{"id":3890,"date":"2013-07-13T01:52:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3890"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:52:00","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:00","slug":"36-14-september-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\/36-14-september-1955-vol-07-questions-and-answers-volume-07","title":{"rendered":"-36_14 September 1955.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\n14
\nSeptember 1955 <\/font> <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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

Mother reads The Great Secret \u00b9:<\/font><\/span> <\/font> <\/span>
\nThe
\nStatesman<\/font><\/span>.
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, what should be the attitude of a true politician? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But it’s just the attitude of a true
\npolitician which I have given here. It’s the ideal politician, my child. One
\ncan’t make a better one. It is the circumstances, he says that himself: \u201ca
\ngreater force than mine\u201d it’s the way the world is organised; he started with
\nthe best intentions, he tried his very best, he could do nothing, because one
\ncan’t do anything in the present circumstances and with politics as it is
\npractised at present. Usually people are not frank enough to say what I have
\nmade him say. I have made him speak the truth and this proves that he is
\nextremely frank; otherwise, usually they cover all their misdeeds with
\nbeautiful words, but the misdeeds are there all the same. The world is
\norganised in such a way that one can’t be otherwise. If one were a man who did
\nnot accept any kind of compromise, one could not remain in politics; one would
\nquite simply be pushed out by the very force of things. There will be a time
\nwhen all this will change, but not yet. Politics is perhaps the last thing
\nwhich will change. There are many others which must change before. It is
\ncertainly one of the most recalcitrant things.  <\/span><\/p>\n

There are two things which it is very
\ndifficult to change: finance and politics; the field of money and the field of
\ngovernment are the two points where man is weakest and most attached to
\nfalsehood. So, probably, transformation will come there last<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\u00b9 <\/font> <\/span>A drama arranged and partly written by Mother, in six
\nmonologues and a conclusion, staging six of the most famous men of the world
\nand an Unknown Man in a life-boat in which they have taken refuge after the
\nship which was taking them to a World Conference on Human Progress capsized on
\nthe high seas.<\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 301<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

of all. One can hope for a social
\ntransformation, an economic transformation, a transformation of education; one
\ncan hope for all this long before the transformation of politics and of
\nfinance. I wrote this precisely to show people what the real state of the world
\nis, and to give an indication of the way to get out of it. But when we are at
\nthe point of coming out, you will see that it is not so easy. Perhaps the first
\nthing that will be transformed will be the scientific world, it is possible;
\nbecause there a very great sincerity is required and a very persevering effort,
\nand these already are qualities which open for you the door to a higher
\nlife…. But we shall come to this next time… no, not next time, after two
\nlessons.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Here we are, my children. No other
\nquestions? Nobody has anything to say? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, the politician in the world today who is on the level of the
\none in the drama, one who is trying to do his best, isn’t he guided by the
\nDivine? Will he find the means of… <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

He has not said that he was religious at
\nall. He hasn’t told us that. He hasn’t said that it was for spiritual or
\nreligious reasons that he was trying to do this.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Note that they are all going to a congress
\non human progress, they are not going to a religious conference at all. In fact
\nyour question makes no sense, because there is nothing in the universe which is
\nnot made by the Divine, so from that point of view the question makes no sense.
\nConsciously, in himself, he should be a religious man for him to do something
\nfor religious reasons. It is not mentioned, and deliberately not mentioned, so
\nas not to introduce another factor in the problem. He is not doing this at all
\nas a service to the Divine. He is doing it because he has humanitarian ideas
\nand is trying to improve the human situation upon earth, that’s all. All of
\nthem, by the way, all are in the same condition. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 302<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

Mother, as during the war, the last war, there were great statesmen
\nwho… <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But this is taken almost exactly after one
\nof them, a famous figure. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But they became the Divine’s instruments during the war!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

All, all are the Divine’s instruments, if
\nyou want to look at it in a certain way. No, they were not at all consciously
\nthe Divine’s instruments; not conscious at all, at all, at all. They used to
\nmouth big religious words. I took them away because they were insincerities and
\nI wanted to make my fellow as sincere as possible, and their big religious
\nwords were absolutely insincere, it was blackmail; the proof is that they
\nforgot them all immediately as soon as they were victorious. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Mother, how did he know at the end that he had not found the truth if he
\nhad not been open<\/span><\/i>… <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What! How did he\u2026 ? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Pavitra) How did he know that he had not found the truth… if he had not been
\nopen to something higher? <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But who knew it, my man or the other… <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Pavitra) The moment he is conscious that there is something which he has not
\nfound, it means that he was open to something else. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Yes, naturally, all goodwill is open to a
\ndeeper consciousness. That goes without saying. I tell you, I have taken very
\nexcep- <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 303<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

tional persons who are ready to
\nunderstand, otherwise it could not be done. I have made them better than they
\nreally are, because all had something else behind their aspiration; they are
\nnot aware of it, but these are people on the point of understanding and it is
\nin this way, you see, that I could organise the thing; it is not an exact copy
\nof nature, it is something arranged to prove something \u2013 that’s all \u2013 as always
\nin literature. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Mother, this gives us the hope that in the world today and especially in
\nIndia, there are… <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Gives the hope! I think that it’s not this
\nthat gives the hope; if one had before oneself only the model of those who
\nexist in the world, there wouldn’t be much hope. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Mother, in the present world politics is divided into two big camps,
\nthat of America and that of Russia. How will the reconciliation come? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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

