WORDS OF THE MOTHER I
14. February
1961 – Sri Aurobindo |
1914-03-30 It matters little that there are thousands of beings plunged in the densest ignorance, He whom we saw yesterday is on earth; his presence is enough to prove that a day will come when darkness shall be transformed into light, and Thy reign shall be indeed established upon earth. O Lord, Divine Builder of this marvel, my heart overflows with joy and gratitude when I think of it, and my hope has no bounds. My adoration is beyond all words, my reverence is silent. What Sri Aurobindo represents in the world’s history is not a teaching, not even a revelation; it is a decisive action direct from the Supreme. |
15. August
1964 – Sri Aurobindo |
(Message for broadcast by All India Radio, Tiruchirappalli) What Sri Aurobindo represents in the history of the earth’s spiritual progress is not a teaching, not even a revelation; it is a mighty action straight from the Supreme. |
15. August
1964 – Sri Aurobindo |
(Message for the issuance of a Sri Aurobindo commemorative stamp) He has come to bid the earth to prepare for its luminous future. |
22. February
1967 – Sri Aurobindo |
Sri Aurobindo has brought to the world the assurance of a divine future. Sri Aurobindo has come on earth not to bring a teaching or a creed in competition with previous creeds or teachings, but to show the way to overpass the past and to open concretely the route towards an imminent and inevitable future. |
02. April
1967 – Sri Aurobindo |
Sri Aurobindo does not belong to the past nor to history. Sri Aurobindo is the Future advancing towards its realisation. Thus we must shelter the eternal youth required for a speedy advance, in order not to become laggards on the way. |
07. December
1950 – Mahasamadhi |
Lord, this morning Thou hast given me the assurance that Thou wouldst stay with us until Thy work is achieved, not only as a consciousness which guides and illumines but also as a dynamic Presence in action. In unmistakable terms Thou hast promised that all of Thyself would remain here and not leave the earth atmosphere until earth is transformed. Grant that we may be worthy of this marvellous Presence and that henceforth everything in us be concentrated on the one will to be more and more perfectly consecrated to the fulfilment of Thy sublime Work. |
08. December
1950 – Mahasamadhi |
The lack of receptivity of the earth and men is mostly responsible for the decision Sri Aurobindo has taken regarding his body. But one thing is certain: what has happened on the physical plane affects in no way the truth of his teaching. All that he has said is perfectly true and remains so. Time and the course of events will prove it abundantly. |
09. December
1950 – Mahasamadhi |
To Thee who hast been the material envelope of our Master, to Thee our infinite gratitude. Before Thee who hast done so much for us, who hast worked, struggled, suffered, hoped, endured so much, before Thee who hast willed all, attempted all, prepared, achieved all for us, before Thee we bow down and implore that we may never forget, even for a moment, all we owe to Thee. |
14. December
1950 – Mahasamadhi |
To grieve is an insult to Sri Aurobindo who is here with us, conscious and alive. |
15. December
1950 – Mahasamadhi |
We must not be bewildered by appearances. Sri Aurobindo has not left us. Sri Aurobindo is here, as living and as present as ever and it is left to us to realise his work with all the sincerity, eagerness and concentration necessary. |
26. December
1950 – Mahasamadhi |
I was painfully shocked when I heard the translation of the leaflet you are distributing here in the Ashram. I never imagined you could have such a complete lack of understanding, respect and devotion for our Lord who has sacrificed himself totally for us. Sri Aurobindo was not crippled; a few hours before he left his body he rose from his bed and sat for a long time in his armchair, speaking freely to all those around him. Sri Aurobindo was not compelled to leave his body, he chose to do so for reasons so sublime that they are beyond the reach of human mentality. And when one cannot understand, the only thing to do is to keep a respectful silence. |
1950 –
Mahasamadhi |
People do not know what a tremendous sacrifice Sri Aurobindo has made for the world. About a year ago, while I was discussing things, I remarked that I felt like leaving this body of mine. He spoke out in a very firm tone, "No, this can never be. If necessary for this transformation, I might go, you will have to fulfil our Yoga of supramental descent and transformation." |
01. January
1951 – Mahasamadhi |
Lord, we are upon earth to accomplish Thy work of transformation. It is our sole will, our sole preoccupation. Grant that it may be also our sole occupation and that all our actions may help us towards this single goal. |
18. January
1951 – Mahasamadhi |
We stand in the Presence of Him who has sacrificed his physical life in order to help more fully his work of transformation. He is always with us, aware of what we are doing, of all our thoughts, of all our feelings and all our actions. |
11. April
1952 – Mahasamadhi |
When I asked Him (December 8, 1950) to resuscitate his body, He clearly answered: "I have left this body purposely. I will not take it back. I shall manifest again in the first supramental body built in the supramental way." |
12. April
1953 – Mahasamadhi |
Sri Aurobindo has given up his body in an act of supreme unselfishness, renouncing the realisation in his own body to hasten the hour of the collective realisation. Surely if the earth were more responsive, this would not have been necessary. |
1957 –
Eternal Presence |
Eternal Presence The sentence can be understood in four different ways on four ascending planes of consciousness: 1) Physically, the consequence of the birth will be of eternal importance to the world. 2) Mentally, it is a birth that will be eternally remembered in the universal history. 3) Psychically, a birth that recurs for ever from age to age upon earth. 4) Spiritually, the birth of the Eternal upon earth. |
23. January
1960 – Eternal Presence |
Since the beginning of earth history, Sri Aurobindo has always presided over the great earthly transformations, under one form or another, one name or another. It is said that Sri Aurobindo in a past life took an active part in the French Revolution. Is it true? You can say that all through history Sri Aurobindo played an active part. Especially in the most important movements of history he was there - and playing the most important, the leading part. But he was not always visible. |
28. August
1962 – Eternal Presence |
Sri Aurobindo is constantly among us and reveals himself to those who are ready to see and hear him. Sri Aurobindo, immense and very concrete (in the subtle physical), was sitting over the whole compound during the meditation. |
01. February
1963 – Eternal Presence |
Last night, we (you and I and some others) were together for quite a long time in the permanent dwelling-place of Sri Aurobindo which exists in the subtle physical (what Sri Aurobindo called the true physical). |
13. August
1964 – Eternal Presence |
Sri Aurobindo is in the subtle physical, you can meet him when you sleep, if you know how to go there. |
05. December
1969 – Eternal Presence |
(During sleep a sadhak had a vision of Sri Aurobindo in his subtle physical body living in the subtle physical world. He sent a report of his vision to Mother, who replied:) Sri Aurobindo shows himself according to the need of each one and in the subtle physical the things are not as fixed as they are here. Attach more importance to the feeling produced by the vision than to details of what you have seen. |
21. December
1969 – Eternal Presence |
Sri Aurobindo is constantly in the subtle physical, very active there. I see him almost daily, and last night I spent many hours with him. If you become conscious in the subtle physical you will surely meet him, it is what he called the true physical - it has nothing to do with the psychic. |
21. December
1969 – Eternal Presence |
The help of Sri Aurobindo is constant: it is for us to know how to receive it. Sri Aurobindo is always with us, enlightening, guiding, protecting. We must answer to his grace by a perfect faithfulness. |
15. August
1971 – Centenary |
Today is the first day of Sri Aurobindo’s centenary year. Though he has left his body he is still with us, alive and active. Sri Aurobindo belongs to the future; he is the messenger of the future. He still shows us the way to follow in order to hasten the realisation of a glorious future fashioned by the Divine Will. All those who want to collaborate for the progress of humanity and for India’s luminous destiny must unite in a clairvoyant aspiration and in an illumined work. |
26.
September 1971 – Centenary |
Open to Sri Aurobindo’s consciousness and let it transform your life. |
29.
