{"id":4490,"date":"2013-07-13T01:56:22","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4490"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:56:22","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:22","slug":"26-2-september-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\/26-2-september-1953-vol-05-questions-and-answers-volume-05","title":{"rendered":"-26_2 September 1953.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n

\n2 September 1953 <\/font> <\/span>\n<\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll religions have each the same story to
\ntell. The occasion for its birth is the coming of a great Teacher of the world.
\nHe comes and reveals and is the incarnation of a Divine Truth. But men seize
\nupon it, trade upon it, make an almost political organisation out of it. The
\nreligion is equipped by them with a government and policy and laws, with its
\ncreeds and dogmas, its rules and regulations, its rites and ceremonies all
\nbinding upon its adherents, all absolute and inviolable. Like the State, it too
\nadministers rewards to the loyal and assigns punishments for those that revolt
\nor go astray, for the heretic and the renegade. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first and principal article of these
\nestablished and formal religions runs always, \u2018Mine is the supreme, the only
\ntruth, all others are in falsehood or inferior\u2019 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThis attitude is natural to the religious
\nmind; but it is just that which makes religion stand in the way of the
\nspiritual life. The articles and dogmas of a religion are mind-made things and,
\nif you cling to them and shut yourself up in a code of life made out for you,
\nyou do not know and cannot know the truth of the spirit that lies beyond all
\ncodes and dogmas, wide and large and free. When you stop at a religious creed
\nand tie yourself in it, taking it for the only truth in the world, you stop the
\nadvance and widening of your inner soul.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Questions and Answers 1929 (9 June)
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

If someone follows a religion and has a
\ngood capacity, can he go farther and reach identification with the Divine?<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 246<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

It is
\nimpossible. <\/span><\/p>\n

Religion
\nis always a limitation for the spirit. <\/span><\/p>\n

If
\na man has a spiritual life independently of his mental formations and the set
\nlimits in which he lives, then this spiritual life makes him, so to say, cross
\nthe religious principles and enter something higher. But his consecration must
\ncome from within and not be formal. If it comes exclusively from the form, then
\nthe limitation is so great that he cannot go farther. <\/span><\/p>\n

There
\nare people who have necessarily to come out of their religion if they do not
\nwant to be halted in their progress. But those who have practically no mental
\nactivity, who do not ask themselves any questions, who have only an intense
\ndevotion in their heart and an urge to give themselves to something that is
\ninfinitely greater, for these it does not matter whether they have a religion
\nor not. It is all the same. But if one is attached to forms, one can never go
\nany farther. <\/span><\/p>\n

It
\nis difficult to go so far unless the mind is free and dwells in the light. It
\nis one of the fairly indispensable conditions (although not absolutely
\nindispensable). However, there are people who have no mental power and accept
\nany dogma whatever without discussion; they feel that nothing can prevent them
\nfrom having this inner urge which will put them in contact with the Divine. But
\ngenerally they do not have a mental life: it is very much restricted. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Do castes have any importance in the
\nspiritual life? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Castes?
\nWhat has that got to do with spiritual life? Absolutely nothing. It is merely a
\nsocial organisation, that is all. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is said that the Brahmins are more
\nadvanced for serving the Divine? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

They say
\nmany things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spiritual
\nlife does not depend upon these considerations,
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage = 247<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

not at all.
\nCertain social virtues depend upon them and solely because there exist in some
\nenvironments special traditions of education and that some traditions are
\nbetter than others. But that is all. <\/span><\/p>\n

As
\nfor the question of not mixing blood, it is a subject for discussion. Because,
\nfor example, if you take the various kinds of dogs (excuse me, I do not mean to
\nmake an unfair comparison), still, the dog belonging to its kind of breed, when
\ngreat care is taken to keep the type pure, to prevent any mixture, becomes more
\nand more stupid, whilst the street-dog, product of mixed breed and sometimes a
\nhorror from the physical point of view it is hideous, made of one kind crossed
\nwith another \u2013 is generally much superior from the point of view – of
\nintelligence. So even in these cases one cannot say Marriages in small
\ncommunities, made within the caste, where no mixture is allowed, end usually in
\na gradual, progressive decline of intelligence in the group. It is not a
\nselection, rather the contrary. New admixtures are always necessary to bring
\nforth new types capable of manifesting progress From the social point of view,
\nthis is quite justifiable, and it is very convenient and simple: it gives
\nframes allowing precisely an easier organisation but that is all the worth it
\nhas. <\/span><\/p>\n

But
\nI believe it is the same for the caste as for the country. Each caste is
\nconvinced that it alone holds the maximum progress possible! And when you hear
\npeople speaking, even those who are outcastes are full of contempt for the
\nothers and believe themselves superior. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne who holds a particular faith, or who
\nhas found out some truth, is disposed to think that he alone has found the
\nTruth, whole and entire. This is human nature. A mixture of falsehood seems
\nnecessary for human beings to stand on their legs and move on their way. If the
\nvision of the Truth were suddenly given to them they would be crushed under the
\nweight.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Questions and Answers 1929 (9 June)<\/font> <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 248<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

Are men advancing more and more towards
\nthe Divine? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is
\ndifficult to say. Logically the whole creation must advance more and more
\ntowards the Divine, because it is its ultimate goal. But in fact it is a
\npeculiar movement, for one takes three steps forward and two backward; one
\ntakes two steps forward and one sideways! So, it will take very long to arrive
\nat the goal. It looks like that. <\/span><\/p>\n

