{"id":4098,"date":"2013-07-13T01:53:25","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4098"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:53:25","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:53:25","slug":"14-experience-and-vision-vol-14-words-of-the-mother-volume-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/14-words-of-the-mother-volume-14\/14-experience-and-vision-vol-14-words-of-the-mother-volume-14","title":{"rendered":"-14_Experience-and-Vision.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\nExperiences
\nand Visions <\/span><\/font> <\/i><\/b>
\n <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nSpiritual experience
\nmeans the contact with the Divine in oneself (or without, which comes to the
\nsame thing in that domain). And it is an experience identical everywhere in all
\ncountries, among all peoples and even in all ages. <\/span><\/font> <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/span>18 February 1935<\/font><\/span><\/i> <\/p>\n

\nOne must always be
\ngreater than one’s experience. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nIt is always better to
\ncontrol an experience of this kind rather than to be controlled by it. I mean
\nthat the experience in itself is good and useful, but it must come when we want
\nit to come and not at any time when it chooses to come. It seems to me that it
\nis better to allow this experience to come only when you are quietly at home or
\nduring meditation. When you are at work it is always better to remain fully
\naware of your body and its actions. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe initial error was to hope to recommence the same experience as
\nthe one you had in your youth. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\nIn life, experiences are
\nnot repeated identically, and if they are not better, that is, higher and more
\ntrue, they become necessarily worse. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\nAfter a happy and favourable<\/span> experience it is necessary to rise from the
\nhuman to the divine, otherwise one risks falling into the infernal and
\ndiabolic. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage
\n<\/span>
\n―<\/span> 55<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

\nIt can be useful for a
\ntime to have certain inner experiences, but this attitude is not to be kept
\npermanently as it is only a partial truth and far from the whole truth of the
\nintegral yoga. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe true revelation is
\nthe revelation of the Divine. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\nThe descent of calm and
\nlight which you experience is a sign that the sadhana<\/span>
\nhas actually begun in you; it shows that you are open now consciously to the
\nDivine Force and its workings. The descent of calm and light into the being is
\nthe beginning of the foundation of the yoga. At first it may be felt in the
\nmind and upper part only, but afterwards goes further down until it touches all
\nthe centres<\/span> and is experienced in the whole body. At
\nfirst it comes only for a moment or two; afterwards it lasts for longer
\nperiods. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\nThe other experiences
\nshow that the faculty of inner vision is opening; this is also a part of the
\nyoga. The fire seen by you must have been the fire of aspiration lit in the
\nvital being. The other things you saw are not definite enough to be
\ninterpreted. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\nContinue your progress. <\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOur blessings and
\nprotection are always with you. \u00b9<\/span><\/p>\n


\n11 March
\n 1931<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n


\nLast night after a little meditation when I was about to sleep, my
\nbody from the heart above was filled up by some energy. I did not do anything
\nbut just observed. It lasted for a few seconds only. Two or three <\/span> <\/i>
\ntimes it has happened to me and on the previous occasions it lasted
\nfor some minutes.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n


\n <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00b9Although written by the Mother, this
\nletter may have been dictated by Sri Aurobindo<\/span>.<\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage
\n<\/span>
\n―<\/span> 56<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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


\n I would like to know what this is. Is it an experience
\nof Kundalini<\/span> Shakti<\/span>? What
\nis the best attitude to be adopted when under such pressure? <\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The best attitude is to be quiet and calm,
\nand to let the experience follow its course, observing it without thinking
\nabout it. <\/p>\n

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


\n
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/i>4 July 1939<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n


\nI have felt a sort of pain, especially in the chest, as reaction
\nto the intense descent of the vibration-force, and I have had the impression
\nthat the body wanted to prevent it. <\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

In order that the experience may not be
\ndangerously deformed and painful, one should keep an absolute calm. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>It
\nis only in the peace and the calm that the Divine Force expresses itself and acts.
\n                                                                                      <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\nYou know that for many years I have been in the habit of leaving
\nmy physical body and making exploratory tours in my subtle body. [Here the sadhak<\/span> describes various experiences.] I wonder whether I
\nshould keep up my practice of getting out of the body. It is extremely
\nfascinating, but is it a necessary part of Yogic development for keeping the
\nconsciousness open to inner spiritual things? <\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

It is much better to stop the experiences
\naltogether. They seem to take you into levels which are undesirable and most
\nunsafe; they are not at all necessary for any opening in the yoga. <\/p>\n


\n
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/i>28 March 1944<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i> <\/p>\n

\n Page <\/span>
\n―<\/span> 57<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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


