{"id":4545,"date":"2013-07-13T01:56:45","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4545"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:56:45","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:56:45","slug":"38-12-september-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\/38-12-september-1956-vol-08-questions-and-answers-volume-08","title":{"rendered":"-38_12 September 1956.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\n12 September 1956 <\/font><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet Mother, do we have a right to ask questions if we don’t
\npractise what you say? <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

You always
\nhave the right to do anything! (Laughter)<\/i><\/span> You may ask all the questions
\nyou like. Practise? Fundamentally, it is up to each one to choose, isn’t it?<\/span> <\/span>\u2014<\/span> <\/span>whether he wants to practise or not,
\nwhether he considers it useful or not. That is something which cannot be
\nimposed; it must be done freely. But one may always ask questions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Well, I am going to ask a question: \u201cWhy don’t people practise?\u201d
\nDo you know why they don’t practise?\u00a0
\n<\/span>(Mother asks others in turn.) And you? And you?…Bah! Do you} know? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps because one is lazy! <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

That is one
\nof the main reasons. And so one conceals one’s laziness behind fine reasons,
\nthe first of which says, \u201cI can’t, I don’t know\u201d or else, \u201cI have tried and not
\nsucceeded\u201d or \u201cI don’t know where to begin!\u201d Any reason whatever, isn’t that
\ntrue? The first that comes to you. Or else, one doesn’t practise because one
\ndoesn’t find it worthwhile to make the effort<\/span> <\/span>\u2014<\/span> <\/span>that is part of the laziness also, it asks for too much effort!
\nBut one can’t live without effort! If one were to refuse to make any effort,
\none would not even be able to stand on one’s legs or walk or even eat. <\/span><\/p>\n

I believe that one doesn’t practise first of all because this
\ndoesn’t have a sufficiently concrete reality to dominate other things in life,
\nbecause the effort seems out of proportion to the result. But this kind of
\neffort is only a beginning: once one gets into it, it is no longer the same
\nthing. <\/span><\/p>\n

(Turning to the child)<\/span><\/i><\/b> So then,
\nask your question, even if you don’t practise!<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 296<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

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

No, I have no question, Sweet Mother. <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, your
\nquestion was only this! You wanted to say, \u201cIs it honest to ask questions and
\nthen not do anything of what you are told?\u201d Is that it? <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, Mother. <\/span><\/i><\/b>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

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

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

(A disciple) We still have this atavism of needing to be forced in
\norder to do something. From our childhood we have been forced to do things.
\nHere it is just the opposite. <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Forced? Oh,
\nso one doesn’t do anything when not forced to! But something done through
\ncompulsion has no value. <\/span><\/p>\n

Is that all? Don’t you have a question?…I have many but they are
\neither too specific or too general! Or else, precisely, they are only
\ninteresting for those who are eager to practise. <\/span><\/p>\n

What would you like to hear?…(Silence)<\/i> Nothing, you see, you say
\nnothing. All right, that is very good, I shall say nothing! <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(A child) Something to awaken in us a will to progress. <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

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

\nPage – 297<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

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