September 1971 – Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo is always present. Be sincere and faithful. This is the first condition. Blessings. |
November
1972 – Centenary |
The best homage we can pay to Sri Aurobindo is to prepare for the advent of the Supramental race. |
27. November
1971 – Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo came to tell the world of the beauty of the future that must be realised. He came to give not a hope but a certitude of the splendour towards which the world moves. The world is not an unfortunate accident, it is a marvel which moves towards its expression. The world needs the certitude of the beauty of the future. And Sri Aurobindo has given that assurance. |
06. December
1971 – Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo came to tell us how to find Thee and how to serve Thee. Grant that in this year of his centenary we may truly understand what he has taught us and in all sincerity put it into practice. |
21. December
1971 – Centenary |
The red lotus is the flower of Sri Aurobindo, but specially for his centenary we shall choose the blue lotus, which is the colour of his physical aura, to symbolise the centenary of the manifestation of the Supreme upon earth. |
24. December
1971 – Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo gave his life so that we may be born into the Divine Consciousness. |
31. December
1971 – Centenary |
BONNE ANNEE This year is consecrated to Sri Aurobindo. To understand his teaching better and try to put it into practice, is certainly the best way of showing our gratitude to him for all the light, knowledge and force which he has so generously brought to the earth. May his teaching enlighten and guide us, and what we cannot do today, we shall do tomorrow. Let us take the right attitude in all sincerity, and it will truly be a BONNE ANNEE. |
01. January
1972 – Centenary |
Without the Divine we are limited, incompetent and helpless beings; with the Divine, if we give ourselves entirely to Him, all is possible and our progress is limitless. A special help has come upon the earth for Sri Aurobindo’s centenary year; let us take advantage of it to overcome the ego and emerge into the light. BONNE ANNEE |
01. January
1972 – Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo does not belong to a country but to the whole earth. His teaching leads us towards a better future. |
02. January
1972 – Centenary |
When Sri Aurobindo left his body he said that he would not abandon us. And, in truth, during these twenty-one years, he has always been with us, guiding and helping all those who are receptive and open to his influence. In this year of his centenary, his help will be stronger still. It is up to us to be more open and to know how to take advantage of it. The future is for those who have the soul of a hero. The stronger and more sincere our faith, the more powerful and effective will be the help received. |
30 January
1972 – Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo came upon earth to announce the manifestation of the supramental world and not merely did he announce this manifestation but embodied also in part the supramental force and showed by example what one must do to prepare oneself for manifesting it. The best thing we can do is to study all that he has told us and endeavour to follow his example and prepare ourselves for the new manifestation. This gives life its real sense and will help us to overcome all obstacles. Let us live for the new creation and we shall grow stronger and stronger by remaining young and progressive. |
01. April
1972 – Centenary |
(Message for the Ashram’s physical education competitions during 1972) This year, let us offer all the activities of our body in consecration to Sri Aurobindo. |
20. June
1972 – Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo is an emanation of the Supreme who came on earth to announce the manifestation of a new race and a new world: the Supramental. Let us prepare for it in all sincerity and eagerness. |
July 1972 –
Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo has given us the spiritual teaching which teaches us to come in direct contact with the Divine. |
August 1972 –
Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo shows us the way towards a glorious future. |
15. August
1972 – Centenary |
(Darshan Message) Sri Aurobindo’s message is an immortal sunlight radiating over the future. |
15. August
1972 – Centenary |
Sri Aurobindo came on earth from the Supreme to announce the manifestation of a new race and the new world, the Supramental. Let us prepare for it in all sincerity and eagerness. |
15. August
1972 – Centenary |
Man is the creation of yesterday. Sri Aurobindo came to announce the creation of tomorrow: the coming of the supramental being. |
15. August
1972 – Centenary |
The best homage that we can render to Sri Aurobindo on his centenary is to have a thirst for progress and to open all our being to the Divine Influence of which he is the Messenger upon the earth. |
15. August
1972 – Centenary |
One more step towards Eternity. |
10. October
1954 – Work and Teaching |
Sri Aurobindo’s work is a unique earth-transformation. Sri Aurobindo incarnated in a human body the supramental consciousness and has not only revealed to us the nature of the path to follow and the method of following it so as to arrive at the goal, but has also by his own personal realisation given us the example; he has provided us with the proof that the thing can be done and the time is now to do it. Never for an instant vacillate in the belief that the mighty work of change taken up by Sri Aurobindo is going to culminate in success. For that indeed is a fact: there is not a shadow of doubt as to the issue of the work we have in hand. The transformation is going to be: nothing will ever stop it, nothing will frustrate the decree of the Omnipotent. Cast away all diffidence and weakness and resolve to endure bravely awhile before the great day arrives when the long battle turns into an everlasting victory. We have faith in Sri Aurobindo. He represents for us something we formulate to ourselves with words which seem to us the most exact for expressing our experience. These words are evidently the best according to us for formulating our experience. But if, in our enthusiasm, we were convinced that they are the only appropriate words to express correctly what Sri Aurobindo is and the experience he has given us, we would become dogmatic and be on the point of founding a religion. He who has a spiritual experience and a faith, formulates it in the most appropriate words for himself. But if he is convinced that this expression is the only correct and true one for this experience and faith, he becomes dogmatic and tends to create a religion. Each one has his own idea and finds out suitable sentences from Sri Aurobindo’s writings to support his views. Those who oppose such views can also find suitable sentences from his writings. That is the way mutual opposition works. Nothing can be truly done until Sri Aurobindo’s total view of things is taken. |
21. February
1957 – Work and Teaching |
In the eternity of becoming, each Avatar is only the announcer, the forerunner of a more perfect realisation. And yet men have always the tendency to deify the Avatar of the past in opposition to the Avatar of the future. Now again Sri Aurobindo has come announcing to the world the realisation of tomorrow; and again his message meets with the same opposition as of all those who preceded him. But tomorrow will prove the truth of what he revealed and his work will be done. |
1961 –
Work and Teaching |
The essential mistake was to have considered Sri Aurobindo’s teaching as one among the spiritual teachings - and the work done here now as one among the many aspects of the Divine works. This has falsified your basic position and has been the cause of all the difficulties and confusions. If this mistake is corrected in your mind and in your attitude all other difficulties will disappear easily. You must understand that what Sri Aurobindo represents in the world’s history, is not a teaching, not even a revelation; it is a decisive action direct from the Supreme. And I am just trying to fulfil that action. |
March 1970 –
Work and Teaching |
In the effort of humanity to reach the Truth and manifest it, all those who made a discovery, however small it may be, have a place, and Gandhi is one of them. But the great mistake has always been to oppose these partial discoveries instead of unifying them in a supreme harmony. That is why humanity is still groping in the dark. Sri Aurobindo has come to reveal that this supreme harmony exists and to show us the way to discover it. |
25. October
1972 – Work and Teaching |
If one reads Sri Aurobindo carefully one finds the answers to all that one wants to know. |
10. February
1967 – Work and Teaching |
By studying carefully what Sri Aurobindo has said on all subjects one can easily reach a complete knowledge of the things of this world. Read Sri Aurobindo and follow his discipline. Savitri: the supreme revelation of Sri Aurobindo’s vision (About Savitri) 1) The daily record of the spiritual experiences of the individual who has written. 2) A complete system of yoga which can serve as a guide for those who want to follow the integral sadhana. 3) The yoga of the Earth in its ascension towards the Divine. 4) The experiences of the Divine Mother in her effort to adapt herself to the body she has taken and the ignorance and the falsity of the earth upon which she has incarnated. The importance of Savitri is immense. Its subject is universal. Its revelation is prophetic. The time spent in its atmosphere is not wasted. Take all the time necessary to see this exhibition. It will be a happy compensation for the feverish haste men put now in all they do. |
03. June
1939 – General |
How beautiful is the day when one can offer one's devotion to Sri Aurobindo. You must feel that Sri Aurobindo is looking at you. It is not a question of disobedience. I know nothing about your additions to the Life Sketch of the sources from which they were taken. My point of view is this, that anything written by a sadhak about Sri Aurobindo which brings him down to an ordinary level and admits the reader to a sort of gossiping familiarity with him is an unfaithfulness to Him and His work. Good intentions are not sufficient; it is necessary that this should be understood by everybody. |
30.
September 1957 – General |
Sri Aurobindo says that it is impossible for him to take up political action and enter the political field which would involve a sacrifice of his spiritual work. His spiritual help is given to the country and individually to all those who aspire for it. He is ready to continue this help and even to increase it if it is necessary. But he is convinced that written messages alone are not sufficient to have a permanent effect or even a sufficiently wide effect. (Message for the Durga Puja of 1957) To express our gratitude to Sri Aurobindo we can do nothing better than to be a living demonstration of his teaching. |
04. April
1958 – General |
The descending triangle represents Sat-Chit-Ananda. The ascending triangle represents the aspiring answer from matter under the form of life, light and love. The junction of both - the central square - is the perfect manifestation having at its centre the Avatar of the Supreme - the lotus. The water - inside the square - represents the multiplicity, the creation. |
10. January
1959 – General |
His Grace is always with those who want to progress and realise the Truth of tomorrow. |
11. June
1960 – General |
What are his qualifications and titles to such a great privilege? Visiting again is all right. People can come
to Sri Aurobindo's
room. But to be allowed to sit and meditate there, one must have done much for Sri Aurobindo. |
17. August
1960 – General |
To do something for the Lord is to give Him something of what one has, or of what one does, or of what one is. That is to say, to offer to Him one part of our goods or all of our possessions, to consecrate to Him one part of our work or all our activities, or to give ourselves to Him totally and without reserve so that He may take possession of our nature in order to transform and divinise it. But there are many people who, without giving anything, always want to take and to receive. These people are selfish and unworthy to meditate in Sri Aurobindo’s room. |
12. January
1961 – General |
A day will come, I hope, when we shall be able to tell freely and truly all that Sri Aurobindo’s Presence has meant for the town of Pondicherry. |
21. May 1970
– General |
There is no question and there can never be any question of cutting off the relationship with Sri Aurobindo. If you have the privilege of being conscious of his answer, keep it like a precious treasure, and make the best use of it. Through Sri Aurobindo you will come into contact with the Supreme and be quite sure of not going astray. |
July 1970 –
General |
Remembrance of Sri Aurobindo: let us make an effort to realise the ideal of life that He has marked out |
02. February
1930 – Sri Aurobindo and the Mother |
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother Red lotus - symbol of the manifestation of the Supreme upon earth. White lotus - symbol of the Divine Consciousness. |
07. April
1934 – Sri Aurobindo and the Mother |
Our Love is an eternal Truth. |
06. May 1957
– Sri Aurobindo and the Mother |
Without him, I exist not; without me, he is unmanifest. |
04. March
1958 – Sri Aurobindo and the Mother |
When in your heart and thought you will make no difference between Sri Aurobindo and me, when to think of Sri Aurobindo will be to think of me and to think of me will mean to think of Sri Aurobindo inevitably, when to see one will mean inevitably to see the other, like one and the same Person, - then you will know that you begin to be open to the supramental force and consciousness. |
1912 – Mother |
Since
the beginning of the earth, wherever and whenever there was the possibility
of manifesting a ray of the Consciousness, I was there. That
which is speaking to you now, is a faithful servant of the Divine. From all
time, since the beginning of the earth, as a faithful servant of the Divine,
it has spoken in the name of its Master. And as long as earth and men exist,
it will be there in a body to preach the divine word. So,
wherever I am asked to speak, I do my best, as a servant of the Divine. But
to speak in the name of a particular doctrine or of a man, however great he
may be, that I cannot do! The
Eternal Transcendent forbids me. |
February 1920 – Mother |
Japan, Myself
and My Creed I
belong to no nation, no civilisation, no society, no race, but to the Divine. I
obey no master, no ruler, no law, no social convention, but the Divine. To
Him I have surrendered all, will, life, self; for Him I am ready to give all
my blood, drop by drop, if such is His Will, with complete joy; and nothing
in His service can be sacrifice, for all is perfect delight. |
1920 – Mother |
Pondicherry, How
I Became Conscious of My Mission When
and how did I become conscious of a mission which I was to fulfil on earth?
