{"id":4424,"date":"2013-07-13T01:55:54","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4424"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:55:54","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:55:54","slug":"16-12-may-vol-06-questions-and-answers-volume-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/06-questions-and-answers-volume-06\/16-12-may-vol-06-questions-and-answers-volume-06","title":{"rendered":"-16_12 May.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n


\n12 May 1954<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

This talk is based upon Sri Aurobindo’s
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/p>\n

Elements of Yoga, Chapter 6, \u201cSurrender\u201d.
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cQ: If the Purusha does not consent to the action of the Mother’s Grace,
\ndoes it prevent the other beings from receiving or feeling the Mother’s Grace
\nfor transformations? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cA: No. The Purusha often holds back and lets the
\nother beings consent or feel in his place.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What does he exactly understand by Purusha?…<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The ego?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Nolini) No, it is the conscious being. There is the being and the
\nbecoming. The conscious being is Purusha, the becoming is Prakriti. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But then each inner being has its Purusha?
\nOr is there one Purusha in all the beings? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Nolini) In each part of the being: that is, there is a vital Purusha, a
\nmental Purusha, a physical Purush\u2026\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is what we call consciousness? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, the conscious being. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The conscious being in its continuity?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

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

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But how can one do the sadhana if the
\nconscious being within does not consent, for it seems to me that it is this
\nbeing which must take the resolution to begin.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 128<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

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

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(To the children) It is I who am asking
\nquestions! <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(A child) Sweet Mother, the following questions has been put here: \u201cWhat
\nis the sign to indicate that a sadhak’s determination to surrender to the
\nDivine is having practical effect in his life?\u201d And Sri Aurobindo replies: \u201cThe
\nsign is that he has full obedience without questions or revolt or demand or
\ncondition and that he answers to all divine influences and rejects all that<\/span> are not from the Divine.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Isn’t this a resigned surrender? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Resigned? What does that mean, \u201cresigned\u201d?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Passive! <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t know what you mean. He is asking
\nfor the sign, which shows that his surrender is perfect. There is no question
\nof active or passive surrender there. He says that the determination to
\nsurrender brings certain results. The first result is simply to be obedient
\nwithout questioning, and the second is to have the power of rejecting all
\ninfluences except that of the Divine. These are great results. When one has
\nattained these, one is already quite advanced. <\/span><\/p>\n

Do you know how to distinguish between an
\ninfluence coming from the Divine and one coming from elsewhere?…<\/span> When you feel an impulse in you, can you tell whether
\nit comes from the Divine or from elsewhere? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A little.<\/span><\/i><\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A little! Ah! That’s good, and tell us
\nwhy, and how?…<\/span> That indeed is interesting.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 129<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

Sometimes, when I wake up in the morning or afternoon, I feel someone
\nsaying: \u201cThe time is passing, you must hurry up.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

And then?…<\/span>
\nSomeone?…<\/span> That is to say, you feel there is a person
\ntelling you: \u201cGet up and go quickly to do your work\u201d? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Not a person. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

An influence?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

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

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But you know from where it comes?…<\/span> Do you know from where it comes? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is not bad. I think it is not bad, so it must come from the Divine. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Ah! That is an interpretation. If, for
\ninstance, in your mind there is a formations, an idea, that you ought not to be
\nlazy and should work \u2013 that you should be on time, should not waste your time
\nsleeping \u2013 that is enough for this idea or formations to come up at the moment
\nof awakening like an influence (for it is a part of your mind which has
\nremained awake) like an influence telling you: \u201cHurry up, let’s go, go and
\nwork, don’t be lazy!\u201d But it is perhaps just one part of yourself<\/span>
\ntrying to act upon another. Or else, if you have to go to class or do some work
\nwith somebody, this may be the active thought of that person saying: \u201cIsn’t she
\nperchance still sleeping and going to be late?\u201d \u2013 that<\/span>
\nsuffices. So, this is something perhaps which has its good side and may be
\nuseful for you as a check on your activity, but it is not at all necessarily
\nsomething from the Divine. To judge that a thing comes from the Divine because
\nyou find it good may lead you into terrible mistakes.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 130<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

