{"id":3908,"date":"2013-07-13T01:52:08","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3908"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:52:08","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:52:08","slug":"50-28-december-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\/50-28-december-1955-vol-07-questions-and-answers-volume-07","title":{"rendered":"-50_28 December 1955.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\n28
\nDecember 1955 <\/font> <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Mother reads from {The Synthesis of Yoga},
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSelf-Consecration\u201d. <\/font> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, what is \u201can all-receiving concentration that is the very
\nnature of the integral Yoga\u201d? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 An all-receiving concentration? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

No \u2013 a concentration which is open to all that
\nexists; it is a concentration which does not oppose anything. It is a
\nconcentration which is open. It means that one must not reject certain things
\nfrom himself and practise an exclusive concentration on a particular point
\nwhile neglecting all the others. All the possibilities should be admitted and
\npursued. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Here it is written: \u201cOur one objective must be the Divine himself to
\nwhom, knowingly or unknowingly, something always aspires in our secret nature.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 What
\nis this something which aspires, Sweet Mother? <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is a part of the being which is not
\nalways the same in everyone, and which is instinctively open to the influence
\nof the psychic. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is always one part \u2013 sometimes
\nindeed quite veiled, of which we are not conscious \u2013 something in the being
\nwhich is turned to the psychic and receiving its influence. This is the
\nintermediary between the psychic consciousness and the external consciousness. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is not the same thing in everyone; in
\neach one it is different. It is the point in his nature or character through
\nwhich he can touch the psychic and where he can receive the psychic influence.
\nIt depends upon people; for each one it is different;
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 422<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

everyone has a point like this.<\/span><\/p>\n

You may also feel that there are certain
\nthings which suddenly push you, lift you above yourself, open a kind of door
\nupon something greater. It can be many things; and it depends upon each one’s
\nnature. It’s the part of the being which enthuses over something; it is this
\ncapacity for enthusiasm. <\/span><\/p>\n

There are two principal things. This, the
\ncapacity for enthusiasm which makes one come out of his greater or lesser
\ninertia in order to throw himself more or less totally into the thing which
\nrouses him. As for instance, the artist for his art, the scientist for his science.
\nAnd in general, every person who creates or builds has an opening, the opening
\nof a special faculty, a special possibility, creating an enthusiasm in him.
\nWhen this is active, something in the being awakens, and there is a
\nparticipation of almost the whole being in the thing done. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is this. And then there are those
\nwho have an innate faculty of gratitude, those who have an ardent need to
\nrespond, respond with warmth, devotion, joy, to something which they feel like
\na marvel hidden behind the whole of life, behind the tiniest little element,
\nthe least little event of life, who feel this sovereign beauty or infinite
\nGrace which is behind all things. <\/span><\/p>\n

I knew people who had no knowledge, so to
\nsay, of anything, who were hardly educated, whose minds were altogether of the
\nordinary kind, and who had in them this capacity of gratitude, of warmth, which
\ngives itself, understands and is thankful. <\/span><\/p>\n

 Well, for them, the contact with the
\npsychic was very frequent, almost constant and, to the extent that they were
\ncapable of it, conscious \u2013 not very conscious but a little \u2013 in the sense that
\nthey felt that they were carried, helped, uplifted above themselves.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 These two things prepare people the
\nmost. They are born with one or the other; and if they take the trouble, it
\ndevelops gradually, it increases. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 423<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

We say: the capacity for enthusiasm,
\nsomething which throws you out of your miserable and mean little ego; and the
\ngenerous gratitude, the generosity of the gratitude which also flings itself in
\nthanksgiving out of the little ego. These are the two most powerful levers to
\nenter into contact with the Divine in one’s psychic being. This serves as a
\nlink with the psychic being \u2013 the surest link.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

(Silence<\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

             That’s all? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, does something aspire even in the most nasty people? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In the most nasty people?… yes, my child
\n\u2013 even in the Asuras, even in the Adversaries, even in the monsters, there is
\nsomething. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is always a corner, a kind of rift,
\na sensitive point, which is usually called a weakness. But this actually is the
\nstrength of the being, the point by which it can be touched. <\/span><\/p>\n

For even in the most obscure and misled
\nbeings, even in those whose conscious will is to fight against the Divine, in
\nspite of themselves, in spite of everything, their origin is divine. And they
\nwork in vain, try in vain to cut themselves off from their origin; they cannot
\ndo it. Deliberately, consciously, they try all they can; but they know very
\nwell they cannot do it. Even the most monstrous being there is always a means
\nto touch. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Divine, the Divine’s action in the
\nworld, always acts as a limit to the excess of evil, and at the same time gives
\nan unlimited power to the good. And it is this unlimited power of the good which,
\nexternally, in the manifestation, serves as a limit to the spreading of evil. <\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally, to the very limited vision of
\nhuman beings it seems sometimes that evil has no limits and that it goes to its
\n<\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 424<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

extreme. But this extreme itself is a limit.
\nThere is always a halt, because there is a point where the Divine rises up and
\nsays, \u201cYou won’t go any farther.\u201d Whether it be the great destructions of
\nNature or men’s monstrosities, there is always<\/i>
\na moment when the Divine intervenes and prevents things from going farther. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