And when and how I met Sri Aurobindo? These
two questions you have asked me and I promised a short reply. For
the knowledge of the mission, it is difficult to say when it came to me. It
is as though I were born with it, and following the growth of the mind and
brain, the precision and completeness of this consciousness grew also. Between
11 and 13 a series of psychic and spiritual experiences revealed to me not
only the existence of God but man’s possibility of uniting with Him, of
realising Him integrally in consciousness and action, of manifesting Him upon
earth in a life divine. This, along with a practical discipline for its
fulfilment, was given to me during my body’s sleep by several teachers,
some of whom I met afterwards on the physical plane. Later
on, as the interior and exterior development proceeded, the spiritual and
psychic relation with one of these beings became more and more clear and
frequent; and although I knew little of the Indian philosophies and religions
at that time I was led to call him Krishna, and henceforth I was aware that
it was with him (whom I knew I should meet on earth one day) that the divine
work was to be done. In
the year 1910 my husband came alone to Pondicherry where, under very
interesting and peculiar circumstances, he made the acquaintance of Sri
Aurobindo. Since then we both strongly wished to return to India—the
country which I had always cherished as my true mother-country. And in 1914
this joy was granted to us. As
soon as I saw Sri Aurobindo I recognised in him the well-known being whom I
used to call Krishna…. And this is enough to explain why I am fully
convinced that my place and my work are near him, in India. |
20. June 1931 – Mother |
O,
my Lord, my Lord! What
you want of me, let me be. What
you want me to do, let me do. |
07. March 1932 – Mother |
My
Lord, I will not try to escape from the work Thou hast given me. Wherever Thou
placest my consciousness, it will remain without any attempt to rise to the
blissful heights. Even if Thou willest it to be in the mud of the most
material nature, it will stay there peaceful and at rest. But wherever it is,
it cannot but be without aspiring towards Thee, opening to Thy influence and
calling Thee down into itself as the sole reality of its existence. |
08. March 1932 – Mother |
With
what ardour the consciousness aspires to escape from the prison of material
vibrations and soar towards Thee, Lord, in the immaculate heights! But
flight is impossible… it is against Thy Will. The consciousness must
remain caught in the mud of this obscure and ignorant nature. That is all right;
the joy of being and doing what Thou wantest surpasses all other joys, even
the most sublime. But
the consciousness cries: “I want Thee, I want Thee; without Thee I am
nothing, I do not even exist!” And the vibration of the call is so
strong that even this heavy Matter is shaken by it. “I want Thee, I
want Thee! Since Thou dost not permit me to spring towards Thee, leaving all
behind to be with Thee, I shall call Thee from here; and I shall beseech Thee
so very much that Thou wilt come down to infuse Thyself into a world that has
finally awakened to the absolute need of Thy Presence.” And the
vibration of this invocation was so intense that through the dark and
amorphous mass passed the first quiver announcing the approach of the
Beloved. |
27. March 1936 – Mother |
O
my God, Thou hast told me: “Plunge into Matter and identify thyself
with it: it is there that I would manifest.” And
Thy will has been done—but Matter has ignored the gift and persists in
wanting to seek in obscure and false activities and relations a satisfaction
which it cannot find there. And
yet Thou hast promised me the Victory… O
Lord, awaken my entire being that it may be for Thee the needed instrument,
the perfect servant. |
23. October 1937 – Mother |
What
I want to bring about in the material world, upon the earth. 1)
Perfect Consciousness. 2)
Integral Knowledge, omniscience. 3)
Power invincible, irresistible, ineluctable; omnipotence. 4)
Health, perfect, constant, unshakable; perpetually renewed energy. 5)
Eternal youth, constant growth, uninterrupted progress. 6)
Perfect beauty, complex and total harmony. 7)
Inexhaustible unparalleled riches, control over all the wealth of this world. 8)
The gift of healing and giving happiness. 9)
Immunity from all accidents, invulnerability against all adverse attacks. 10)
Perfect power of expression in all fields and all activities. 11)
The gift of tongues, the power of making oneself understood perfectly by all. 12)
And all else necessary for the accomplishment of Thy work. |
No Date – Mother |
I
wish 1)
personally to be eternally the perfect expression of the Supreme Divine. 2)
that the supramental victory, manifestation and transformation should take
place at once. 3)
that all suffering should disappear for ever from the worlds present and
future. |
15. August 1954 – Outer Life |
A
DECLARATION I
want to mark this day by the expression of a long cherished wish; that of
becoming an Indian citizen. From the first time I came to India—in 1914—I
felt that India is my true country, the country of my soul and spirit. I had
decided to realise this wish as soon as India would be free. But I had to
wait still longer because of my heavy responsibilities for the Ashram here in
Pondicherry. Now the time has come when I can declare myself. But,
in accordance with Sri Aurobindo’s ideal, my purpose is to show that
truth lies in union rather than in division. To reject one nationality in
order to obtain another is not an ideal solution. So I hope I shall be allowed
to adopt a double nationality, that is to say, to remain French while I
become an Indian. I
am French by birth and early education, I am Indian by choice and
predilection. In my consciousness there is no antagonism between the two, on
the contrary, they combine very well and complete one another. I know also
that I can be of service to both equally, for my only aim in life is to give
a concrete form to Sri Aurobindo’s great teaching and in his teaching
he reveals that all the nations are essentially one and meant to express the
Divine Unity upon earth through an organised and harmonious diversity. |
12. April 1955 – Outer Life |
Divine
Mother, The
officer who is preparing the electoral rolls wants the name of the Mother
included in the lists. If
the Mother permits, I shall give the name. Yes. If
they ask nationality, you put Indian. |
14. February 1968 – Outer Life |
Do
not fill up the form for my book or books—I do not claim any rights of
authorship—and I refuse to answer the question they ask. It
is true that this body was born in Paris and that its soul has declared that
it is Indian, but I belong to no nation in particular. And as administrations
cannot understand that, I refuse to deal with them. |
21. February 1968 – Outer Life |
The
reminiscences will be short. I
came to India to meet Sri Aurobindo. I remained in India to live with Sri
Aurobindo. When he left his body, I continued to live here in order to do his
work which is, by serving the Truth and enlightening mankind, to hasten the
rule of the Divine’s Love upon earth. |
No Date – Outer Life |
Do
not ask questions about the details of the material existence of this body;
they are in themselves of no interest and must not attract attention. Throughout
all this life, knowingly or unknowingly, I have been what the Lord wanted me
to be, I have done what the Lord wanted me to do. That alone matters. While
looking at the Samadhi: I
do not want to be worshipped. I have come to work, not to be worshipped; let
them worship Thee to their heart’s content and leave me, silent and
hidden, to do my work undisturbed ― and of all veils the body is the
best. Let
it be the last time something is publicly mentioned about my past life! ―
this body does not want to be spoken of—it wants to be quiet and, as
far as possible, ignored. |
04. December 1932 – Work and Teaching |
If
it is the Will of the Supreme that those who depend on me should have no
faith in me, I have nothing to say. I am responsible only for the
absoluteness of my own sincerity. |
11. May 1934 – Work and Teaching |
Is
there no means of uniting my will with Yours? Perhaps
You have no special will, for You want nothing. I
know perfectly well what I want or rather what the divine Will is, and it is
that which will triumph in time. |
24. May 1951 – Work and Teaching |
I
hope and believe Your work does not depend upon human beings. No,
it does not depend at all upon human beings. What has to be done will be done
despite all possible resistances. There
is only one thing of which I am absolutely sure, and that is who I am. Sri
Aurobindo also knew it and declared it. Even the doubts of the whole of
humanity would change nothing to this fact. But
another fact is not so certain ― it is the usefulness of my being here
in a body, doing the work I am doing. It is not out of any personal urge that
I am doing it. Sri Aurobindo told me to do it and that is why I do it as a
sacred duty in obedience to the dictates of the Supreme. Time
will reveal how far earth has benefited through it. |
07. November 1951 – Work and Teaching |
An
objective reply to a letter If
the supreme consciousness is incarnated and manifests itself in this body,
all the denials in the world cannot prevent it from being so. And
if it is not so, my physical existence can be interesting1 only to those who
have faith and who, with the help of this faith, can, through me, enter into
contact with the Supreme Consciousness. The
question has importance only for those, and others have no need to be
concerned about it. For such a faith, to be sincere and effective, cannot be
the object of any propaganda, either for or against it. Its birth must be
free and spontaneous. It cannot be obtained through coercion nor destroyed
through denial. He
who feels the need to fight violently against conviction or faith, of
whatever kind, proves by that very fact that some part of his being, however
tiny, is touched by this conviction, while another part of himself, generally
more important and external, completely refuses to accept a faith which seems
to him the more dangerous because he is more sensitive to it, and his will to
deny it forcefully comes from the necessity of convincing himself. From
the subjective point of view, I know what I am. But this knowledge that is
lived finds its value only in my sincerity; and of this sincerity the Supreme
alone can be the judge. |
23. January 1952 – Work and Teaching |
I
know that I cannot do much ― I cannot satisfy the human desire for wonders
and miracles. There was a time when I could and did do it. But for that one
must live in the vital consciousness and use vital forces, which is not very
recommendable. |
31. March 1953 – Work and Teaching |
It
will be said of me: “She was ambitious, she wanted to transform the
world.” But the world does not want to be transformed except by a very
long and slow process, so slow that the change cannot be perceptible from one
generation to the other. I
find that Nature delays and wastes. But she finds that I am too much in a
hurry and too troublesome and exacting. Let
me write down all I have to say; let me foretell all that will be done, and
then, if no one finds that I am doing it properly, then I shall retire and
leave the others to do it. |
05. May 1953 – Work and Teaching |
I
do not deny that you have got a connection with something of Sri Aurobindo,
the something that was interested in you and in what you are doing. This something
might have remained with you to inspire and help you in your work in America
and elsewhere. But it is only a part, a very, very small part of Sri
Aurobindo whom I know and with whom I lived physically for thirty years, and
who has not left me, not for a moment ― for He is still with me, day
and night, thinking through my brain, writing through my pen, speaking
through my mouth and acting through my organising power. |
24. September 1953 – Work and Teaching |
To
believe or not to believe in the possibility of avatarhood can make no
difference to the bare fact. If God chooses to manifest in a human body I do
not see how any human thought, approval or disapproval can affect in the
least His decision; and if He takes birth in a body, the denial of men cannot
prevent the fact from being a fact. So what is there to get excited about. It
is only in perfect quietness and silence, free from all prejudices and
preferences, that the consciousness can perceive the truth. |
25. September 1953 – Work and Teaching |
Concerning
my avatarhood, in what way can the opinion of people have any importance? If
I am not [an avatar], the belief of thousands of devotees cannot make that I
should be. On
the other hand, if I am, the denial of the whole world cannot prevent me from
being. |
26. April 1955 – Work and Teaching |
There
is justice ineluctable. There
is here a Consciousness working. Each one when he goes against this divine
Consciousness loses something of his consciousness every time he does so. He goes
down each time he does something against it. Each one gains in his
consciousness every time he acts according to this divine Consciousness. The
world goes on as it is. When there is nothing you or I can do to change it,
we can only keep quiet, silent witness like Brahman. As in the world so here
also. So many things go on: each one tries to prove his superiority; there is
politics of all kinds, propaganda. I only witness like Brahman; I am neither
for nor against, neither approve nor condemn. |
29. February 1956 – Work and Teaching |
During
the Common Meditation on Wednesday This
evening the Divine Presence, concrete and material, was there present amongst
you. I had a form of living gold, bigger than the universe, and I was facing
a huge and massive golden door which separated the world from the Divine. As
I looked at the door, I knew and willed, in a single movement of
consciousness, that “the time has come“, and lifting with both
hands a mighty golden hammer I struck one blow, one single blow on the door
and the door was shattered to pieces. Then
the supramental Light and Force and Consciousness rushed down upon earth in
an uninterrupted flow. |
25. September 1957 – Work and Teaching |
I
had nothing to learn for that, because the Supreme Lord contains everything
in Himself: the whole world, the knowledge of the world and the power to make
it. When He decided that there should be a world, He first brought forth the
knowledge of the world and the power to make it and that is me, and then He
commanded me to make the world. |
27. September 1957 – Work and Teaching |
Because
if I did not come like you, I could never be close to you and I would not be
able to tell you: “Become what I am.” |
August 1966 – Work and Teaching |
Mother,
what is your answer to the question: “Are you God?” This
question can be asked of any human being. And
the answer is: Yes, potentially. And
the task of each one is to make it a real fact. |
27. December 1967 – Work and Teaching |
I
do not know if I am powerful or not (because it is not sure where is the I)
but the Lord is all-powerful. Trust is beyond all doubts and the Lord is
looking into the matter. You
put something in Your words which enables us to see the Truth that words
cannot convey. What
is it that accompanies Your words? Consciousness. |
No Date – Work and Teaching |
For
me everything in human life is mixed, nothing is completely good, nothing completely
bad. I cannot give my entire and exclusive support to this idea or that idea,
to one cause or another. The only important thing for me, in action, is Sri
Aurobindo’s work, automatically my conscious support is with all that
helps that work and in proportion to the help. And for the work to be carried