This is not how one should see things. It
\nis not by a perception of this kind of consciousness, not in this way. It comes
\nwhen one has a sufficiently delicate and refined sensitivity to perceive
\nclearly the value of a vibration; all vibrations that come from external
\nactivities, whether mental, vital or physical, or even psychic, have a
\nparticular quality, but what comes from the divine influence is of an
\nabsolutely different nature and quality. In order to be able to distinguish
\nthis, one must first of all have felt both; and even when one has felt both,
\none must be very calm, very attentive, indeed very still within, to be able to
\ndistinguish between them and not make a mistake. If your active thought comes
\nin the way, it is finished, you cannot distinguish clearly any longer; you
\nbegin to questions. And then you make use of your notions of good and evil to
\njudge whether this comes from the Divine or doesn’t come from the Divine.
\nThat’s absurd. It is impossible. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even when one has had this double
\nexperience and can make the distinction, there are still precautions to be
\ntaken and a check to be kept in order to be sure of not being mistaken. Only
\nwhen one has flung the door of the psychic wide open, has entered consciously,
\nand had the absolute, total, complete contact with the Divine, when one has the
\nfeeling of being born to a new life, when one is another being, does not see
\nanything in the same way any longer, does not feel anything in the same way any
\nmore \u2013 then one knows intimately, profoundly, completely what the divine life
\nis. And even afterwards, if the door closes again, one can keep a precise
\nmemory. And it is in this way that it is seen. It is impossible to make a
\nmistake. It is something quite different, there is no comparison, none: one can
\ncompare nothing with this. It is unique and absolute. That is why I asked you,
\n\u201cCan you make the distinction?\u201d For surely if one among you has had the
\nexperience, he knows in this way what comes from the Divine, and necessarily if
\nhe knows absolutely what comes from the Divine, he knows perforce all that does
\nnot. So there I asked you the questions. For I should have
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 131<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

been<\/span><\/span> very happy that one among you could tell
\nme with sincerity, \u201cI have had the experience and I know.\u201d But it is only after
\nthis experience that one knows, not before. That is why, if one sincerely wants
\nto progress, one must at each step inquire, be sure from where the influence
\ncomes: \u201cWho has given me this suggestion? Is it a part of myself? Is it
\nsomething external? Does this come from the Divine?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

But before having had that experience, one
\nis not capable of judging by oneself. Naturally, if one’s surrender is truly
\nsincere and there is this constant attitude in the being, this total
\nself-giving to the Divine, \u201cThy Will be done\u201d, in this way, one can, without
\nknowing, without understanding, instinctively, choose the thing that should be
\ndone and reject the one that should not, but this becomes an instinct, a sort
\nof automatic thing, if your surrender is perfect. And that is the very
\nadvantage of surrender, for you can do the right thing in the right way
\nautomatically, before having the knowledge. <\/span><\/p>\n

But as Sri Aurobindo says there, you
\nunderstand, one must be in a state of perfect obedience which does not
\nquestions, does not discuss and obeys spontaneously, acts rightly as one is
\nguided. Nothing in the thought or the vital must revolt or contradict or
\nquestions or try to justify, to prove<\/span> to oneself (and
\nsometimes even to the Divine) that one is right, that what one has done is the
\nright thing. All that must be done with.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fundamentally, whatever be the path one
\nfollows \u2013 whether the path of surrender, consecration, knowledge \u2013 if one wants
\nit to be perfect, it is always equally difficult, and there is but one way, one
\nonly, I know of only one: that is perfect sincerity, but perfect sincerity! <\/span><\/p>\n

Do you know what perfect sincerity is?…<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Never to try to deceive oneself, never let
\nany part of the being try to find out a way of convincing the others, never to
\nexplain favourably what one does in order to have an excuse for what one wants
\nto do, never to close one’s eyes when something is unpleasant, never to let
\nanything pass, telling oneself, \u201cThat
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 132<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

is<\/span><\/span> not important, next time it will be
\nbetter.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Oh! It is very difficult. Just try for one
\nhour and you will see how very difficult it is. Only one hour, to be totally, absolutely<\/i> sincere. To let nothing pass.<\/span> That is, all one does, all one feels,
\nall one thinks, all one wants, is it exclusively the Divine. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want nothing but the Divine, I think of
\nnothing but the Divine, I do nothing but what will lead me to the Divine, I
\nlove nothing but the Divine.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Try \u2013 try, just to see, try for half an
\nhour, you will see how difficult it is! And during that time take great care
\nthat there isn’t a part of the vital or a part of the mind or a part of the
\nphysical being nicely hidden there, at the back, so that you don’t see it (Mother hides her hands behind her back<\/i>)
\nand don’t notice that it is not collaborating \u2013 sitting quietly there so that
\nyou don’t unearth it… it says nothing, but it does not change, it hides
\nitself. How many such parts! How many parts hide themselves! You put them in
\nyour pocket because you don’t want to see them or else they get behind your
\nback and sit there well hidden, right in the middle of your back, so as not to
\nbe seen. When you go there with your torch \u2013 your torch of sincerity \u2013 you
\nferret out all the corners, everywhere, all the small corners which do not
\nconsent, the things which say \u201cNo\u201d or those which do not move: \u201cI am not going
\nto budge. I am glued to this place of mine and nothing will make me move.\u201d…
\nYou have a torch there with you, and you flash it upon the thing, upon
\neverything. You will see there are many of them there, behind your back, well
\nstuck. <\/span><\/p>\n

Try, just for an hour, try! <\/span><\/p>\n

No more questions? <\/span><\/p>\n

Nobody has anything to say? <\/span><\/p>\n

Then, au
\nrevoir<\/i>, my children!
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 133<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

12 May 1954   This talk is based upon Sri Aurobindo’s Elements of Yoga, Chapter 6, \u201cSurrender\u201d.   \u201cQ: If the Purusha does not consent…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-06-questions-and-answers-volume-06","wpcat-125-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4424","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=4424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4424\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}