{"id":4525,"date":"2013-07-13T01:56:37","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4525"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:56:37","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:37","slug":"02-11-january-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\/02-11-january-1956-vol-08-questions-and-answers-volume-08","title":{"rendered":"-02_11 January 1956.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n

\n11 January 1956 <\/font><\/span><\/b>
\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nMother, \u201cthis craving life-force or
\ndesire-soul in us has to be accepted at first, but only in order that it may be
\ntransformed.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nThe Synthesis
\nof Yoga, p. 77<\/font><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nBut even when we understand that it
\nis a desire and must be rejected, there are <\/span>difficulties in discerning if it is a desire
\nleading us to the Divine or if it is purely desire. <\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

One deceives oneself only when one wants to deceive oneself. It is
\nvery, very different. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\nBut within, one understands. <\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Good. Well, then that\u2019s enough, if one understands somewhere,
\nthat\u2019s enough. Is that all? No questions? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\nMother, on January 6 you said, \u201cGive
\nall you are, all you have, nothing more is asked of you but also nothing less.\u201d <\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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

          <\/span>
\n<\/b>  <\/span>
\nWhat
\nis meant by \u201call you have\u201d and \u201call you are\u201d? <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/p>\n

I am going to tell you in what circumstances I wrote this; that
\nwill make you understand: <\/span><\/p>\n

 Someone wrote to me saying that he
\nwas very unhappy, for he longed to have wonderful capacities to put at the
\ndisposal of the Divine, for the Realisation, for the Work; and that he also
\nlonged to have immense riches to be able to give them, to put
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nPage – 14<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

them at the feet of the Divine for the Work. So I replied to him
\nthat he need not be unhappy, that each one is asked to give what he has, that
\nis, all his possessions whatever they may be, and what he is, that is, all his
\npotentialities \u2014 which corresponds to the consecration of one\u2019s life and the
\ngiving of all one\u2019s possessions \u2014 and that nothing more than this is asked. What
\nyou are, give that; what you have, give that, and your gift will be perfect;
\nfrom the spiritual point of view it will be perfect. This does not depend upon
\nthe amount of wealth you have or the number of capacities in your nature; it
\ndepends upon the perfection of your gift, that is to say, on the totality of
\nyour gift. I remember having read, in a book of Indian legends, a story like
\nthis. There was a very poor, very old woman who had nothing, who was quite
\ndestitute, who lived in a miserable little hut, and who had been given a fruit.
\nIt was a mango. She had eaten half of it and kept the other half for the next
\nday, because it was something so marvellous that she did not often happen to get
\nit \u2014 a mango. And then, when night fell, someone knocked at the rickety door and
\nasked for hospitality. And this someone came in and told her he wanted shelter
\nand was hungry. So she said to him, \u201cWell, I have no fire to warm you, I have no
\nblanket to cover you, and I have half a mango left, that is all I have, if you
\nwant it; I have eaten half of it.\u201d And it turned out that this someone was
\nShiva, and that she was filled with an inner glory, for she had made a perfect
\ngift of herself and all she had.<\/span><\/p>\n

 I read that, I found it
\nmagnificent. Well, yes, this describes it vividly. It\u2019s exactly that. <\/span><\/p>\n

 The rich man, or even people who
\nare quite well-off and have all sorts of things in life and give to the Divine
\nwhat they have in surplus \u2014 for usually this is the gesture: one has a little
\nmore money than one needs, one has a few more things than one needs, and so,
\ngenerously, one gives that to the Divine. It is better than giving nothing. But
\neven if this \u201clittle more\u201d than what they need represents lakhs of rupees, the
\ngift is less perfect than the one of half the mango. For it is not by the <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nPage – 15<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

quan<\/span>tity the quality that it is measured: it is by the sincerity of the
\ngiving and the absoluteness of the giving. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\nBut in ordinary life, when rich men
\nwant to give their wealth to the Divine, and the Divine is not in front of them,
\nthen to whom are they to give? They don\u2019t know where to give their money!<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, but then the question doesn\u2019t arise. If they haven\u2019t met the
\nDivine either within or without, it doesn\u2019t e into question. They are not asked
\nto give to someone they do not know. <\/span><\/p>\n

 If they have found the Divine
\nwithin themselves, well, they have only to follow the indication given by the
\nDivine for the use of what they have; and if they follow quite sincerely and
\nexactly the indications they receive, this is all that can be asked of them. But
\nuntil then nothing is asked of anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

