{"id":4354,"date":"2013-07-13T01:55:25","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4354"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:55:25","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:55:25","slug":"50-28-april-1951-vol-04-questions-and-answers-volume-04","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/04-questions-and-answers-volume-04\/50-28-april-1951-vol-04-questions-and-answers-volume-04","title":{"rendered":"-50_28 April 1951.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\n28 April 1951<\/font><\/span><\/b>
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut so long as the lower nature is active the
\npersonal effort of the Sadhaka<\/span> remains necessary.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, p. 6 <\/font> <\/span><\/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 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Outwardly, one
\nbelieves in one’s own personality and one’s own effort. So long as you believe
\nin personal effort, you must make a personal effort. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is one part
\nof the being which is not at all conscious of being a part of the Divine. The
\nwhole of the outer being is convinced that it is something separate, independent
\nand related only to itself. This part of the being must necessarily make a
\npersonal effort. It can’t be told, \u201cThe Divine does the sadhana<\/span>
\nfor you\u201d, for it would never do anything, it would never be changed. When one
\nspeaks with somebody, one should use his language,\u00b9 shouldn’t one ? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What is \u201cphysical tamas<\/span>\u201d?
\n<\/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 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You don’t know
\nthat, you don’t ? Then, congratulations ! For instance, does it never happen to
\nyou that being seated you don’t want to get up, that having something to do you
\nsay, \u201cOh ! I have to do all that\u2026 \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Is it the same thing as laziness ?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n\u00b9 At the time of publication of this
\ntalk, Mother made the following remark: \u201cThis is not true. This is not true for
\nit is too categorical. One must not use the language of the outer being, for
\nits language is altogether false, but things must be said in a form in which it
\ncan understand them \u2013 that is different. But to say things exactly takes a very
\nlong time; that is why Sri Aurobindo always used long sentences and what
\nappeared to be long explanations. These are not explanations: they are meant
\nfor saying the thing with precision.\u201d<\/font> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 366<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

\nNot quite. Of
\ncourse, laziness is a kind of tamas<\/span>, but in laziness
\nthere is an ill-will, a refusal to make an effort \u2013 while tamas<\/span>
\nis inertia: one wants to do something, but one can’t. <\/span><\/p>\n

I remember, a long
\ntime ago, having been among some young people, and they remarked that when I
\ndecided to get up I used to get up with a jump, without any difficulty. They
\nasked me, \u201cHow do you do it ? We, when we want to get up, have to make an
\neffort of will to be able to do it.\u201d They were so surprised ! And I was
\nsurprised by the opposite. I used to tell myself, \u201cHow does it happen ? When
\none has decided to get up, one gets up.\u201d No, the body was there, like that, and
\nit was necessary to put a will into it, to push this body for it to get up and
\nact. It is like that, this is tamas<\/span>. Tamas<\/span> is a purely material thing; it is very rare to have a
\nvital or mental tamas<\/span> (it may occur but through
\ncontagion), I believe it is more a tamas<\/span> of the
\nnerves or the brain than vital or mental tamas<\/span>. But
\nlaziness is everywhere, in the physical, the vital, the mind. Generally lazy
\npeople are not always lazy, not in all things. If you propose something that
\npleases them, amuses them, they are quite ready to make an effort. There is
\nmuch ill-will in laziness. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Aurobindo speaks of \u201cthe will to open and
\nmake plastic the physical consciousness and nature\u201d. \u00b9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/i><\/span><\/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 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Because the
\nphysical consciousness and nature are closed up and rigid \u2013 they are shut up in
\ntheir habits, they don’t want to change them, they accept only one regular
\nroutine. There is nothing more routine-bound than the body. If you change its
\nhabits in the least, it is quite bewildered, it doesn’t know any longer what to
\ndo, it says, \u201cExcuse me, excuse me ! but that’s not how one goes about living.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Those whose vital
\nbeing is very active and dominating may succeed in awakening the body, and if
\nthey have the spirit of adventure (which happens very often, for the vital is
\nan adventurous <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b9 <\/font> <\/span>
\nS<\/span>ri<\/span><\/span><\/font>
\nAurobindo, The Mother<\/i>, p. 7.<\/font><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Page – 367<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/i><\/div>\n