Oh! It is very easy. It’s simply because
\nthey don’t at all understand that it is very easy that I say that it is the
\nlast thing that will happen. These things are only appearances and superficial
\nideas and interests \u2013 interests! not even true interests: ideas which they have
\nabout their interests. But if the true solution were found… not if it were
\nfound \u2013 perhaps it is found \u2013 if the true economic solution were applied, the
\nvery basis of their problems would collapse, there would remain only the
\npolitical attitude which is very, very superficial. It is very shallow, it has
\nno depth, it is above all just words, very hollow words; it sounds very loud
\nbecause it is hollow, they are big words. But, you see, the only fairly true
\nsupport of their attitude lies in the two things I have spoken about: a
\nfinancial support and an economic support. Well, if the economic problem were
\nsolved, that is, if the solution were applied, the major part of the support of
\nthese political differences would disappear. It is based almost
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 304<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

exclusively on an opposite way of looking
\nat the problems of life and the solution of these problems: these think that it
\nis like this, the others think that it is like that. I am speaking of the most
\nsincere ones, not of those who have constructed things out of nothing at all,
\nprecisely, as I said, to make a lot of noise and have a lot of influence. But
\nif we go to the heart of the question, there isn’t so much difference. <\/span><\/p>\n

There are many people \u2013 I am speaking of
\npeople, not of individuals but governments \u2013 who pretend that they are not
\ncommunists and have a way of acting that’s absolutely communistic, still more
\ndrastic than the communists’. Therefore all this is a matter of words. One puts
\nwords as one puts a certain cloak on the things one does, it changes just the
\nappearance, but the inside is not very different. Besides, one thing is quite
\nsimple, that the whole of mankind follows an evolution, an evolutionary curve,
\nand that there are ages, certain ages in which there is a certain experience
\nwhich becomes almost universal, that is, terrestrial, entirely terrestrial, but
\nindeed under different names, labels, words; it is nearly the same experience
\nwhich continues. So there are the old ones which are in the course of
\ndisappearing and yet cling on, which yet change the appearance and the
\nsubstance of certain new things. But it’s only like the tail of something. The
\nwhole new movement is going towards an experience which becomes as common as
\npossible, because it is useful only if it is common. If it is localised, it is
\nlike a mushroom, it gives no fruit for the general human consciousness. The
\ngreat human experiences have to be gone through, more or less thoroughly, by
\nthe whole of mankind, and it is done in this way. It is only man’s thoughts
\nwhich fix other words, other forms, other reasons, other justifications, other
\nlegitimisations on what they do; but when one comes to the fact it is very similar.
\nOnly, in order to do that, particularly, it is necessary to see beyond the
\nsimple appearances. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

During the war between Germany and England it was <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 305<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

known on which side the Divine was, the divine Force which was fighting
\nagainst the asuric forces… <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Known to whom? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Here. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Ah, of course! <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In present-day politics can we say in which camp… <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, things become completely
\nclear-cut in this way \u2013 to the extent that one can say these are for and these
\nagainst \u2013 only when there is that frightful materialisation of a war, because
\nat that moment it is obvious that the victory of one side is preferable to the
\nvictory of the other, not that these are better than the others \u2013 this is
\nunderstood, that from the divine point of view all are equal in worth, it’s the
\nsame thing \u2013 but because the consequences of the victory are such that the
\nvictory of one side is better than that of another. But this is when the thing
\nbecomes absolutely brutal, a reciprocal extermination. Otherwise, to tell the
\nreal truth, the divine Force acts for its work everywhere, in men’s errors as
\nin their goodwill, through ill-will as through favourable things. There is
\nnothing that’s not mixed; nowhere is there something which could be said to be
\ntruly a pure instrument of the Divine, and nowhere is there an absolute
\nimpossibility of the Divine’s using a man or action to go forward on the path.
\nSo, as long as things are uncertain, the Divine works everywhere almost
\nequally. If men go in for such a great madness, then it is different. But it is
\ntruly a \u201cgreat madness\u201d, in the sense that it precipitates a whole mass of
\nindividuals and wills into an activity which leads straight to destruction \u2013
\ntheir own destruction. I am not speaking of bombs and the destruction of a city
\nor a people, I am speaking of destruction as it is spoken about in the Gita,
\nyou see, when it is said that<\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 306<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

the Asura goes to his own destruction.
\nThat’s what happens, and this is a very great misfortune, because it is always
\nbetter to be able to save, illumine, transform, than to have to destroy
\nbrutally. And it is this terrible choice of the war which is its true horror;
\nit’s that it materialises the conflict so brutally and totally that some
\nelements which could have been saved during peace are, because of war,
\nnecessarily destroyed \u2013 and not only men and things but forces, the conscience
\nof beings.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Has India a special role to play in present-day politics? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Politics! I told you at the very beginning
\nthat politics is something completely… unconverted. Then how can there be a
\ntrue political role?  <\/span><\/p>\n

India has a role to fulfil in the world.
\nBut this is something ideal and one that requires a conversion which… in any
\ncase, it has not yet taken place, as far as I know. From the superficial,
\nexternal point of view she could play her part if she were sincere. That’s all
\nthat I can say. But it is also necessary to have the precise knowledge.  <\/span><\/p>\n

(Long
\nsilence<\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

 These things cannot be spoken about. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

When this Statesman finds the truth, the problems won’t be the same,
\nwill they? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What? My Statesman! All must find the
\ntruth. Then naturally when they have all found the truth, things will be
\ndifferent. So!… We are going to ponder over this problem!  <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 307<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

14 September 1955 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mother reads The Great Secret \u00b9: The Statesman.   Sweet Mother, what should be the attitude of a true politician?  …<\/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-3890","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\/3890","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=3890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}