There
\nis a great difference between the general principle, the theory seen in its
\ntotality over the millenniums, without taking any account of the number of years
\n(not years, I say millenniums, thousands of centuries), a great difference
\nbetween that and the practical facts. It can be said that the whole creation is
\nmoving towards union with its Creator, but there is the fact, first of all,
\nthat the whole evolutionary movement is a spiral movement. And in this spiral
\nthere are innumerable points, and at each point a progress in the vertical line
\nis achieved. But one has to make a whole round in order to come back once more
\nto the same point, but at a slightly higher level And so, all the time you
\nspend doing other things, reaching other points, the first one is as it were
\nforgotten. In human history that is translated in this way: <\/span><\/p>\n

There
\nis a wonderful civilisation with all kinds of extraordinary productions, from the
\nscientific point of view, the artistic point of view, even the political,
\norganisational and social point of view. There were fine civilisations like
\nthose which have left a kind of occult memory of a continent that might have
\nlinked India with Africa, for example, of which no trace remains (unless some
\nhuman races be the remnants of that civilisation). There are civilisations like
\nthat which disappear suddenly and then follows a whole period full of darkness,
\nunconsciousness, ignorance, of altogether primitive races which seem so close
\nto animals that one asks whether there is really any difference. And so there
\nis a big hole in the darkness, passing through all kinds of disorders. Then all
\nof a sudden there emerges to the top, and <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 249<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

\u00a0<\/span>to a greater height still, with greater
\nvirtues, a greater realisation.. as though all those hours in the night, of
\nlabour in the night had prepared Matter so that it might express something
\nhigher. Then again another darkness, an oblivion: the earth becomes again
\nbarbarous, obscure, ignorant, painful. And suddenly some thousands of years
\nlater, a new civilisation comes <\/span><\/p>\n

So
\nif you look at that from below, you ask yourself: \u201cWhere is the progress?\u201d
\nBecause always it disappears, collapses or it rots, is ruined completely \u2013 and
\nis forgotten. And mankind becomes once again something very ordinary,
\namorphous, grovelling in a half-obscurity. And then yet once more suddenly
\nthere is an illumination. And while one is in the midst of the illumination one
\nsays, \u201cNow, we have it, it is the right thing, now we must not fall again….\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

So
\nfar there has always been a relapse. <\/span><\/p>\n

It
\nhas to be seen.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Will there be a fall once again? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

That, my
\nchild, I have not said. I have said nothing, I said: \u201cWe shall see.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

In
\nreality, I believe it depends somewhat upon each one of us and on our
\naspiration. If everyone does all that is needed and the maximum he can do,
\nthere is a chance of arriving at a stabilised stage where the upward movement
\nwill go on without the need to destroy anything in order to begin again. <\/span><\/p>\n

It
\nis not indispensable, but it has always been so till now, and indeed, I don\u2019t
\nknow if Nature does not take great pleasure in it…<\/span><\/p>\n

It
\nhappens we are obliged to take our support on what Nature has done, because it
\nis she who has been at work till now. But at the same time we do not approve of
\nher ways of working. So, that produces a small inner conflict (in the family,
\nif I may say so!); but it makes things somewhat difficult, because she does not
\nlike her way of being to be disturbed. And yet, if one goes on doing as she
\nwants, then it will always be the same story,
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 250<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

always
\nthere will have to be this disappearing and beginning again, for it is her
\nplay. Hence one must be able to prevent her from destroying. But if by chance a
\ngood way is found to get her interested and make her collaborate, then with her
\ncollaboration it would be possible to succeed. <\/span><\/p>\n

In
\nreality, all that is needed is to make her understand that things can be done
\nin another way than hers. <\/span><\/p>\n

And
\nthen since she possesses (as you see) a wonderful ingenuity and a truly
\nfantastic imagination You have only to look at animals or to photograph them.
\nIf you look at that and compare the little mouse with the giraffe or the
\nelephant with the cat, all those animals that were once there and all the
\nanimals that still have extraordinary and queer forms \u2013 what an imagination,
\nwhat a tremendous imagination! If you had to create all the animals that are on
\nearth, you would have found it rather difficult! Now that you see them, it
\nappears to you quite natural I saw the other day a picture representing simply
\na giraffe picking fruits from far up a tree. I said: \u201cOne must have some
\nimagination to find that, an animal having a neck long enough to reach the top
\nof a tree so that it may eat the fruit!\u201d It is wonderful. And everything is
\nlike that. It appears to us quite natural because we have always lived with it,
\nbut one must truly have a genius\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

So,
\nthe person who has the genius as well as the power to realise whatever she
\nimagines, does not like very much people meddling in her affairs! She says:
\n\u201cAre you capable of doing what I do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

You
\nmust convince her that you don\u2019t want to upset anything she is doing, but that
\nyou wish simply to bring in something more. There is only one way to convince
\nher: to do it. So long as it is an aspiration, she smiles, she looks on, she
\nsays: \u201cLet us see, let us see, what are you going to do?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

But
\nwhen it will have been done, I believe, she will say: \u201cIt is all right.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

So
\nthere is only one way, it is to do it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 251<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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