on as it must be I need all collaborations and all helps, I cannot accept
only this one or that one and reject the others. I cannot belong to this
party or that party. I belong to the Divine alone and my action upon earth is
and will always be for the triumph of the Divine, irrespective of all sects
and parties. |
When
I speak, I live what I say and I communicate the experience together with the
words ― no machine can record that. That is why the text seems
completely different when it is heard or read, the main thing has gone, for
it is beyond all notation. Even when what I have written myself is printed in
a book or an article, the intensity of the experience I had while writing it
escapes, and the text seems flat, although the words are identical. This
is the real reason for the physical Presence, its incontestable importance. Do
not take my words for a teaching. Always they are a force in action, uttered
with a definite purpose, and they lose their true power when separated from
that purpose. |
21. September 1951 – Sadhana of the
Body |
This
body has neither the uncontested authority of a god nor the imperturbable
calm of the sage. It is yet only an apprentice in supermanhood. O
my sweet Lord, supreme Truth, I aspire that the food I take may infuse into
all the cells of my body Thy all-knowledge, Thy all-power, Thy all-goodness. |
02. August 1952 – Sadhana of the Body |
Only
when it is no longer necessary for men’s progress that my body should
be like theirs will it be free to become supramentalised. |
03. October 1952 – Sadhana of the Body |
It
is a fact that the Godhead has always taken a physical body with the intention
of transforming that body and making of it a fit instrument for His
manifestation upon earth. But it is a fact also that, until now, He has
failed to do so and for one reason or another He had always to leave that
physical body with the work of transformation unfinished. In
order that the Divine may keep, till a total transformation takes place, the
body through which He is manifesting upon earth, it is necessary that, for at
least one individual if not more, fulfilling the required conditions of harmony,
strength, sincerity, endurance, unselfishness and poise in the physical, this
body in which the Divine incarnates should be not only the most important
thing, but even the thing exclusively important, more important than the
divine Work itself, or rather that this body should become the symbol and the
concretisation of the divine Work upon earth. |
20. September 1953 – Sadhana of the
Body |
It
is never work that makes me tired; it is when I am compelled to work in an
atmosphere of dissatisfaction, despondency, doubt, misunderstanding and bad
will, then each step forward represents an enormous effort and tells on the
body more than ten years of normal work. |
10. May 1954 – Sadhana of the Body |
This
experience followed conclusively the one I had last night while seeing the
film. I felt very strongly that my children were emancipated and that they no
longer need my physical intervention to do their work well. It is enough that
my presence among them is an inspiration and guide for them to keep a clear
vision of the goal and not to go astray on the way. This leads quite
naturally to a physical withdrawal into oneself so as to concentrate
materially upon the work of transformation of the body. I can now leave them
externally to do things according to their own ideas of execution, reducing
my presence to a more or less invisible role of creative inspiration and
consciousness. |
08. September 1954 – Sadhana of the
Body |
The
body repeats constantly and with a poignant sincerity: “What am I to demand
anything whatsoever from anyone at all? Left to myself I am nothing, I know
nothing, I can do nothing. Unless the truth penetrates into me and directs
me, I am incapable of taking even the minutest decision and of knowing what
is the best thing to do and to live even in the most insignificant
circumstance. Shall I ever be capable of being transformed to the point of
becoming What I ought to be and of manifesting What wants to manifest upon
earth?” But why does this answer always come from the depths, from You,
Lord, with an indisputable certitude: “If you cannot do it, no other
body upon earth can do it.” There is but one conclusion: I shall
persist in my effort, without giving in, I shall persist until death or until
victory. |
21. October 1955 – Sadhana of the Body |
My
Lord, what Thou hast wanted me to do I have done. The gates of the
Supramental have been thrown open and the Supramental Consciousness, Light
and Force are flooding the earth. But
as yet those who are around me are little aware of it ― no radical
change has taken place in their consciousness and it is only because they
trust my word that they do not say that nothing has truly happened. In
addition the exterior circumstances are still harder than they were and the
difficulties seem to be cropping up more insurmountable than ever. Now
that the supramental is there ― for of that I am absolutely certain
even if I am the only one upon earth to be aware of it―is it that the
mission of this form is ended and that another form is to take up the work in
its place? I am putting the question to Thee and ask for an answer ― a
sign by which I shall know for certain that it is still my work and I must
continue in spite of all the contradictions, of all the denials. Whatever
is the sign, I do not care but it must be obvious. I
cannot yet say “myself”, because when I say “myself”
people think of my body, and my body is not yet truly myself, it is not yet
transformed, and that produces a confusion in their minds. Besides, I have
always felt that this attitude of my body perceiving its own imperfection was
indispensable in order to keep a living and constant humility in the physical
consciousness. When
the transformation is total, then I shall be able to speak, not before. |
16. January 1958 – Sadhana of the Body |
O
divine Light, supramental Reality: With
this food, penetrate the whole body, enter into every cell, establish Thyself
in every atom; may everything become perfectly sincere and receptive, free from
all that obstructs the manifestation, in short, open to Thee all the parts of
my body that are not already Thyself. |
03. October 1958 – Sadhana of the Body |
And
the body says to the Supreme Lord: “What You want me to be, I shall be,
what You want me to know, I shall know, what You want me to do, I shall do.” |
17. February 1961 – Sadhana of the Body |
But
this body needs exercise and going up and down the steps is a very good
exercise indeed. Moreover it is accustomed to collaborate in my work and
would be sorry if any change was made because of its difficulties. So
things will go on as usual and when it will be time for it to come out of
difficulties, the difficulties will disappear. |
January 1963 – Sadhana of the Body |
Will
you please let me see you in your new body? It should be possible with your
help, I think. The
help is always there but it will be intensified because you must be ready to
wait for some pretty long time. |
25. January 1963 – Sadhana of the Body |
I
would very much like to see you in your new body. Till then grant that I may
be able to receive and assimilate what you give me. I
suppose you mean my new appearance or my transformed body. Because for a new
body, I do not know of anybody who could make a complete living body into
which I could step without losing, at least partly, my present consciousness.
This of course could be a relatively quicker process, but not quite fair for
the cells of this body so full of enthusiasm, and lending themselves so
willingly to the somewhat exacting process of transformation. In
any case, as I told you already, you must be prepared to wait a long time for
it, and to see many birthdays pass on. Which, of course, is very good and of
which I fully approve. |
16. July 1972 – Sadhana of the Body |
To
each and every one of my children Whenever
they think, speak or act under the impulse of falsehood, it acts on my body
like a blow. |
No Date – Sadhana of the Body |
To
say the truth, I can take anything without likes and dislikes, but as on the
table there is an ample choice, I preferably take what the body accepts and
digests with ease. There
is no disease from which I have not suffered. I have taken all the diseases upon
my body to see their course and to have their knowledge by experience in the
physical, so that I may be able to work upon them. But as my physical has no
fear and it responds to the higher pressure, it is easier for me to get rid
of them. |
23. April 1934 – Blessings |
Every
day, at each moment, my blessings are with you. My
child, My
blessings are with you to widen and purify your consciousness so that peace
may always be within you. Whether
the words are written or not, I always send you my blessings. |
21. October 1935 – Blessings |
My
blessings are always there to awaken you, but you must want to make use of
them. |
22. October 1935 – Blessings |
Blessings
are a manifestation of the divine grace, in favour of an individual or a
collectivity. |
21. January 1960 – Blessings |
My
love and blessings are with you. Understand that blessings are for the best
spiritual result, not necessarily according to human wishes. My
blessings are very dangerous. They cannot be for this one or for that one or against
this person or against that thing. It is for… or, well, I will put it
in a mystic way: It
is for the Will of the Lord to be done, with full force and power. So it is
not necessary that there should always be a success. There might be a failure
also, if such is the Will of the Lord. And the Will is for the progress, I
mean the inner progress. So whatever will happen will be for the best. |
28. June 1931 – General |
From
many instances I have come to know that my face is like a mirror showing to
each one the image of his own internal condition. |
16. May 1932 – General |
I
feel inclined to reply: I
live so far from all these conventions that I had not even thought of that. |
24. April 1937 – General |
The
anniversary of my return to Pondicherry, which was the tangible sign of the
sure Victory over the adverse forces. |
25. March 1952 – General |
“Who
are you?” asks the adverse force. “I
am the impartial and truthful mirror in which each one can find his true
likeness.” |
29. June 1953 – General |
The
Supermind had descended long ago—very long ago—into the mind and
even into the vital: it was working in the physical also but indirectly
through those intermediaries. The question was about the direct action of the
Supermind in the physical. Sri Aurobindo said it could be possible only if
the physical mind received the supramental light: the physical mind was the
instrument for direct action upon the most material. This physical mind
receiving the supramental light Sri Aurobindo called the Mind of Light. |
1955 – General |
As
soon as Sri Aurobindo withdrew from his body, what he has called the Mind of
Light got realised in me. MOTHER’S
SYMBOL The
central circle represents the Divine Consciousness. The
four petals represent the four powers of the Mother. The
twelve petals represent the twelve powers of the Mother manifested for Her
work. The
central circle represents the Supreme Mother, the Mahashakti. The
four central petals are the four aspects of the Mother—and the twelve
petals, Her twelve attributes. |
09. December 1972 – General |
It
is the symbolic design of the white Lotus of Supreme Consciousness, with the
Mahashakti (the form of the Mother as universal creation) at the centre in
her four aspects and twelve attributes. Sri
Aurobindo says, “The true basis of education is the study of the human
mind, infant, adolescent and adult.” But how does one study? Where does
one start? What are the steps in this study? Do
not ask me any questions about the mind; I am no longer interested in it. I
am concentrated on union with the overmind. |
17. February 1973 – General |
How
to learn to receive a solution for problems? I
cannot give it mentally; it is to be received inwardly. |
05. March 1973 – General |
My
help is always with you as active as ever; but I do no more answer mentally. |
No Date – General |
Why
do you want me to say something? In
silence is the greatest power. |
11. January 1933 – Relations with
Others |
“I
am with You” Mother
gives always to each one the love he needs. |
02. September 1935 – Relations with Others |
I
am always seated in your heart, consciously living in you. |
01. October 1935 – Relations with Others |
Open
your heart and you will find me already there. Don’t
be restless, remain quietly concentrated in your heart and you will find me
there. |
11. February 1938 – Relations with
Others |
Go
deep inside the temple and you will find me there. |
27. December 1957 – Relations with
Others |
All
souls who aspire are always under my direct care. |
26. March 1971 – Relations with Others |
Mother
is with all those who are sincere in their aspiration towards a divine life. |
No Date – Relations with Others |
I
am always present, near you, in you, and my blessings come with me. Be
sure that I am always present among you to guide and help you in your work
and your sadhana. For
the moment the important thing is to cultivate this widening and deepening of
the consciousness which enables you to feel my constant presence with you, to
feel it in a real and concrete way which will bring you an immutable peace. Keep
always this awareness of my constant loving presence and all will be all
right. Have
confidence, I am near you. With
all my tender love. |
14. June 1932 – Always with you |
Today
at Pranam, for the first time I could enter X’s heart and an emanation
of mine settled there. |
17. June 1935 – Always with you |
I
am happy with this awakening in your consciousness. You should allow it to
develop more and more so that the light can penetrate everywhere, even into
the darkest corners. My
help and protection are always with you. |
21. September 1945 – Always with you |
My
help is always with you to help you in your progress and your work. The
difficulties you cannot overcome today will be overcome tomorrow or later on. I
always look upward. Beauty, Peace, Light are there, they are ready to come
down. So,
always aspire and look up, in order to manifest them upon this earth. Do
not look down at the ugly things of the world. Look always upward with me,
whenever you feel sad. Be
very quiet and you will feel my help. Child,
you complain that you see me only as a friend… but what could be better
than to have a friend who knows, who acts, who loves? |
05. October 1955 – Always with you |
Surely,
my child, I have no intention of leaving you and you need not worry; one
thing you must know and never forget: all that is true and sincere will
always be kept. Only what is false and insincere will disappear. In
the measure in which your need for me is sincere and genuine, it will be
fulfilled. |
No Date – Always with you |
My
love remains with you with all its intensity. And in the intensity of this
love, I have prayed and prayed to our Lord, asking Him to pour His Grace upon
you and to make you conscious of the Divine Light and Soul in you, to give
you the supreme realisation of His Presence. Let
all the clouds disperse, all the attachments disappear, all the obstacles
vanish, so that you can enjoy fully the peace and the joy of being here, so
close to me, in the Divine’s abode. I
am with you because I am you or you are me. I
am with you, that signifies a world of things, because I am with you on all
levels, on all planes, from the supreme consciousness down to my most
physical consciousness. Here, in Pondicherry, you cannot breathe without
breathing my consciousness. It saturates the atmosphere almost materially, in
the subtle physical, and extends to the Lake, ten kilometres from here.