being), the
\nphysical obeys, it obeys the impulse, the inner order; then it consents to the
\nchange, the novelty, but it is an effort for it. But for the physical being and
\nphysical consciousness to be ready to receive the divine impulsion, they must
\nbe extremely plastic, because the vital uses coercion, it imposes its will, and
\nthe poor body has but to obey, while the Divine just shows the light, gives the
\nconsciousness, and so one must obey consciously and willingly \u2013 it is a
\nquestion of collaboration, it is no longer a question of coercion. The physical
\nbeing and physical consciousness must be very plastic to be able to lend
\nthemselves to all the necessary changes, so as to be of one kind one day and
\nanother the next, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Aurobindo speaks here of the \u201cstability of
\nLight, Power, Ananda\u201d\u00b9. But isn’t power always dynamic? <\/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 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Well, there is a
\nstatic power. How to explain it to you ? Look, there is the same difference
\nbetween static power and dynamic power as between a game of defence<\/span>
\nand a game of attack; you understand? It is the same thing. Static power is
\nsomething which can withstand everything, nothing can act upon it, nothing can
\ntouch it, nothing can shake it \u2013 it is immobile, but it is invincible. Dynamic
\npower is something in action, which at times goes forth and may at times
\nreceive blows. That is to say, if you want your dynamic power to be always
\nvictorious, it must be supported by a considerable static power, an unshakable
\nbase. <\/span><\/p>\n

I know what you
\nwant to say…that a human being becomes aware of power only when it is
\ndynamic; a human being doesn’t consider it a power except when it acts; if it
\ndoesn’t act he does not even notice it, he does not realise<\/span>
\nthe tremendous force which is behind this inaction \u2013 at times, even frequently,
\na force more formidable than the power which acts. But you may try it out in
\nyourself, you will see, it is much more difficult to remain calm, immobile,
\nunshakable before something very <\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

Page – 368<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/i><\/div>\n

unpleasant \u2013
\nwhether it be words or acts levelled<\/span> against you \u2013
\ninfinitely more difficult than to answer with the same violence. Suppose
\nsomeone insults you; if in the face of these insults, you can remain immobile
\n(not only outwardly, I mean integrally), without being shaken or touched in any
\nway: you are there like a force against which one can do nothing and you do not
\nreply, you do not make a gesture, you do not say a word, all the insults thrown
\nat you leave you absolutely untouched, within and without; you can keep your
\nheart-beats absolutely quiet, you can keep the thoughts in your head quite
\nimmobile and calm without their being in the least disturbed, that is, your
\nhead does not answer immediately by similar vibrations and your nerves don’t
\nfeel clenched with the need to return a few blows to relieve themselves; if you
\ncan be like that, you have a static power, and it is infinitely more powerful
\nthan if you had that kind of force which makes you answer insult by insult,
\nblow by blow and agitation by agitation. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Aurobindo speaks of \u201cthe rejection of … stupidity,
\ndoubt, disbelief\u201d.\u00b9 If one rejects stupidity does one become intelligent? <\/span>
\n<\/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 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Do you mean
\nwhether one can get rid of stupidity ? Yes, there is a way. It is not easy, but
\nthere is a way. I have known people who were extremely stupid, truly stupid;
\nwell, these people succeeded through aspiration \u2013 an aspiration which was not
\nformulated, had not even the power to express itself in words \u2013 succeeded in
\ncoming into contact with their psychic being. It was not a constant contact, it
\nwas momentary, at times very fugitive. But while they were in contact with
\ntheir psychic being, they became remarkably intelligent, they said wonderful
\nthings. I knew a girl who had no education, nothing, truly stupid; people said,
\n\u201cThere is nothing to be done about it, it is not possible.\u201d Well, when she was in
\ncontact with her psychic being,<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00b9Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, p. 7.<\/font><\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

