{"id":4476,"date":"2013-07-13T01:56:16","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4476"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:56:16","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:16","slug":"07-29-april-1953-vol-05-questions-and-answers-volume-05","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/05-questions-and-answers-volume-05\/07-29-april-1953-vol-05-questions-and-answers-volume-05","title":{"rendered":"-07_ 29 April 1953.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n

\n29 April 1953<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, you have said that one can
\nexercise one\u2019s conscious will and change the course of one\u2019s dreams. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Ah, yes, I
\nhave already told you that once. If you are in the middle of a dream and something
\nhappens which you don\u2019t like (for instance, somebody shouts that he wants to
\nkill you), you say: \u201cThat won\u2019t do at all, I don\u2019t want my dream to be like
\nthat\u201d, and you can change the action or the ending. You can organise your dream
\nas you want. One can arrange one\u2019s dreams. But for this you must be conscious
\nthat you are dreaming, you must know you are dreaming. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But these dreams are not of much
\nimportance, are they? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, they
\nare, and one must be conscious of what can happen. Suppose that you have gone
\nfor a stroll in the vital world; there you meet beings who attack you (that\u2019s
\nwhat happens usually), if you know that it is a dream, you can very easily
\ngather your vital forces and conquer. That\u2019s a true fact; you can with a
\ncertain attitude, a certain word, a certain way of being do things you would
\nnot do if you were just dreaming. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

If in the dream someone kills you it
\ndoesn\u2019t matter, for it is just a dream! <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I beg your
\npardon! Usually, the next day you are ill, or may be a little later. That\u2019s a
\nwarning. I know someone whose eye was thus hurt in a dream, and who really lost
\nhis eye a few days later. As for me, once I happened to dream getting blows on
\nmy face. Well, when I woke up the next morning, I had a <\/span>
\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 27<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

red mark in
\nthe same place, on the forehead and the cheek Inevitably, a wound received in
\nthe vital being is translated in the physical body. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But how does it happen? There must be some
\nintermediary? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It was in
\nthe vital that I was beaten. It is from within that this comes. Nothing, nobody
\ntouched anything from outside. If you receive a blow in the vital, the body
\nsuffers the consequence. More than half of our illnesses are the result of
\nblows of this kind, and this happens much more often than one believes. Only,
\nmen are not conscious of their vital, and as they are not conscious they don\u2019t
\nknow that fifty per cent of their illnesses are the result of what happens in
\nthe vital: shocks, accidents, fighting, ill-will Externally this is translated
\nby an illness. If one knows how it reacts on the physical, one goes to its
\nsource and can cure oneself in a few hours. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

How is it that the symbolism of dreams
\nvaries according to traditions, races, religions? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Because the
\nform given to the dream is mental. If you have learnt that such and such a form
\nrepresents such and such a mythological person, you see that form and say: \u201cIt
\nis that.\u201d In your mind there is an association between certain ideas and
\ncertain forms, and this is continued in the dream. When you translate your
\ndream you give it an explanation corresponding to what you have learnt, what
\nyou have been taught, and it is with the mental image you have in your head
\nthat you know. Moreover, I have explained this to you a little later in the
\nvision of Joan of Arc (Mother takes her book and reads): <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe beings who were always appearing and
\nspeaking to Jeanne d\u2019Arc would, if seen by an Indian, have<\/span><\/i> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 28<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

quite a different appearance; for when one
\nsees, one projects the forms of one\u2019s mind You have the vision of one in India
\nwhom you call the Divine Mother; the Catholics say it is the Virgin Mary, and
\nthe Japanese call it Kwannon, the Goddess of Mercy; and others would give other
\nnames. It is the same force, the same power, but the images made of it are
\ndifferent in different faiths.\u201d <\/span><\/i>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\nQuestions and
\nAnswers 1929 (21 April)<\/font><\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

And then?
\nYou are not very talkative today! Is that all?<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

You say that \u201ceach person has his own
\nworld of dream-imagery peculiar to himself.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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

Each
\nindividual has his own way of expressing, thinking, speaking, feeling,
\nunderstanding. It is the combination of all these ways of being that makes the
\nindividual. That is why everyone can understand only according to his own
\nnature. As long as you are shut up in your own nature, you can know only what
\nis in your consciousness. All depends upon the height of the nature of your
\nconsciousness. Your world is limited to what you have in your consciousness. If
\nyou have a very small consciousness, you will understand only a few things.
\nWhen your consciousness is very vast, universal, only then will you understand
\nthe world. If the consciousness is limited to your little ego, all the rest
\nwill escape you There are people whose brain and consciousness are smaller than
\na walnut. You know that a walnut resembles the brain; well these people look at
\nthings and don\u2019t understand them. They can understand nothing else except what
\nis in direct contact with their senses. For them only what they taste, what
\nthey see, hear, touch has a reality, and all the rest simply does not exist,
\nand they accuse us of speaking fancifully! \u201cWhat I cannot touch does not
\nexist\u201d, they say. But the <\/span>
\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 29<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

only answer
\nto give them is: \u201cIt does not exist for you, but there\u2019s no reason why it
\nshouldn\u2019t exist for others.\u201d You must not insist with these people, and you
\nmust not forget that the smaller they are the greater is the audacity in their
\nassertions. <\/span><\/p>\n