Farther, my consciousness can be felt in the material vital, then on the
mental plane and the other higher planes, everywhere. When I came here for
the first time, I felt the atmosphere of Sri Aurobindo, felt it materially at
a distance of ten miles, ten nautical miles, not kilometres. It was very
sudden, very concrete, an atmosphere pure, luminous, light, light that lifts
you up. It
is now long since Sri Aurobindo has put up everywhere in the Ashram this
reminder that you all know: “Always behave as if the Mother was looking
at you, because she is, indeed, always present.” This
is not a mere phrase, not simply words, it is a fact. I am with you in a very
concrete manner and they who have a subtle vision can see me. In
a general way my Force is there constantly at work, constantly shifting the
psychological elements of your being to put them in new relations and
defining to yourself the different facets of your nature so that you may see
what should be changed, developed, rejected. But
that apart, there is a special personal tie between you and me, between all
who have turned to the teaching of Sri Aurobindo and myself, ― and, it
is well understood, distance does not count here, you may be in France, you
may be at the other end of the world or in Pondicherry, this tie is always
true and living. And each time there comes a call, each time there is a need
for me to know so that I may send out a force, an inspiration, a protection
or any other thing, a sort of message comes to me all of a sudden and I do
the needful. These communications reach me evidently at any moment, and you
must have seen me more than once stop suddenly in the middle of a sentence or
work; it is because something comes to me, a communication and I concentrate. With
those whom I have accepted as disciples, to whom I have said Yes, there is
more than a tie, there is an emanation of me. This emanation warns me
whenever it is necessary and tells me what is happening. Indeed I receive
intimations constantly, but not all are recorded in my active memory, I would
be flooded; the physical consciousness acts like a filter. Things are
recorded on a subtle plane, they are there in a latent state, something like
a piece of music that is recorded without being played, and when I need to
know with my physical consciousness, I make contact with this subtle physical
plane and the disc begins to turn. Then I see how things are, their
development in time, the actual result. And
if for some reason you write to me asking for my help and I answer “I
am with you”, it means that the communication with you becomes active,
you come into my active consciousness for a time, for the time necessary. And
this tie between you and me is never cut. There are people who have long ago
left the Ashram, in a state of revolt, and yet I keep myself informed of
them, I attend to them. You are never abandoned. In
truth, I hold myself responsible for everyone, even for those whom I have met
only for one second in my life. Now
remember one thing. Sri Aurobindo and myself are one and the same
consciousness, one and the same person. Only, when this force or this
presence, which is the same, passes through your individual consciousness, it
puts on a form, an appearance which differs according to your temperament,
your aspiration, your need, the particular turn of your being. Your
individual consciousness is like a filter, a pointer, if I may say so; it
makes a choice and fixes one possibility out of the infinity of divine
possibilities. In reality, the Divine gives to each individual exactly what
he expects of Him. If you believe that the Divine is far away and cruel, He
will be far away and cruel, because it will be necessary for your ultimate
good that you feel the wrath of God; He will be Kali for the worshippers of
Kali and Beatitude for the Bhakta. And He will be the All-knowledge of the
seeker of Knowledge, the transcendent Impersonal of the illusionist; He will
be atheist with the atheist and the love of the lover. He will be brotherly
and close, a friend always faithful, always ready to succour, for those who
feel Him as the inner guide of each movement, at every moment. And if you
believe that He can wipe away everything, He will wipe away all your faults,
all your errors, tirelessly, and at every moment you can feel His infinite
Grace. The Divine is indeed what you expect of Him in your deepest
aspiration. And
when you enter into this consciousness where you see all things in a single
look, the infinite multitude of relations between the Divine and men, you see
how wonderful all that is, in all details. You can look at the history of
mankind and see how much the Divine has evolved according to what men have
understood, desired, hoped, dreamed and how He was materialist with the
materialist and how He grows every day and becomes nearer, more luminous
according as human consciousness widens itself. Each one is free to choose.
The perfection of this endless variety of relations of man with God
throughout the history of the world is an ineffable marvel. And all that
together is only one second of the total manifestation of the Divine. The
Divine is with you according to your aspiration. Naturally that does not mean
that He bends to the caprices of your outer nature, ― I speak here of
the truth of your being. And yet, sometimes he does fashion himself according
to your outer aspirations, and if, like the devotees, you live alternately in
separation and union, ecstasy and despair, the Divine also will separate from
you and unite with you, according as you believe. The attitude is thus very
important, even the outer attitude. People do not know how important is
faith, how faith is miracle, creator of miracles. If you expect at every
moment to be lifted up and pulled towards the Divine, He will come to lift
you and He will be there, quite close, closer, ever closer. |
No Date – To be near me |
In
order to be always near me really and effectively you must become more and
more sincere, open and frank towards me. Cast away all dissimulation and
decide to do nothing that you could not tell me immediately. Do
only what you could do before me without feeling embarrassed, say only what
you could repeat to me without difficulty. Be
very sincere and straightforward, harbour nothing within yourself which you
cannot show me without fear, do nothing which you would be ashamed of before
me. Try
to be spontaneous and simple like a child in your relations with me ―
it will save you from many difficulties. |
No Date – To be near me |
Be
simple, Be
happy, Remain
quiet, Do
your work as well as you can, Keep
yourself always open towards me ― This
is all that is asked from you. |
No
Date – Physical Nearness |
Whether
I see you or not makes no difference to the help. It will always be there. You
must remove two falsehoods from your mind. 1)
What you get from me has nothing at all to do with what the others have or
have not. My relation with you depends on you alone; I give you according to
your true need and capacity. Even here, already you were alone with me; if
there were no others you would receive nothing more. 2)
It is a great mistake to think that physical nearness is the one thing
indispensable for the progress. It will do nothing for you if you do not
establish the inner contact, for without that you could remain from morning
to night with me and yet you will never truly meet me. It is only by the
inner opening and contact that you can realise my presence. |
22. May 1962 – Physical Nearness |
You
ought not to forget that each one meets in life the exact expression of what
he is himself. Grace and blessings are always with you. Not one day have I
stopped taking the usual care of those who depend on my force. From
20 March 1962 Mother remained in her rooms upstairs in the Ashram, retiring
from a daily routine in which everyone could see her regularly; thereafter
she continued to meet persons, but by appointment. |
21. December 1964 – Physical Nearness |
Do
the work ― my inspiration and guidance will always be with you; and
when it is necessary I shall see you physically. But I am working to lessen
more and more this necessity. Because to be able to receive the inner
guidance is indispensable for the perfection of the work. |
01. May 1968 – Physical Nearness |
Now
that you are here, the only thing to do is to forget the past and to
concentrate on your work here. It is true that for the moment I cannot see
you regularly, but you must learn to get the inner contact (it is one of the
chief reasons of my retirement) and then you will know that I am always with
you to guide you and to help you and that you can have no better conditions
than here to do properly your sadhana. It
would be more correct to say that certain thoughts, certain feelings and
certain actions take people away from me or create a separation between
someone and me in spite of all physical proximity. |
September 1971 – Physical Nearness |
No,
this physical contact is not indispensable. Certainly for those who have the
true attitude, the physical contact helps the body to follow the movement of
transformation, but the body is rarely in a state to profit by it. Generally
on birthdays it is more receptive. |
14. December 1972 – Physical Nearness |
I
am no more living an active life; if you are open, help is bound to come. |
12. January 1932 – Role as Guide |
If
you are quite sincere, you will agree with me that you are complaining of my being
not too Divine but not Divine enough. For if in my physical body I had
assumed, for instance, the appearance cherished by the ancient Indian
tradition, how convenient it would be! Imagine, if having several heads and a
great number of arms, possessing the power of ubiquity, when X comes to
manicure my hands and so unceremoniously knocks at the door to inform me that
she is there, (I cannot tell her not to knock because she is very busy) I
could send her a pair of hands for her work and still be in my small room to
answer to Y who is sitting with me there, how nice it would be!… So,
you see, I fear I have accepted to become too human, too much bound by the
human laws of time and space, and thus not capable of doing half a dozen
things at the same time! |
17. July 1932 – Role as Guide |
Lord,
I lament my limitations… but it is through them, by virtue of them,
that men can approach Thee. Without them, Thou wouldst be as remote, as
inaccessible to men as if Thou hadst not put on a body of flesh. This
is why each progress they make represents a true liberation for me, for each
step they take towards Thee gives me the right to cast away one of these
limitations and to manifest Thee more truly, more perfectly. And
yet these limitations could have been dispensed with. But then it would have
been necessary to keep near us only those who have experienced the Divine,
who have identified themselves with Thee, Lord, even if only once, either
within themselves or in the universe. For this identification is the indispensable
basis of our Yoga; it is its starting-point. |
11. June 1954 – Role as Guide |
It
is their own mental and vital formation of me that they love, not myself.