Page – 369<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/i><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>she understood the profoundest things and made
\nastounding remarks. But when the contact stopped she became stupid once again.
\nIt was not something permanent, it was only the contact that took away her
\nstupidity. So, it is a difficult cure, that is, one must establish the contact
\nwith one’s psychic being and keep it always. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is a Muslim
\nlegend like that about Christ. You know the story: Christ healed the sick, made
\nthe lame walk, the blind see and even raised the dead. Seeing all these
\nmiracles, someone went up to Christ and said, \u201cOh ! I have a very interesting
\ncase to put before you…Yes, I have a son who is stupid.\u201d Christ opened his
\neyes wide and ran away! It seems that was the only thing he could not do ! This
\nis a joke, of course, and the thing is difficult, but it is possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Divine … is behind all action but he is
\nveiled by his Yoga Maya…\u201d\u00b9 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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

Yes, he is veiled
\nby the consciousness of material Nature. There is the consciousness in its
\norigin which does not veil the Divine but expresses him. There is the
\nconsciousness in its outer form which veils him. Some say this is willed, that
\nit is to allow the game to be played; that the Divine hides himself behind
\nmaterial Nature to compel all conscious beings to find Him. That is an
\nopinion… people say many things. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>One of the great difficulties for most
\nphilosophies is that they have never recognised<\/span> or
\nstudied the different planes of existence, the different regions of the being.
\nThey have the Supreme and then the Creation and then that’s all, nothing
\nbetween the two. This makes explanations very difficult… All explanations, in
\nthe last analysis, are simply languages \u2013 there are languages which make
\nunderstanding easier and others which make it more difficult. And some of these
\ntheories make the understanding of things very difficult \u2013 while if you recognize<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00b9Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, p. 6.<\/font><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Page – 370<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/i><\/div>\n

and study and
\nbecome aware of the different intermediary states between the most material
\nNature and the Supreme Origin, if you recognise<\/span> and
\nbecome conscious of all the intermediary regions, of all the inner states of
\nbeing and all the outer regions, that can explain many problems. We have
\nalready studied this in connection with determinisms. If you say that the
\ndeterminism is absolute and remain there, you understand nothing; it is quite
\nobvious that all the events of life give you the lie; or else the problem is so
\ncomplicated that you can’t get hold of it. But if you understand that there are
\na large number of determinisms acting upon each other, interpenetrating,
\nchanging the action of one determinism by the action of another, then the
\nproblem becomes comprehensible. It is the same thing for explaining the action
\nof the Divine in the universe. If you take a central creative Force or a
\ncentral creative Consciousness or a central immobile Witness, and then the
\nuniverse, only that, nothing between the two, you cannot understand. There are
\npeople who have used this in such a naive way ! They have made a Creator God
\nand then his creatures. So all the problems come up. He has made the world,
\nwith what ? Some tell you it is from the dust, but what is it, this dust ? What
\nwas it doing before it was used to make a world ?… Or from nothing ! A
\nuniverse was created out of nothing \u2013 that is foolish ! It is very awkward for
\na logical mind. And over and above all that, you are told that He did this
\nconsciously, deliberately, and when he had finished he exclaimed, \u201cLook, it is
\nvery good.\u201d Then, those who are in the universe reply, \u201cWe don’t find it so
\ngood. It is perhaps very good for you but not for us.\u201d These are naive
\nconceptions. They are simply ignorant and naive conceptions which make the
\nproblem of the universe absolutely incomprehensible. And all these explanations
\nare inadmissible for a mind which is ever so slightly awakened. That is why you
\nare told, \u201cDon’t try to understand, you will never understand.\u201d But that is
\nmental laziness, it is the mind’s bad will. You see, one feels within oneself
\nthat, because one has this kind of power of thought-activity, this aspiration
\nto
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