 One begins to ask only when someone
\nsays, \u201cHere I am, I want to consecrate myself to the Divine.\u201d Then it is all
\nright, from that moment one asks; but not before. Before that, even if you
\ncasually pull out a coin from your pocket and put it there, it is very good; you
\nhave done what you thought you ought to do and that\u2019s all; you are not asked for
\nanything at all. There is a great difference between asking the Divine to adopt
\nyou, and making a gesture of goodwill, but without the least intention of
\nchanging anything whatever in the course of your life. <\/span><\/p>\n

 Those who live the ordinary life,
\nwell, if they make a gesture of goodwill, so much the better for them, this
\ncreates for them antecedents for future lives. But it is only from the moment
\nyou say, \u201cThere, now I know that there is but one thing which counts for me, it
\nis the divine life, and I want to live the divine life\u201d \u2014 from that moment one
\nasks you, not before. <\/span><\/p>\n

  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nMother, there are people who come
\nhere, who have money and are very devoted, who show their devotion, but when the
\nquestion of money comes up, they bargain\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nPage – 16<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n Then how shall we remain on
\nfriendly terms with them? <\/span><\/i><\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

What?  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nThey are devoted, they show
\ndevotion\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/p>\n

In what way? By taking from Him all they can? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\u2026but when the question of money
\ncomes up, they bargain, they calculate.<\/span><\/i><\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I tell you, I have already answered, that\u2019s how it is. They come
\nwith the idea of taking from the Divine all they can: all the qualities, all the
\ncapacities, all the conveniences also, all the forts, everything, and sometimes
\neven powers, and all the rest. They come to take, they don\u2019t e to give. And
\ntheir show of devotion is simply a cloak they have thrown over their wish to
\ntake, to receive. That covers a wide field: from saving one\u2019s soul, having
\nspiritual experiences, obtaining powers, to leading a petty quiet life,
\ncomfortable \u2014 more or less comfortable, at least with a minimum of comfort \u2014
\nwithout cares, without botheration, far from the<\/span> <\/span>worries of life. That\u2019s how it is. That covers a wide range. But
\nwhen they give, it is a kind of bargaining; they know that to obtain these
\nthings, it would be well to give a little something, otherwise they won\u2019t get
\nthem, so they make a show of being very devoted. But it is only a pretence, for
\nit is not sincere. <\/span><\/p>\n

 Unfortunately for them, it deceives
\nno one. It may be tolerated; but that doesn\u2019t mean that anybody is deceived. <\/span><\/p>\n

 The bargaining is everywhere, in
\nall the parts of the being. It is always give and take, from the highest
\nspiritual experiences to the tiniest little material needs. There is not one in
\na thousand who gives without bargaining.<\/span><\/p>\n

 And the beauty of the story I told
\nyou \u2014 moreover, there
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nPage – 17<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

are many others like it here \u2014 is just this, that when the old
\nwoman gave, she didn\u2019t know that it was Shiva. She gave to the sing beggar, for
\nthe joy of doing good, of giving, not because he was a god and she hoped to have
\nsalvation or some knowledge in exchange.<\/span><\/p>\n

 (Looking at the disciple) There is
\nstill some mischief in his mind. Now then, what is it? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\nI wanted to say that these desires
\nbegin with the desire for the work, and this is also guided by the Divine. But
\nwhen one has understood that now there should no longer be any desire but an
\nabsolute giving, still that does not bee a giving; and this continues
\nindefinitely. Why? <\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t make out what he means! (To another disciple) Translate! <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\nOne begins by mixing up desire with
\none\u2019s aspiration\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Yes, that is what Sri Aurobindo has written. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\nThen, one realises that a desire is
\nmixed up there, but cannot manage to reject this desire. <\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

(To the first disciple) Is that it? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

No! 
\n<\/span>(Laughter)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is and it isn\u2019t! <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\nMother, you said that it may be
\ntolerated, but there is a period of tolerance. But when it goes beyond the
\nperiod of tolerance and does not want to stop \u2014 that\u2019s the question. <\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nPage – 18<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

And so what, what happens? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\nHe wants to ask what one must do,
\nwhat should be done? <\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Ah! at last. <\/span><\/p>\n

 What should be done?\u2026 Be sincere. <\/span><\/p>\n

 That\u2019s it; always, always, the
\nlittle worm in the fruit. One tells oneself, \u201cOh! I can\u2019t.\u201d It is not true, if
\none wanted, one could. <\/span><\/p>\n