More and more I am confronted with this fact. Each one has made his own image
of me for himself in conformity with his needs and desires, and it is with
this image that he is in relation, through that he receives the little amount
of universal forces and the still smaller amount of supramental forces that
manage to filter through all these formations. Unfortunately, they cling to
my physical presence, otherwise I could withdraw into my inner solitude and
do my work quietly and freely from there; but this physical presence is a
symbol for them and that is why they cling to it, for in fact they have very
little real contact with what my body truly is or with the tremendous
accumulation of conscious energy that it represents. And
now, O Higher Force, that You are descending into me and penetrating more and
more totally all the atoms of my body, the distance between myself and
everything around me seems to be increasing more and more, and more and more
I feel myself floating in an atmosphere of radiant consciousness that is
totally beyond their understanding. |
19. September 1961 – Role as Guide |
Since
I love only You, O Lord, it is You alone whom I love in all and in each one;
and by dint of loving You in them, I shall end up by making them a little
conscious of You. For
them, the real thing is to know how to let themselves be loved without any
preference and obstruction. But, not only do they not want to be loved except
in their own way, they do not want even to open themselves to love unless it
comes to them through the intermediary of their choice… and what could
be done in a few hours, a few months or a few years takes centuries to be
accomplished. After
establishing a conscious contact with each person present, I merge with the
Supreme Lord and then my body is nothing but a channel through which He pours
out upon all His Light, His Consciousness and His Joy, to each one according
to his capacity. I
take the greatest care to open the door within all of you, so that if you
have just a small movement of concentration within you, you do not have to
wait for long periods in front of a closed door that will not move, to which
you have no key and which you do not know how to open. The
door is open, only you must look in that direction. You must not turn your
back on it. I
am not eager to be the Guru of anyone. It is more spontaneously natural for
me to feel the Mother of all and to carry them forward silently through the
power of love. |
25. July 1970 – Role as Guide |
I
am not eager to be the Guru of anyone. It is more spontaneously natural for
me to be the universal Mother and to act in silence through love. But
as you put the question, I shall answer. From
the time you started using a mantra, I had put in it the power to make it
effective. Now that you have stated what is the word of this mantra, I am
confirming the power into it. |
No Date – Role as Guide |
Until
now, my spontaneous attitude was that of the supreme Mother who carries the
universe in her loving arms, and I was dealing with each one as with the
child from whom she tolerates everything equally; and all that the people
here were doing to please me I was taking as a token of their love and I was
very grateful for it. Today I have learnt that many, if not most, are looking
at me as their Guru and that they are eager to please me because to please
the Guru is the best way to acquire merit on the path. And then I have
understood that the duty of the Guru is to encourage from each one only that
which can lead him quickly to the Lord and serve His Divine Purpose, ―
and I am very grateful for the lesson. Everyone
has to follow his own path which, necessarily, is the best and the swiftest
for reaching the goal. As
I happen to know the way, it is my duty to show it to them. When
I say that I have initiated someone, I mean that I have revealed myself to
this person, without words, and that he was capable of seeing, feeling and
knowing What I am. |
17. January 1933 – Do as you Like |
I
want only what You think best. When
people suggest two alternative things and ask me which one to do, I answer “As
you like” when neither is better than the other. |
29. March 1933 – Do as you Like |
“If
you want” obviously implies that there is a risk that the consequences
of what you want to do may not be very good for your sadhana, but also that
perhaps you are not ready to make the necessary progress which would enable
you not to do what you wish to do. |
26. July 1939 – Do as you Like |
It
seems that you are far too complex and complicated to understand my straight
direct simplicity. When I say, “this is the best” I mean that it
is the best and consequently that it is the thing to be done. And what I call
surrender is not to make a counter-proposal in answer to my arrangement but
to accept it full-heartedly. You
ask for peace as if I was withdrawing it—but when I wrote to you with
the best feelings of kindness, trust and consideration, “this is the
best thing to do”, if you had answered at once “Yes, Mother, let
it be done”, you would have certainly felt a greater peace in you and
even a sweet joy. |
01. December 1961 – Do as you Like |
Nobody
ever thought of forcing you to do yoga. If you want to do it in order to
acquire the power over the circumstances, it is not a very noble or high
motive, and you cannot count upon me to help you there. I can help you only
if your motive is to discover the Truth (not to postulate a priori that what
you think is the truth) and to surrender entirely to the Truth. So the
decision is in your hands. |
08. October 1966 – Do as you Like |
Now
I am obliged to tell you that I neither approve nor disapprove ― no
like and no dislike, no desire and no personal will. Each case is seen
individually, and the answer given for the best of each one from the
spiritual point of view. Go
to your parents and at the same time you will be able to see and decide if
sincerely you want the Divine Life more than anything else. |
24. October 1967 – Do as you Like |
I
am not in the habit of imposing my will on others. If
they, themselves, ask for help, the help will be given. |
24. December 1931 – I am not
Displeased |
You
were having these bad suggestions (that I do not love you and that you want
to go away), because you were disobeying me. But now that you have taken the
resolution to act according to my will, the bad suggestions will disappear. Nobody
has told anything against you to me. |
14. January 1933 – I am not Displeased |
You
ought to drop altogether and once and for all this idea that I get displeased
― it sounds to me so strange! If I would get thus displeased in the
presence of the human weaknesses, I would certainly not be fit to do the work
I am doing, and my coming upon earth would have no meaning. |
15. January 1937 – I am not Displeased |
I
have never noticed anything bad in you when you come for Pranam. Your
aspiration is very clear and I always answer it. Do not worry about what
other people may say ― I am entirely satisfied with you and my
blessings are always with you. |
25. February 1942 – I am not Displeased |
I
felt that you were not quite satisfied with me. Nothing
of the kind. Each one has his difficulties and I am here to help him out of
them. |
05. November 1947 – I am not Displeased |
Once
more this is a perfectly gratuitous shock…. I never knew that it was
your sitar you were asking back from X; from what he told me, it seemed clear
that it was his own sitar that was in question. I see that it is a mistake
and he must give it back to you if you need it. But
for your own sake I must tell you that you are bound to receive shocks and
hard blows too so long as you indulge in such false ideas as “my taking
sides” with one or another, etc. This
is completely wrong and baseless and you must get rid of this way of thinking
altogether if you wish to feel close to the Divine. With
my love and blessing. |
23. March 1954 – I am not Displeased |
You
must learn once and for all that whatever mistakes people commit, it cannot
vex me nor displease me. If
there is bad will or revolt, Kali may come and chastise but she always does
it with love. |
12. May 1934 – Way of Working |
People
say that you always admire the things we do, no matter what they are. What
a strange idea! There are plenty of things and actions that I find bad and
that I do not admire at all. |
16. November 1950 – Way of Working |
It
is quite inexact that in my consciousness there is a will to be late. The
truth is that the will to be ready in time does not take precedence in me
over the other wills: it is in its place among the others, not exclusive and
unique but forming part of the whole in which degrees of greatness and
importance may not conform to what you think or feel. In fact, your sense of
relative importance is not the same as mine. Moreover, you consider the
problem in a linear and exclusive way, as if it were separate from other
accompanying problems. It is nothing of the kind; each problem exists not in
itself but in relation to all the others; and in order to be true, the
solution must not neglect any of them. If
you can understand that, your difficulty is sure to disappear easily. |
29. July 1961 – Way of Working |
Evidently,
according to human laws I was wrong in telling you that I would see you every
month, since I was not sure of being able to do so, even while not forgetting
what I had said. In
truth, I live from moment to moment, according to the supreme Guidance and,
consequently, am incapable of making plans. I know that this is not
comfortable for the human mentality which believes it can decide everything
in advance. But from the spiritual point of view it is inevitable. Each
sadhak must remember that he is not alone. As far as possible I am trying to
give satisfaction to everybody and to give answers to reasonable questions
whenever it is necessary. It
is a way of saying, a crude description of something that actually happens
but is much more subtle than that. If
I were busy with one single person I could keep perhaps in my memory such
precisions, but as I am consciously dealing with more than a thousand people
such precise details are not usually noted ― and it is not necessary
either ― because the Consciousness always does the work in the way it
has to be done. There
is always a great difference between what people are and do and what they
ought to be and do. The consciousness is quite aware of this and is
constantly working to rectify and to change but it does not work on separate
points in a spasmodic way. It works on the whole in a total and
all-comprehensive way. The advance seems slow but it is more complete and
nothing is forgotten. Truly
speaking, I have no opinion. According to a vision of truth, everything is
still terribly mixed, a more or less favourable combination of light and
darkness, truth and falsehood, knowledge and ignorance, and so long as
decisions are made and action is undertaken according to opinions, it will
always be like that. We
want to give the example of an action that is undertaken in accordance with a
vision of truth, but unfortunately we are still very far from realising this
ideal, and even if the vision of truth expresses itself, it is immediately
distorted in its implementation. So,
in the present state of affairs, it is impossible to say, “This is true
and that is false, this leads us away from the goal and that brings us nearer
the goal.” Everything
can be used for the progress to be made; everything can be useful if we know
how to use it. The
important thing is never to lose sight of the ideal we want to realise and to
make use of all circumstances in view of this goal. And
finally, it is always better not to make an arbitrary decision for or against
things, and to watch the unfolding of events with the impartiality of a
witness, relying on the Divine Wisdom which will decide for the best and do
what is necessary. |
No Date – Way of Working |
My
way of seeing is somewhat different. For my consciousness the whole life upon
earth, including the human life and all its mentality, is a mass of
vibrations, mostly vibrations of falsehood, ignorance and disorder, in which
are more and more at work vibrations of Truth and Harmony coming from the
higher regions and pushing their way through the resistance. In this vision
the ego-sense and the individual assertion and separateness become quite
unreal and illusory. When
some extra confusion is created in the already existing confusion I direct
upon it some special vibrations to restore as much as possible a better
harmony. It is not the individuals as such that feel the “blow”,
it is their clinging to or siding with the disharmony…. In such cases
there is never one side right and one side wrong, but all are to blame in the
measure of their adhesion to falsehood and confusion. You
don’t understand the way of my working. You can as well say, “You
have the supramental force, why don’t you use it and finish all this
muddle?” But it is not like this that the work can be done. The world
is not ready for the supramental force and if it is used without preparing
the base, things will shatter completely. I have to prepare the base and then
bring down the force. Your
human vision sees things in a straight line. For you it is either this way or
that way. For me it is not like this. I see the whole thing as a mass of
consciousness moving towards its end or goal. For every small movement I have
to see what its reactions will be on the whole mass, what repercussions may
follow. When
I say something should be done in this way or that way, your human mind takes
it as a principle and tries to apply it rigidly in all cases. For me it is
not like that. For me there are no rules, no regulations and no principles.
