2013 is infinitely
\npreferable, I could say absolutely indispensable, to use it to observe your field
\nof action, the processes you employ for your action, the results obtained, the
\nprinciple you can arrive at from the experience, the knowledge you can obtain,
\nindeed, all these things\u2026 but not to turn back on yourself and look at yourself
\nacting. It is this movement of making oneself the object of observation which
\nis dangerous. And this always causes unpleasantness, sometimes a very serious
\none. Well, most people pass their time looking at themselves, at what they are
\ndoing, how they are living, and this makes them very\u2026 what is called in English
\nself-conscious, that is, instead of sincerely being in what they are doing and
\nexclusively in what they are doing, they look at themselves acting and
\nappreciate or belittle themselves, according to their particular nature. Some
\npeople look at themselves acting with great complacency and an extreme
\nsatisfaction and consider themselves truly very remarkable. Others, on the
\ncontrary, have the critical mind and pass their time criticising themselves all
\nthe while. Well, neither is better than the other. They are equally bad. The
\nbest thing is not to be occupied with oneself. If one has a work to do, the
\nbest is to see<\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
\n19<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

to
\nthat work and naturally the best way of doing it. This of course is always
\ngood. But not to \u2013 whether one does it well or not \u2013 to look at oneself doing
\nit and appreciate oneself; that is useless.<\/span><\/p>\n

To discover how to do the work and what is the best way of doing it is
\nvery useful. But to look at oneself doing it and admire or belittle oneself,
\nthat’s not only useless but disastrous. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Mother, what does \u201ca
\nwell-developed psychic being\u201d mean exactly? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Oh,
\nwhat does it mean: a well-developed psychic being? But I have explained this to
\nyou at full length. Wasn’t it last week or was it the week before? Why, yes, I
\nsaid how psychic beings develop slowly from the first divine spark to the
\nformation of a completely constituted being, absolutely conscious and
\nindependent. So when we speak of a well-developed being, a well-developed
\npsychic, we speak of a psychic being that has nearly reached the maximum point
\nof its formation. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Then, after having
\ndeveloped, how can it have any imperfections? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What
\nimperfections? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

As you said the other
\nday, didn’t you, if someone has difficulties it means a mediocre being. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But
\nexcuse me! Don’t mix up the psychic being with the outer being. The psychic
\nbeing may be perfect and the outer being may be idiotic. Don’t confuse the two.
\nThey have nothing to do\u2026 unfortunately they have nothing to do with each other,
\nmost of the time. For the outer being is not at all conscious of the psychic
\nbeing; but to the extent that it is conscious it reflects the perfection of
\nthis psychic. <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
\n20<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

If you want to speak of the circumstances, not of the character, why would
\na psychic being not have difficulties in the world? If the world were entirely
\npsychic, I would understand. But it isn’t. It is just the very opposite, and I
\nthink the more psychic one is, usually, the more difficulties he has. Only, one
\nis armed to face the difficulties. But the more psychic one is, the more is he
\nin contradiction with the present state of the world. So when one is in
\nopposition with something, the result is difficulties. And I have noticed that
\nmost often those who have many difficulties are those who are in a more or less
\nclose contact with their psychic being. If you want to speak about outer
\ncircumstances \u2013 I am not speaking of the character, that’s quite different, but
\nof outer circumstances <\/span>\u2013<\/span> the people who have to struggle most and would have
\nmost reason to suffer are those who have a very developed psychic being. <\/span><\/p>\n

First, the development of the psychic being has a double result which is
\nconcomitant. That is, with the development of the psychic being, the
\nsensitivity of the being grows. And with the growth of sensitivity there is
\nalso the growth of the capacity for suffering; but there is the counterpart,
\nthat is, to the extent to which one is in relation with the psychic being, one
\nfaces the circumstances of life in an altogether different way and with a kind
\nof inner freedom which makes one capable of withdrawing from a circumstance and
\nnot feeling the shock in the ordinary way. You can face the difficulty or outer
\nthings with calm, peace, and a sufficient inner knowledge not to be troubled.
\nSo, on one side you are more sensitive and on the other you have more strength
\nto deal with the sensitivity. <\/span><\/p>\n

No urgent question? <\/span><\/p>\n

What is an urgent question? Who can tell me? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A question whose answer
\nis urgent<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Ah,
\nI would have said that it is a question if one didn’t ask it today he couldn’t
\nsleep tonight. (Laughter<\/i>)
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
\n21<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

That indeed is the only question that’s truly urgent. There we are. So
\nthere isn’t any, is there? You are all going to sleep very well! (Laughter<\/i>) <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It can be a question if
\none didn’t ask it one couldn’t make any progress today. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes,
\nthat’s true. But are you conscious of the question which will make you
\nprogress? If you are already conscious of this, it is surely something. It is
\nhalf the progress made already. Are there any questions like that? Someone ripe
\nfor progress? Good, then it will be for next time. <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
\n22<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

19 January 1955   This talk is based upon\u00a0 Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, \u00a0\u201cIn Difficulty\u201d.   Sweet Mother, what is the work of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-07-questions-and-answers-volume-07","wpcat-112-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3881\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}