 And there are people who tell me,
\n\u201cI don\u2019t have the will- power.\u201d That means you are not sincere. For sincerity is
\nan infinitely more powerful force than all the wills in the world. It can change
\nanything whatever in the twinkling of an eye; it takes hold of it, grips it,
\npulls it out \u2014 and then it\u2019s over. <\/span><\/p>\n

 But you close your eyes, you find
\nexcuses for yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

          <\/span>
\n<\/b>  <\/span>
\nThe
\nproblem recurs all the time. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It comes back because you don\u2019t pull it out completely. What you do
\nis, you cut the branch, so it grows again. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\nIt takes different forms. <\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes. Well, you have to take it out every time it comes, that\u2019s all
\n\u2014 until it doesn\u2019t e back any more. <\/span><\/p>\n

 We have spoken about it, where was
\nit?\u2026 Oh! it was in Lights on Yoga<\/i><\/span>, I think. You push
\nthe thing down from one part of your consciousness into another; and you push it
\ndown again and then it goes into the subconscient, and after that, if you are
\nnot vigilant, you think it is finished, and later from there it shows its face.
\n<\/b>And next, even when you push it out from the subconscient, it goes down into
\nthe inconscient; and there too, then, you must run after it to find it. <\/span><\/p>\n

 But there comes a time when it is
\nover. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nPage – 19<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 Only, one is always in too great a hurry, one wants it to be over
\nvery quickly. When one has made an effort, \u201cOh! well, I made an effort, now I
\nshould get the reward for my effort.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

 In fact, it is because there is not that joy of progress. The joy
\nof progress imagines that even if you have realised the goal you have put before
\nyou \u2014 take the goal we have in view: if we realise the supramental life, the
\nsupramental consciousness \u2014 well, this joy of progress says, \u201cOh! but this will
\nbe only a stage in the eternity of time. After this there will be something
\nelse, and then after that another and yet another, and always one will have to
\ngo further.\u201d And that is what fills you with joy. While the idea, \u201cAh! now I can
\nsit down, it is finished, I have realised my goal, I am going to enjoy what I
\nhave done\u201d, oh, how dull it is! Immediately one becomes old and stunted. <\/span><\/p>\n

 The definition of youth: we can say
\nthat youth is constant growth and perpetual progress \u2014 and the growth of
\ncapacities, possibilities, of the field of action and range of consciousness,
\nand progress in the working out of details. <\/span><\/p>\n

 Naturally, someone told me, \u201cSo one
\nis no longer young when one stops growing?\u201d I said, \u201cOf course, I don\u2019t imagine
\nthat one grows perpetually! But one can grow in another way than purely
\nphysically.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

 That is to say, in human life there
\nare successive periods. As you go forward, something comes to an end in one
\nform, and it changes its form\u2026 Naturally, at present, we e to the top of the
\nladder and e down again; but that\u2019s really a shame, it shouldn\u2019t be like that,
\nit\u2019s a bad habit. But when we have finished growing up, when we have reached a
\nheight we could consider as that which expresses us best, we can transform this
\nforce for growth into a force which will perfect our body, make it stronger and
\nstronger, more and more healthy, with an ever greater power of resistance, and
\nwe shall practise physical training in order to bee a model of physical beauty.
\nAnd then, at the same time, we shall slowly begin and seek the perfection of
\ncharacter, of consciousness, knowledge, powers, <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nPage – 20<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/span>and finally of the divine
\nRealisation in its fullness of the marvellously good and true, and of His
\nperfect Love.<\/span><\/p>\n

 There you are. And this must be
\ncontinuous. And when a certain level of consciousness has been reached, when
\nthis consciousness has been realised in the material world and you have
\ntransformed the material world in the image of this consciousness, well, you
\nwill climb yet one more rung and go to another <\/b>consciousness \u2014 and you
\nwill begin again. Voila<\/i><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 But this is not for lazy folk. It\u2019s
\nfor people who like progress. Not for those who come and say, \u201cOh! I have worked
\nhard in my life, now I want to rest, will you please give me a place in the
\nAshram?\u201d I tell them, \u201cNot here. This is not a place for rest because you have
\nworked hard, this is a place for working even harder than before.\u201d So, formerly,
\nI used to send them to Ramana Maharshi:.\u00b9 \u201cGo there, you will enter into
\nmeditation and you will get rest.\u201d Now it is not possible, so I send them to the
\nHimalayas; I tell them, \u201cGo and sit before the eternal snows! That will do you
\ngood.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

 That\u2019s all, then.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

  <\/span>\u00b9A sage of South India
\nwho left his body in April 1950. He founded a traditional ashram for meditation
\nand contemplation<\/font> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 21<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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