For me each one is an exceptional case, to be dealt with in a special way. No
two cases are similar. In
the movement of this mass of consciousness I know that a certain point should
move in a certain direction for reaching the goal more easily. With this
point in view I declare that this should be done or not done, but I find that
sometimes there is a big obstruction in the way. Now, it can be dealt with in
two ways: either I should allow the point to change its direction and leave
the barrier alone for the time being till more and more light falls upon it
and it gets changed, or I should break the barrier. As I have said, every
small movement has its reactions and repercussions on the mass, so this
breaking also will cause a chain of reactions which may affect a much larger
field. I am no respecter of persons, but I have to see at every moment the
changing circumstances due to the change of the person or persons concerned
and the change of time and the channel through which the thing passes. I have
to see with all these changes how best the thing can be done so that it may
help the progress of the mass. I have to see whether it is worthwhile to
break the barrier and have all the resulting consequences or whether it would
not be better to leave it for the moment and tolerate the human stupidity.
What appears to you to be contradiction is not contradiction when the whole
thing is seen as one. There are various ways to reach the same end. So if I
find that breaking will cost much more than what it is worth, then I allow
you to go the way you like. But that does not prevent me from condemning the
obstruction and saying that it ought to go. After
all, sooner or later each and everything in this mass of consciousness has to
move towards the same goal. But to lead the consciousness towards that goal I
have to allow human beings to move with me and I have to appear in their own
form and speak in their own language. I have to adopt a crude expression. I
can see the stupidity of the way in which I have to speak and lay down rules
and regulations, but this is a concession that I must make to humanity;
otherwise it would not be able to understand anything. Even when I speak in
their own language, people misunderstand me and make a mess. If I were to
speak in the language of the light, then the whole thing would pass over
their heads and they would be left gaping without understanding anything. X
has a very well-developed mind. I can say that his mind is very open towards
the light. Twice I tried to speak to him in the language of what Sri
Aurobindo calls the mind of light, but even he could not understand it. He
could catch a little, but the fullness of the sense escaped him. With
the others it is still worse; they fail to understand anything and look
dazed. For the sake of these people I have to make a compromise. I say that a
certain thing is stupid, but I see that you cannot remain without doing it,
so I have to tolerate it. I see the relative value of things and adopt the
way that may be helpful in making the progress. In your interest and in the
interest of the progress of the whole mass of consciousness, I may have to
allow a good many things, but it does not mean that I am blind to them and
cannot see their stupidity. Sometimes it is necessary that you should have an
experience and so the thing is allowed. But when I say No definitely, it is
dangerous to oppose it. There can be many reasons for the same action; but it
is not possible to explain them to your mind. In
this particular case I had said No. Then Y intervened. Now Y is a very nice
person and he is very sincere in some parts. I know that he is weak and has
the habit of grabbing and possessing. I could have refused. But that would
have given a big shaking to him. It would have been difficult for him to
adjust himself. As I told you, I see the relative values and I saw that the
thing was not worth the shaking and so I have given my permission. But that
does not prevent me from saying that it is not the right thing. |
29. December 1931 – Rumours |
Don’t
bother about what people believe or say; it is almost always ignorant
stupidities. I
always wonder at people’s thinking they can know the reasons of my
actions! I act differently for each one, according to the necessities of his particular
case. I
would advise you never to listen to what sadhaks say especially advanced
sadhaks. |
08. October 1940 – Rumours |
It
is certainly not at all true that I don’t care for the sadhaks and
their sadhana. Why should the world conditions being bad make me cease to
care! It would be rather a reason for insisting more on a quick spiritual
realisation as the only way out of the impasse. You should not believe in
what you hear from people; so constantly nasty and disturbing things are
being said which are quite untrue. |
18. January 1962 – Rumours |
All
your letters are answered, but in the silence of your heart; you must learn
to hear the answers there and not through the mouth of others. All help is
given to you always, but you must learn to receive it in the silence of your
heart and not through exterior means. It is in the silence of your heart that
the Divine will speak to you and will guide you and will lead you to your
goal. But
for that you must have full faith in the Divine Grace and Love. |
15. July 1967 – Rumours |
When
will you learn not to listen to all the rumours going about this place? |
No Date – Rumours |
Yes,
all these false and idiotic rumours have come to me after turning round the Ashram.
I attached no importance to them because most of the people here seem to live
only for gossip and falsehood, and once and for all I have closed my
consciousness to all that, in order to avoid a Kali or a Durga manifestation. I
hope that those who are faithful and have common sense will not lose their
time listening to all that. All
that you say about the food business was known to me ― but you will
admit that there is always a way of improving one’s action and making
it more luminous and comprehensive. You
must not get worried about the mistakes and weaknesses of others, the only
thing necessary is not to believe what people say to you, especially if they
speak in my name. When
we get bitter we lose our Divine contact and become very “bitterly”
human. Beware
of what is repeated to you in my name—the spirit in which it has been
said is lost! Be
very careful to let no influence diminish your confidence in me and allow
nothing or nobody to separate you from me. A
great misunderstanding has taken place. You
seem to believe that I say one thing when I mean another. This is absurd. When
I speak, I speak plainly and always mean what I say. When
I say: the first condition for yoga is to keep quiet and calm ― I mean
it. When
I say that talk is useless and leads only to confusion, waste of energy and
loss of the little light one may have — I mean that and nothing else. When
I say that I have given nobody the right to speak in my name and to interpret
my words according to his own fancy, I mean that and nothing else. I
hope that this is clear and decisive and this singular misunderstanding will
now come to an end. I
have already warned those who go on spreading rumours, more or less false, on
what I am believed to have said or not said, that this is an act of
treachery. As
this pernicious habit does not seem to stop I must add that those who persist
in so doing will be treated occultly as traitors. |
18. June 1964 – Remonstrances |
It
is absolutely forbidden to send to anybody one of my unpublished writings
without my express permission. I am told that you have the intention of doing
it so I hasten to inform you that it must not be done and ask you to return
to me at once all the typed copies you may have. |
05. June 1949 – Giving answers |
To
do something scrupulously is to do it with the utmost care, as honestly, as
thoroughly as one can do it. Another
time if there are words in what I have written that you do not understand, it
is better to send me back your book asking for an explanation. I will always
give it to you and thus you will avoid speaking to others of what I have
written to you ― because it is not good to do so. It
is a pity you have shown my answers to your questions. They were meant for
you alone and nobody else. This has partly damaged the experience, as it was
the vital and the mental wanting to take advantage of the situation to
satisfy their own desires. |
13. May 1955 – Giving answers |
I
did not answer because their minds are terribly restless, they do not know
how to make use of the force and they spoil my formations. But you need not
tell them that ― send them only blessings. |
12. June 1955 – Giving answers |
You
must understand one thing. Before giving an answer to a question, I look at
all the sides of the problem present and future, so when the answer is given
it is final. It is no use coming back to the question any more. |
No date
– Giving answers |
How
can I give wise advice to foolish people? Here
are two questions that do not call for a reply: What
have you done for the Divine to make so many demands? What
have you done to the Divine to receive so many blows? What
have you given to the Lord or done for Him, that you ask me to do something
for you? I
do only the Lord’s work. Where
you are mistaken is to believe that I am cheated ― this is impossible
because their “intention” is for me much clearer than their
words. But
if I were to be strict with all those who try to deceive me, very few would
escape this strictness. Have
you never been mistaken in any of your decisions? Yes,
you have been mistaken, haven’t you? and many a time. Then,
by what right do you think that when my decision is not the same as yours, it
is I who am mistaken? I
know that to be with me is, for you, neither a need nor a joy but a duty, and
that you are happier elsewhere, with some others. So I call you only when it
is necessary ― not when it pleases me, for it is long since I have put
my pleasure in my pocket and left it there. This
is why I did not see you, because I knew that it was quite useless, as our
respective outlooks upon life and action are actually much too different. What
can you do against me? You
live in your body-consciousness and your body is perishable. I
live in my spirit-consciousness and my spirit is immortal. There
we are, Lord, it is those very people to whom you have shown most love who
make you responsible for their difficulties. |
24. September 1953 – Sri Aurobindo
Ashram |
The
21st February is the Mother’s birthday. The
29th March is the anniversary of her first meeting with Sri Aurobindo. The
4th April is the Ashram New Year, date of Sri Aurobindo’s arrival in
Pondicherry. The
24th April is the date of the Mother’s final return to Pondicherry in
1920. The
15th August is Sri Aurobindo’s birthday. The
24th November is called the day of Victory in remembrance of a very important
spiritual event which took place in 1926. The
usual sadhanas have for aim the union with the Supreme Consciousness (Sat-chit-ananda).
And those who reach there are satisfied with their own liberation and leave
the world to its unhappy plight. On the contrary Sri Aurobindo’s
sadhana starts where the others end. Once the union with the Supreme is
realised one must bring down that realisation to the exterior world and
change the conditions of life upon the earth until a total transformation is
accomplished. In accordance with this aim, the sadhaks of the integral yoga
do not retire from the world to lead a life of contemplation and meditation.
