{"id":4516,"date":"2013-07-13T01:56:33","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4516"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:56:33","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:33","slug":"32-08-august-1956-vol-08-questions-and-answers-volume-08","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/08-questions-and-answers-volume-08\/32-08-august-1956-vol-08-questions-and-answers-volume-08","title":{"rendered":"-32_08 August 1956.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\n8 August 1956<\/font> <\/font><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, Sri Aurobindo
\nwrites: \u201cA psychic fire within must be lit into which all is thrown with the
\nDivine Name upon it.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n
\nThe
\nSynthesis of Yoga, p.155<\/font><\/span><\/i><\/span> <\/span><\/font><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t the psychic fire always
\nlit? <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is not always lit. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Then how to light it? <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

By aspiration. <\/span><\/p>\n

 By the will for progress,
\nby the urge towards perfection. <\/span><\/p>\n

 Above all, it is the will
\nfor progress and self-purification which lights the fire. The will for
\nprogress. Those who have a strong will, when they turn it towards spiritual
\nprogress and purification, automatically light the fire within themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

 And each defect one wants
\nto cure or each progress one wants to make <\/span>―<\/span> if all that is thrown into the
\nfire, it burns with a new intensity. And this is not an image, it is a fact in
\nthe subtle physical. One can feel the warmth of the flame, one can see in the
\nsubtle physical the light of the flame. And when there is something in the
\nnature which prevents one from advancing and one throws it into this fire, it
\nbegins to burn and the flame becomes more intense. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cFor devotion by its embodiment in acts not
\nonly makes its own way broad and full and dynamic, but brings at once into the
\nharder way of works in the world the divinely passionate element of joy and
\nlove which is often absent in its beginning when it is only the austere
\nspiritual will that follows in a struggling<\/i><\/b><\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\nPage – 252<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

uplifting tension the steep
\nascent, and the heart is still asleep or bound to silence. If the spirit of
\ndivine love can enter, the hardness of the way diminishes, the tension is
\nlightened, there is a sweetness and joy even in the core of difficulty and
\nstruggle.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n
\nIbid.,
\np. 154-55 <\/font> <\/span><\/i><\/span>
\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

How can one feel sweetness and
\njoy when one is in difficulty? <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Exactly, when the difficulty is egoistic or personal, if one
\nmakes an offering of it and throws it into the fire of purification, one
\nimmediately feels the joy of progress. If one does it sincerely, at once there
\nis a welling up of joy. <\/span><\/p>\n

 That is obviously what
\nought to be done instead of despairing and lamenting. If one offers it up and
\naspires sincerely for transformation and purification, one immediately feels
\njoy springing up in the depths of the heart. Even when the difficulty is a
\ngreat sorrow, one may do this with much success. One realises that behind the
\nsorrow, no matter how intense it may be, there is a divine joy. <\/span><\/p>\n

 (Silence<\/i>)<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Is that all? <\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

(Mother shows a packet of
\nwritten questions)<\/span><\/i><\/b> My portfolio is getting fatter! More questions come to me than
\nI can answer\u2026. One, of a very practical kind, I shall answer first because it
\nwill be quickly over. Besides, it is a question which I have been asked very
\noften, and perhaps I have already answered it several times. But still, it is
\nalways worth repeating.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWithout conscious occult
\npowers, is it possible to help or protect from a distance somebody in
\ndifficulty or danger? If so, what is the practical procedure?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/b> <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\nPage – 253<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

Then a sub-question: <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can thought do?\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

We are not going to speak of occult processes at all; although,
\nto tell the truth, everything that happens in the invisible world is occult, by
\ndefinition. But still, practically, there are two processes which do not
\nexclude but complete each other, but which may be used separately according to
\none\u2019s preference.<\/span><\/p>\n

 It is obvious that
\nthought forms a part of one of the methods, quite an important part. I have
\nalready told you several times that if one thinks clearly and powerfully, one
\nmakes a mental formation, and that every mental formation is an entity
\nindependent of its fashioner, having its own life and tending to realise itself
\nin the mental world <\/span>― <\/span>I don\u2019t mean that you see your formation with your physical
\neyes, but it exists in the mental world, it has its own particular independent
\nexistence. If you have made a formation with a definite aim, its whole life
\nwill tend to the realisation of this aim. Therefore, if you want to help
\nsomeone at a distance, you have only to formulate very clearly, very precisely
\nand strongly the kind of help you want to give and the result you wish to
\nobtain. That will have its effect. I cannot say that it will be all-powerful,
\nfor the mental world is full of innumerable formations of this kind and
\nnaturally they clash and contradict one another; hence the strongest and the
\nmost persistent will have the best of it. <\/span><\/p>\n

 Now, what is it that
\ngives strength and persistence to mental formations? <\/span>―<\/span> It is emotion and will. If you
\nknow how to add to your mental formation an emotion, affection, tenderness,
\nlove, and an intensity of will, a dynamism, it will have a much greater chance
\nof success. That is the first method. It is within the scope of all those who
\nknow how to think, and even more of those who know how to love. But as I said, the
\npower is limited and there is great petition in that world. <\/span><\/p>\n

 Therefore, even if one
\nhas no knowledge at all but has trust <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 254<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

\nin the divine Grace, if
\none has the faith that there is something in the world like the divine Grace,
\nand that this something can answer a prayer, an aspiration, an invocation,
\nthen, after making one\u2019s mental formation, if one offers it to the Grace and
\nputs one\u2019s trust in it, asks it to intervene and has the faith that it will
\nintervene, then indeed one has a chance of success.<\/span><\/p>\n