Page – 371<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/i><\/div>\n

find a light, a
\nsolution, it must correspond to something, otherwise…otherwise, truly (I
\nthink I have written this somewhere), if the universe were reduced to that
\nsimple notion, well, it would be the most sinister of farces and I should very
\nwell understand those who have declared, \u201cRun away, get out of it as fast as
\npossible.\u201d Unfortunately, I don’t see how they would be able to get out of it, for
\nthere is nothing else \u2013 how can you get out of something which alone exists?
\nSo, one enters a vicious circle, one turns round and round and this leads quite
\nnaturally to mental despair. But when one has the key \u2013 there are one or two
\nkeys, but there is one which opens all the doors when one has the key, one
\nfollows one’s road and little by little understands the Thing. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What is the difference between consciousness and
\nphysical Nature? <\/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 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tell me, is your
\nbody absolutely conscious, conscious of itself, conscious of its functioning ?
\nNo, then what is it? It can only be physical Nature. And if there is a physical
\nNature which is not conscious, it means that physical Nature and consciousness
\nare not the same thing. Physical Nature includes everything that is physical:
\nyour body belongs to physical Nature, mountains, stones, the sky, water,
\nfire… all this belongs to physical Nature. But your physical Nature contains
\na consciousness, it is animated by a consciousness, though it is not entirely
\nconscious. And precisely because it is not entirely conscious, it can be inert,
\ntamasic<\/span>, \u201cunconscious\u201d. Otherwise all would be
\nconscious, stones also would be conscious (I don’t know how far they are so,
\nbut it is to a very small extent compared with human consciousness). <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Does not surrender consist in offering one’s work
\nlike a good servant?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Work is a good
\ndiscipline. But it is not this idea, it is not the idea <\/span><\/p>\n

Page – 372<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/i><\/div>\n

of a passive,
\nunconscious and almost involuntary submission. It is not that. It does not lie
\nonly in work. <\/span><\/p>\n

The most important
\nsurrender is the surrender of your character, your way of being, so that it may
\nchange. If you do not surrender your very own nature, never will this nature
\nchange. It is this that is most important. You have certain ways of
\nunderstanding, certain ways of reacting, certain ways of feeling, almost
\ncertain ways of progressing, and above all, a special way of looking at life
\nand expecting from it certain things \u2013 well, it is this you must surrender.
\nThat is, if you truly want to receive the divine Light and transform yourself,
\nit is your whole way of being you must offer \u2013 offer by opening it, making it
\nas receptive as possible so that the divine Consciousness which sees how you
\nought to be, may act directly and change all these movements into movements
\nmore true, more in keeping with your real truth. This is infinitely more
\nimportant than surrendering what one does. It is not what one does (what one
\ndoes is very important, that’s evident) that is the most important thing but
\nwhat one is. Whatever the activity, it is not quite the way of doing it but the
\nstate of consciousness in which it is done that is important. You may work, do
\ndisinterested work without any idea of personal profit, work for the joy of working,
\nbut if you are not at the same time ready to leave this work, to change the
\nwork or change the way of working, if you cling to your own way of working,
\nyour surrender is not complete. You must come to a point when everything is
\ndone because you feel within, very clearly, in a more and more imperious way,
\nthat it is this which must be done and in this particular way, and that you do
\nit only because of that. You do not do it because of any habit, attachment or
\npreference, nor even any conception, even a preference for the idea that it is
\nthe best thing to do \u2013 else your surrender is not total. As long as you cling
\nto something, as long as there is something in you which says, \u201cThis may
\nchange, that may change, but that<\/i>,
\nthat will not change\u201d, as long as you say about anything at all, \u201cThat will not
\nchange\u201d (not
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

Page – 373<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/i><\/div>\n

that it refuses to
\nchange, but because you can’t think of its changing), your surrender is not
\ncomplete. <\/span><\/p>\n

It goes without
\nsaying that if in your action, your work, you have in the least this feeling,
\n\u201cI am doing it because I have been told to do it\u201d, and there is not a total
\nadherence of the being, and you do not do the work because you feel it must be
\ndone and you love doing it; if something holds back, stands apart, separate, \u201cI
\nwas told it had to be done like that so I did it like that\u201d, it means there is
\na great gulf between you and surrender. True surrender is to feel that one
\nwants, one has, this complete inner adherence: you cannot do but that<\/i>, that which you have been given
\nto do, and what you have not been given to do you cannot do. But at another
\nmoment the work may change; at any moment it may be something else, if it is
\ndecided that it be something else. It is there that plasticity comes in. That
\nmakes a very great difference. It is well understood that those who work are
\ntold, \u201cYes, work, that is your way of surrendering\u201d, but it is a beginning.
\nThis way has to be progressive. It is only a beginning, do you understand ?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Page – 374<\/span><\/p>\n

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

28 April 1951   \u201cBut so long as the lower nature is active the personal effort of the Sadhaka remains necessary.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sri Aurobindo, The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-04-questions-and-answers-volume-04","wpcat-124-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4354","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=4354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4354\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}