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

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, do those who have this aspiration without knowing it also
\nprogress without knowing it? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Yes \u2013 yes. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Then everybody is progressing, always, isn’t that so? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In a certain way, yes. Only it may not be
\napparent in one lifetime, because when there is no conscious participation of
\nthe being, the movement is relatively slow, even relative to the short duration
\nof human life. And so it is quite possible, for example, that at the moment of
\ndeath a being seems not to have progressed, and even sometimes it seems to have
\nbeen going backwards, to have lost what it had at the beginning of its life.
\nBut if we take the great life-curve of its psychic being through many lives,
\nthere is always a progress. Each experience it had in one of its physical
\nlifetimes helps it to make some progress. But it is the psychic being which
\nalways progresses. <\/span><\/p>\n

The physical being, in the state in which
\nit is at present \u2013 well, having reached a certain point of ascent, it comes
\ndown again. There are elements which may not come down again grossly; but still
\nit does come down, one can’t deny it. <\/span><\/p>\n

The vital being \u2013 not necessarily, nor the
\nmental being. The vital being, if it knows how to get connected with the
\nuniversal force, can very easily have no retrogression; it can continue to
\nascend. And the mental being, it’s absolutely certain, is com- <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 425<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

pletely free from all degeneration if it
\ncontinues to develop normally. So these always make progress so long as they
\nremain co-ordinated and under the influence of the psychic.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is only the physical being which grows
\nand decomposes. But this comes from its lack of plasticity and receptivity and
\nby its very nature; it is not inevitable. Therefore there is room to think that
\nat a given moment, as the physical consciousness itself progresses consciously
\nand deliberately, well, to a certain extent and increasingly the body itself
\nwill be able, first to resist decay \u2013 which, obviously, must be the first
\nmovement \u2013 and then gradually begin to grow in inner perfection till it
\novercomes the forces of decomposition. <\/span><\/p>\n

But truly speaking, it’s the only thing
\nwhich for the moment does not progress. Everything else is progressing. <\/span><\/p>\n

But this substance itself<\/i> \u2013 that is, this material physical substance which forms it
\nconstitutes an organism which lives for a certain length of time in a given
\nform and then this form declines and dissolves \u2013 the substance itself
\nconstituting these successive forms progresses through all these forms. That
\nis, the molecular, cellular substance \u2013 perhaps even the cellular \u2013 the
\nmolecular and atomic, is progressing in its capacity to express the divine
\nForce and Consciousness. Through all these organisms this substance becomes
\nmore and more conscious, more and more luminous, more and more receptive, until
\nit reaches a perfection sufficient for it to become a possible vehicle for the
\ndivine Force itself which will be able to use it as it uses the elements of the
\nother parts of the creation, like the mind or the vital. <\/span><\/p>\n

And at that moment the physical substance
\nwill be ready to manifest in the world the new Consciousness, new Light, new
\nWill. Through all the centuries, through countless lives, passing through
\ninnumerable organisms, using countless experiences it, so to speak, becomes
\nrefined; it is prepared, and becomes more and more receptive and open to the
\ndivine Forces. <\/span><\/p>\n

So, a man as a momentary individual being
\nmay not appear<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 426<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

to progress. But the progress is continued
\nthrough him, as through all organisms.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Silence<\/i>) <\/span><\/p>\n

(To
\na child<\/i>) You seem to think that it is not very consoling! <\/span><\/p>\n

 All the same it is a consolation,
\nbecause, in fact, it is only for each individual being to precipitate the
\nmovement of progress by working consciously at it. That freedom is given to
\neveryone, so one has only to profit by it. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is no ineluctable law preventing
\nanybody from participating consciously in the universal progress. This freedom
\nis given to him. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing?… No questions, then?… <\/span><\/p>\n

No more questions?… Nothing?… Nothing
\nmore?… (To a child<\/i>) Or you have
\nsomething to ask? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, when one sees in one’s dream a white snake with two heads,
\nwhat does it signify? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It depends on the context. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is difficult to say. Logically it
\nshould mean purified energy. <\/span><\/p>\n

Two heads; it depends on the context, that
\nmeans, the circumstances in which one sees, what has happened before, what
\nhappens at that time and what happens afterwards. If it is just a snake like
\nthat, with two heads… <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It was in this room, Sweet Mother. I don’t know who was there, but in
\nGauri’s drawer, here, there was the snake, and as soon as I opened it, it came
\nout. Then you took it by the tail, and it bit you \u2013 but that did nothing. Then
\nyou let it go out by the other window. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It was white? <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 427<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

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

 <\/span><\/p>\n

And had two heads? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes.<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

(Silence<\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

You are sure that it bit me? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t know. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Still, you remember it like that. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

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

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In which drawer? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Here, Sweet Mother, where you keep the flowers. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In the box? <\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/p>\n

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

(Silence<\/i>) <\/span><\/p>\n

I threw it out? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Not threw it, but you let it go out from there. You put it on the window
\nand it went out. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Absolutely white? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I think so<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The eyes? You didn’t see them?<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t know. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

When did this happen?<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Two or three days ago, I think. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

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

So, meditation?<\/span><\/p>\n

(Meditation<\/i>) <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 429<\/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":"

28 December 1955   Mother reads from {The Synthesis of Yoga}, \u201cSelf-Consecration\u201d.   Sweet Mother, what is \u201can all-receiving concentration that is the very nature…<\/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-3908","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\/3908","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=3908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3908\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}