 Try, and you will surely
\nsee the result. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But, Mother, when one prays
\nsincerely for the intervention of the Grace, doesn\u2019t one expect a particular
\nresult<\/span><\/i><\/b>? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Excuse me, that depends on the tenor of the prayer. If one
\nsimply invokes the Grace or the Divine, and puts oneself in His hands, one does
\nnot expect a particular result. To expect a particular result one must
\nformulate one\u2019s prayer, must ask for something. If you have only a great
\naspiration for the divine Grace and evoke it, implore it, without asking it for
\nanything precise, it is the Grace which will choose what it will do for you,
\nnot you.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

That is better, isn\u2019t it? <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 <\/span>Ah! that\u2019s quite another
\nquestion. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why, it is higher in its
\nquality, perhaps. But still, if one wants something precise, it is better to
\nformulate it. If one has a special reason for invoking the Grace, it is better
\nto formulate it precisely and clearly. <\/span><\/p>\n

 Of course, if one is in a
\nstate of complete surrender and gives oneself entirely, if one simply offers
\noneself to the Grace and lets it do what it likes, that is very good. But after
\nthat one must not question what it does! One must not say to it, \u201cOh! I did
\nthat with the idea of having this\u201d, for if one really has the idea of obtaining
\nsomething, it is better to formulate it in all sincerity, simply, just as one
\nsees it. Afterwards, it is for the Grace to choose if it will do it or not; but
\nin any case, one will <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 255<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

have formulated clearly what one wanted. And there is no harm in
\nthat.<\/span><\/p>\n

 Where it becomes bad is
\nwhen the request is not granted and one revolts. Then naturally it becomes bad.
\nIt is at that moment one must understand that the desire one has, or the
\naspiration, may not have been very enlightened and that perhaps one has asked for
\nsomething which was not exactly what was good for one. Then at that moment one
\nmust be wise and say simply, \u201cWell, let Thy Will be done.\u201d But so long as one
\nhas an inner perception and an inner preference, there is no harm in
\nformulating it. It is a very natural movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

 For example, if one has
\nbeen foolish or has made a mistake and one truly, sincerely wishes never to do
\nit again, well, I don\u2019t see any harm in asking for it. And in fact, if one asks
\nfor it with sincerity, a true inner sincerity, there is a great chance that it
\nwill be granted. <\/span><\/p>\n

 You must not think that
\nthe Divine likes to contradict you. He is not at all keen on doing it! He can
\nsee better than you what is really good for you; but it is only when it is
\nabsolutely indispensable that He opposes your aspiration. Otherwise He is
\nalways ready to give what you ask.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Is that all?  <\/span><\/p>\n

(Silence)<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

There are three texts here which I have been asked to comment on
\nor explain. The last one is a sort of continuation of what we have just said; I
\nam going to begin with that: <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cIf one were in union with this Grace, if one
\nsaw It everywhere, one would begin living a life of exultation, of all-power,
\nof infinite happiness. <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 \u201cAnd that would be the
\nbest possible collaboration in the divine Work.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n
\nTalk of
\n1 August 1956 (p. 251)<\/font><\/span><\/i><\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\nPage – 256<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

  The first condition is not very easy to realise. It is
\nthe result of a conscious growth, a constant observation and perpetual
\nexperience in life. <\/span><\/p>\n

 I have already told you
\nthis several times. When you are in a particular set of circumstances and
\ncertain events take place, these events often oppose your desire or what seems
\nbest to you, and often you happen to regret this and say to yourself, \u201cAh! how
\ngood it would have been if it were otherwise, if it had been like this or like
\nthat\u201d, for little things and big things\u2026. Then years pass by, events are
\nunfolded; you progress, become more conscious, understand better, and when you
\nlook back, you notice <\/span>― <\/span>first with astonishment, then later with a smile <\/span>―<\/span> <\/span>that those very circumstances which seemed
\nto you quite disastrous or unfavourable, were exactly the best thing that could
\nhave happened to you to make you progress as you should have. And if you are
\nthe least bit wise you tell yourself, \u201cTruly, the divine Grace is infinite.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

 So, when this sort of
\nthing has happened to you a number of times, you begin to understand that in
\nspite of the blindness of man and deceptive appearances, the Grace is at work
\neverywhere, so that at every moment it is the best possible thing that happens
\nin the state the world is in at that moment. It is because our vision is
\nlimited or even because we are blinded by our own preferences that we cannot
\ndiscern that things are like this.<\/span><\/p>\n

 But when one begins to see
\nit, one enters upon a state of wonder which nothing can describe. For behind
\nthe appearances one perceives this Grace <\/span>―<\/span> infinite, wonderful,
\nall-powerful <\/span>―<\/span> which knows all, organises all, arranges all, and leads us,
\nwhether we like it or not, whether we know it or not, towards the supreme goal,
\nthat is, union with the Divine, the awareness of the Godhead and union with
\nHim. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then one lives in the Action
\nand Presence of the Grace a life full of joy, of wonder, with the feeling of a
\nmarvellous strength, and at the same time with a trust so calm, so complete,
\nthat nothing can shake it any longer. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 257<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

And when one is in this state of perfect receptivity and perfect
\nadherence, one diminishes to that extent the resistance of the world to the
\ndivine Action; consequently, this is the best collaboration one can bring to
\nthe Action of the Divine. One understands what He wants and, with all one\u2019s
\nconsciousness, adheres to His Will. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 258<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

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