One\u2019s
\ncocksureness is in proportion to one\u2019s unconsciousness; the more unconscious
\none is, the more is one sure of oneself. The most foolish are always the most
\nvain. Your stupidity is in proportion to your vanity. The more one knows.. In
\nfact, there is a time when one is quite convinced that one knows nothing at
\nall. There\u2019s not a moment in the world which does not bring something new, for
\nthe world is perpetually growing. If one is conscious of that, one has always
\nsomething new to learn. But one can become conscious of it only gradually.
\nOne\u2019s conviction that one knows is in direct proportion to one\u2019s ignorance and
\nstupidity.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Mother, have the scientists, then, a very
\nsmall consciousness? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Why? All
\nscientists are not like that. If you meet a true scientist who has worked hard,
\nhe will tell you: \u201cWe know nothing. What we know today is nothing beside what
\nwe shall know tomorrow. This year\u2019s discoveries will be left behind next year.\u201d
\nA real scientist knows very well that there are many more things he doesn\u2019t
\nknow than those he knows. And this is true of all branches of human activity. I
\nhave never met a scientist worthy of the name who was proud. I have never met a
\nman of some worth who has told me: \u201cI know everything.\u201d Those I have seen have
\nalways confessed: \u201cIn short, I know nothing.\u201d After having spoken of all that
\nhe has done, all that he has achieved, he tells you very quietly: \u201cAfter all, I
\nknow nothing.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

There are people who say at times that
\nthey know nothing, just to appear modest, but they don\u2019t believe what they say!
\n<\/span><\/i>
\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 30<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

There are
\ninsincere and hypocritical people everywhere in the world. So much the worse
\nfor them. These shut the door completely to all progress. That is all. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

For us who attend classes, is it dangerous
\nthen to study? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

No, quite
\nthe contrary! For if you begin to study well, your consciousness awakens, and
\nyou can become more aware of what you still lack. This reminds me of the lady
\nwho, having gradually become conscious, told me: \u201cBefore I heard you, I had
\ntrust in men, everybody was very kind, I was happy. Now that I have begun to
\nsee clearly and become conscious, I have lost all my serenity! It is awful to
\nbecome conscious!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

What
\nis to be done? A \u2013 Become still more conscious. It is very bad to learn just a
\nlittle. One must learn more until one comes to the point where one sees that
\none knows nothing I spoke to you about the novice who wants to pass on to
\nothers what he has learnt – until the day he sees he has not much to pass on.
\nUsually all religious teaching is based on that. A very little knowledge, with
\nprecise formulas which are well written (often quite well written) and
\ncrystallise in the brain, and assert: \u201cThat is indeed the truth.\u201d You have only
\nto study what is there in the book. How easy it is! In every religion there is
\na book – whether it be the Catechism, the Hindu texts, the Koran, in short, all
\nthe sacred books – you learn it by heart. You are told that this-is-the-truth,
\nand you are sure it is the truth and remain comfortable. It is very convenient,
\nyou don\u2019t need to try to understand. Those who don\u2019t know the same thing as
\nyou, are in the falsehood, and you even pray for those who are outside the
\n\u201cTruth\u201d! This is a common fact in all religions. But in all religions there are
\npeople who know better and don\u2019t believe in these things. I had met one of
\nthese particularly, one belonging to the Catholic faith. He was a big man. I
\nspoke to him about what I knew and asked him: \u201cWhy do you use this method? <\/span>
\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 31<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

Why do you
\nperpetuate ignorance?\u201d He answered: \u201cIt is a policy of peace of mind. If we
\ndidn\u2019t do that, people wouldn\u2019t listen to us. This, indeed, is the secret of
\nreligions.\u201d He told me: \u201cThere are in our religion, as in the ancient
\ninitiations, people who know. There are schools where the old tradition is
\ntaught. But we are forbidden to speak about it. All these religious images are
\nsymbols representing something other than what is taught. But that is not
\ntaught outside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The
\nreason for this is very generous and kind (according to them): \u201cPeople who have
\na tiny brain and there are plenty if we tell them something that\u2019s too high,
\ntoo great, it troubles them, disturbs them, and they become unhappy. They will
\nnever be able to understand. Why worry them uselessly? They don\u2019t have the
\ncapacity to find the truth. Whilst, if you tell them: \u2018If you have faith in
\nthis, you will go to heaven\u2019, they are quite happy.\u201d There, you see. It is very
\nconvenient. That is why it is perpetuated, otherwise there would be no
\nreligions.<\/span><\/p>\n

I
\nam not telling you this to encourage one particular religion rather than
\nanother. But this is a procedure that seems generous Otherwise there would be
\nno religions; there would be masters and disciples, people who have a higher
\nteaching and an exceptional experience. That would be a very good thing. But as
\nsoon as the master is gone, what happens is that the knowledge he gave is
\nchanged into a religion. Rigid dogmas are established, religious rules come
\ninto being and one cannot but bow down before the Tables of the Law. Yet at the
\nbeginning it was not like that. You are told: \u201cThis is true, this is false, the
\nMaster has said…. \u201c Some time later the master becomes a god, and you are
\ntold: \u201cGod has said this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Note
\nthat I am telling you this because I know that here you are all liberated from religions.
\nIf I had before me someone having a religion he believed in, I would tell him:
\n\u201cIt is very good, keep your religion, continue.\u201d Happily for all of you, you
\ndon\u2019t have one. And I hope you will never have one, for it means a door shut
\nupon all progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 32<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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