\n(The sadhak<\/span> wrote again, about the
\npossibility of dying before turning entirely to Sri Aurobindo<\/span>
\nand the Mother, and related an experience in which a movement of total
\nself-dedication went on.<\/span><\/i>)<\/span> <\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

Certainly I have not given you up, not in
\nthe least. You are quite capable of the realisation<\/span>
\nif you make up your mind to it, and the experience you relate seems to me a
\nvalid promise that it will come. <\/p>\n

\nAs for what I meant in
\nmy last letter it was simply that there were things which might act to delay
\nyour spiritual realisation<\/span> and might be otherwise
\ndangerous for you. This does not mean that the realisation<\/span>
\nwill not come. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n\u00a0<\/span>19 May 1944 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nYou had the experience
\nyou describe when the force was acting chiefly in the mind, the vital and,
\nthrough it, in the physical. It is long since this time has passed. The force
\nhas come farther down in its action and now it is at work not only in the
\nmaterial but also in the subconscient<\/span> and even in the
\ninconscient<\/span>. Unless you follow this descending
\nmovement and allow the force to act in your body and these material regions of
\nthe consciousness, you find yourself stranded on the side of the road without
\nbeing able to advance any further. And to allow this working of the force it is
\na detailed surrender of all movements, habits, tastes, preferences, sense of
\nnecessities, e. that is urgently required. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\nRead carefully Sri Aurobindo’s<\/span> article in the Bulletin <\/i>\u00b9: it will help you to understand. <\/span> <\/p>\n


\n
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/i>20 November 1949<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n\u00b9 The
\nDivine Body\u201d, now published in Cent. Vol. 16, pp. 20-40.<\/font><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nPage
\n<\/span>
\n―<\/span> 58<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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


\nSometimes when I meditate, the body seems to vanish. I do not feel
\nany kind of physical sensation, but at the same time I am conscious of
\neverything around me. My consciousness remains only like an idea in the head.
\nAt times there is not a single thought in my mind; thoughts do come in it, but
\nthey just pass without creating any kind of confusion. This state is pleasant<\/span>―<\/span> like having rest.
\nMother, what exactly is this condition? <\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

It is a withdrawal from the most external
\nconsciousness into the Purusha<\/span>, the witness in the
\nphysical. One finds there a great repose, indeed. <\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\nOne night I had a dream-experience, almost a waking vision. I saw
\ntwo beings, whose faces I could not see, two tall and sturdily built persons,
\nwearing what seemed to be heavy fur-coats (later I thought they might have been
\ncarrying a big load of herbs on their backs, as some light was gleaming out at
\ntimes); they approached me and looked at me. I had no fear at all, but simply
\nsaid, \u201cIf you have come from the Mother, you can do what you like; if not, I
\nhave nothing to do with you, whoever you may be. I firmly withdraw from your
\ninfluence and you cannot touch one hair of mine.\u201d With that, I quietly started
\ntaking your name and withdrew into myself, yet observed their actions. They talked
\nawhile with each other. I suspected they smiled at my remarks. Then they drew
\nsomething from behind their backs which showed as the light gleamed. But other
\ndetails I could not follow clearly. Then they slowly left the room and I was
\nfully awake. <\/span><\/i> <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage
\n<\/span>
\n―<\/span> 59<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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


\nWell, I am curious to know who they were, looking almost like
\ntwins riding on horse-back. In such cases what is the attitude to take?
\nObviously there should be no fear, but is there any particular way by which a
\nsort of occult tact can be developed to discern the true nature of the embodied
\nforce or the being? <\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

Your attitude was quite correct and the
\nbest one to have in the occurrence. <\/p>\n

\nThey might have been the
\nAswins<\/span>, the twin riders, the healers. <\/span> <\/p>\n


\n
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/i>18 February 1952<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n


\nIf, while meditating in front of a flame, I think that it is the
\nDivine and that it is within me, if I feel that the flame and I are one and the
\nsame thing the Divine, if I feel this always and for everything, will it be
\nwhat you call \u201cliving within\u201d? <\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

Unquestionably yes. It is an important
\nstep towards the psychic depths. <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>1969 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nYour observation is very
\ncrude. No rule can be laid down about suggestions and voices coming from
\n\u201cwithin\u201d. Your \u201cwithin\u201d may mean anything. You must train your observation and
\ntry to distinguish between the sources from which the suggestions come. The
\nvoice or the suggestion may come from your own subconscient<\/span>
\nor it may come from something higher. If you know from where it comes, then you
\ncan decide whether you should follow it or not.<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage
\n<\/span>
\n―<\/span> 60<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


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

Experiences and Visions     Spiritual experience means the contact with the Divine in oneself (or without, which comes to the same thing in that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-14-words-of-the-mother-volume-14","wpcat-116-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4098","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=4098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4098\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}