Each one must devote at least one-third of his time to a useful work. All
activities are represented in the Ashram and each one chooses the work most
congenial to his nature, but must do it in a spirit of service and
unselfishness, keeping always in view the aim of integral transformation. To
make this purpose possible the Ashram is organised so that all its inmates
find their reasonable needs satisfied and have not to worry about their
subsistence. The
rules are very few so that each one can enjoy the freedom needed for his
development but a few things are strictly forbidden: they are―(1)
politics, (2) smoking, (3) alcoholic drink and (4) sex enjoyment. Great
care is taken for the maintenance of good health and the welfare and normal
growth of the body of all, small and big, young and old. |
30. October 1954 – Sri Aurobindo
Ashram |
Appearances
and rules change, but our faith and our aim remain the same. |
July 1956 – Sri Aurobindo Ashram |
Ours
is neither a political nor a social but a spiritual goal. What we want is a
transformation of the individual consciousness, not a change of regime or
government. For reaching that goal we put no confidence in any human means,
however powerful; our trust is in the Divine Grace alone. For
us here there is only one thing that counts. We aspire for the Divine, live
for the Divine, act for the Divine. |
January 1961 – Sri Aurobindo Ashram |
It
is ages of ardent aspiration that have brought us here to do the Divine’s
Work. Before
the children came, only those who wanted to do sadhana were admitted to the
Ashram and the only habits and activities tolerated were those that were
useful for the practice of sadhana. But
as it would be unreasonable to demand that children should do sadhana, this
rigidity had to disappear the moment the children were introduced into the
Ashram. |
13. June 1964 – Sri Aurobindo Ashram |
None
of the present achievements of humanity, however great they are, can be for
us an ideal to follow. The
wide world is there as a field of experiment for human ideals. Our
purpose is quite different and if our chances of success are small just now,
we are sure that we are working to prepare the future. I
know that from the external point of view we are below many of the present
achievements in this world, but our aim is not a perfection in accordance
with the human standards. We are endeavouring for something else which
belongs to the future. The
Ashram has been founded and is meant to be the cradle of the new world. The
inspiration is from above, the guiding force is from above, the creative
power is from above, at work for the descent of the new realisation. It
is only by its shortcomings, its deficiencies and its failures that the
Ashram belongs to the present world. None
of the present achievements of humanity have the power to pull the Ashram out
of its difficulties. It
is only a total conversion of all its members and an integral opening to the
descending Light of Truth that can help it to realise itself. The
task, no doubt, is a formidable one, but we received the command to
accomplish it and we are upon earth for that purpose alone. We
shall continue up to the end with an unfailing trust in the Will and the Help
of the Supreme. The
door is open and will always remain open to all those who decide to give
their life for that purpose. |
17. April 1967 – Sri Aurobindo Ashram |
Sri
Aurobindo was living in Pondicherry with four or five disciples from 1910 to
1920. In
1914 the Mother came from France (with Paul Richard) and Sri Aurobindo began
to edit the Arya, which continued up to January 1920. In
April 1920 the Mother came back from Japan and gradually, as the number of
people increased, the Ashram was founded in 1926. The
Ashram was born a few years after my return from Japan, in 1926. |
11. June 1967 – Sri Aurobindo Ashram |
This
is true discernment and I congratulate you. Those who see only the
appearances are unable to discern in them the differences, subtle but of
capital importance, which arise from the presence of a true and luminous
consciousness. |
19. March 1973 – Sri Aurobindo Ashram |
Here
we do not have religion. We replace religion by the spiritual life, which is
truer, deeper and higher at the same time, that is to say, closer to the
Divine. For the Divine is in everything, but we are not conscious of it. This
is the immense progress that man must make. |
20. November 1948 – Conditions for Admission |
Do
not judge on appearances and do not listen to what people say, because these
two things are misleading. But if you find it necessary to go, of course you
can go and from an external point of view it may be indeed wiser. Moreover
it is not easy to remain here. There is in the Ashram no exterior discipline
and no visible test. But the inner test is severe and constant, one must be
very sincere in the aspiration to surmount all egoism and to conquer all
vanity in order to be able to stay. A
complete surrender is not outwardly exacted but it is indispensable for those
who wish to stick on, and many things come to test the sincerity of the
surrender. However the Grace and the help are always there for those who
aspire for them and their power is limitless when received with faith and
confidence. |
30. March 1960 – Conditions for Admission |
It
is not from disgust for life and people that one must come to yoga. It
is not to run away from difficulties that one must come here. It
is not even to find the sweetness of love and protection, for the Divine’s
love and protection can be enjoyed everywhere if one takes the right
attitude. When
one wants to give oneself totally in service to the Divine, to consecrate
oneself totally to the Divine’s work, simply for the joy of giving
oneself and of serving, without asking for anything in exchange, except the
possibility of consecration and service, then one is ready to come here and
will find the doors wide open. I
give you the blessings given to all my children wherever they are in the
world and tell you: “Prepare
yourself, my help will always be with you.” |
29. July 1960 – Conditions for Admission |
You
say that you wish to lead the spiritual life, but for that you should
understand that the first point is to overcome all the lower movements, all
the attractions, all the attachments, for all these are absolutely contrary
to the spiritual life. The
spiritual life demands that one is exclusively turned towards the Divine and
the Divine alone. All that one does should be done for the Divine; all
occupations, all aspirations, all, without exception, should be directed
towards the Divine with a complete surrender of the whole being. I
know that this cannot be done in a day. But the decision that it may be so
should be taken in an unshakable manner. It is only on this condition that I
can accept you for the spiritual life. |
25. August 1962 – Conditions for Admission |
Much
more than any physical condition it is faithfulness to the ideal and
consecration to the work that make the true disciple. |
12. June 1965 – Conditions for Admission |
First
indispensable condition to be admitted in the Ashram: The
candidate must have taken the resolution to dedicate his life unconditionally
to the service of the Divine. |
28. December 1966 – Conditions for Admission |
By
definition the Ashramite has resolved to consecrate his life to the
realisation and service of the Divine. For
this four virtues are indispensable, without which progress is uncertain and
subject to interruptions and troublesome falls at the first opportunity: Sincerity,
faithfulness, modesty and gratitude. Sincerity,
courage, discipline, endurance, absolute faith in the Divine work and
unassailable trust in the Divine Grace. All this must be accompanied by a
sustained, ardent and persevering aspiration, and by a limitless patience. |
June 1971 – Conditions for Admission |
The
Ashram is meant for those who want to consecrate their lives to the Divine. |
No Date – Conditions for Admission |
The
two indispensable conditions to live as a disciple in the Ashram: 1)
To be resolved to make the needs of the soul come before all others, and to satisfy
the other needs, those of the body, vital and mind, only so far as they do
not interfere with the fulfilment of the needs of the soul. 2)
To be convinced that I am in a position to know the needs of the soul of each
and every one and that therefore I have the right and the competence to judge
in this respect. One
loses most of the advantage of being here if one is not convinced that I can
foresee better the consequences and the results of things and actions. |
January 1929 – Proper Conduct |
I
know that people are fussy and unreasonable. But
unless their consciousness changes, what else can we expect from them? People
are here to change their consciousness. Unless
they become, all of them, true to their aim, nothing true can be done. It
is evident that those who want to live here must change not so much their way
of living as their way of being. We
are striving towards a consciousness more deep, more total and more true;
because our raison d’être is to manifest this consciousness. What
is the use of being a sadhak if, as soon as we act, we act like the ignorant
ordinary man? We
are expected to give to the world an example of better life but surely not of
misbehaviour. The
moment one enters the life of the Ashram and takes up the yoga, he ceases to
belong to any creed or caste or race; he is one of Sri Aurobindo’s
disciples and nothing else. To cut jokes about what he was in the past is
altogether incongruous and in bad taste, and only helps to keep up in both
him and the speaker an old and wrong mental attitude. |
07. January 1938 – Proper Conduct |
He
is quite right. Too many people in the Ashram forget that they are here for
yoga. |
25. April 1958 – Proper Conduct |
The
Ashram is meant for Yoga, not for musical entertainment or other social
activities. Those
that live in the Ashram are requested to live quietly and noiselessly and if
they are not capable themselves of meditation they must, at least, leave the
others to meditate. I
do not know who is spreading the rumour that I do not like music. That is not
true at all—I like music very much, but it should be heard in a small
circle, that is, played for five or six people at the most. When there is a
crowd it becomes a social gathering, more often than not, and the atmosphere
that is created is not good. Apart
from the fact that the Ashram is not meant for those who seek the
satisfaction of their vital or sentimental desires, but for those who aspire
to perfect their consecration to the Divine, I have to warn you that here you
must do only what can be done publicly because nothing can remain hidden. |
28. January 1960 – Proper Conduct |
In
the Ashram one must do only what one may do publicly, for nothing remains
hidden. As
for my protection it is equally over all and not over some as against others. It
is impossible to give a single answer for all cases. With each person and on
each occasion, it will differ. But, at any rate, it can be said that whoever
lives in a community must follow, as much as possible, the rules of that
community. Moreover people have a right to go against collective rules only
when all their actions are prompted exclusively by the Divine in them. If all
they do, all they say is done and said as they would do and say in the
presence of the Divine, then, but then only, they have the right to say, “I
follow my own rule and no other.” |
03. February 1965 – Proper Conduct |
With
“personal feelings” nothing can be done in the Ashram. Rise
above personal feelings and the doors of realisation will open. |
12. June 1971 – Proper Conduct |
It
is high time that peace and harmony should reign in the Ashram. (About
a fight between two Ashramites) All
that seems very much like going back to the time of primitive man in the
caves. We
do not wish to live the artificial life of civilised society, but it would be
better to climb up the ladder towards a greater civilisation rather than to
fall backwards to the rule of the blows. I
have sent for the “delinquent” to tell him that this kind of
activity is out of place in the Ashram, though unfortunately it is only too
often practised here; but I am sending you this letter before seeing him so
that you may know that he has nothing to do with what I am writing to you. But
the second part of your letter made me see that, without justifying the
aggression, for an aggression cannot be justified, at least your state of
mind warrants it. I have rarely seen such a display of hatred and envy,
bitter criticism and commonplace morality arising from unsatisfied and
repressed desires. All
this is not very nice and immediately takes away the sympathy one could have
felt because of the blows you received. I
thank you for reminding me that my position gives me duties and
responsibilities, but it is better to call the Grace rather than justice, for
if it were to come into action very few would be those who could stand before
it. Sexual
relations are forbidden in the Ashram. So,
honesty demands a choice between the Ashram and sexual relations. It is a
matter of conscience. |
No Date – Proper Conduct |
The
Ashram is not a place for being in love with anyone. If
you want to lapse into such a stupidity, you may do so elsewhere, not here. |
24. February 1939 – No Politics |
We
are not here to do politics but to serve the Divine. Sri
Aurobindo thinks that it is not possible for us to intervene by a wire in a
political matter of this kind. At most you might write to X your private
opinion about the best course for him to take in these painful and difficult
circumstances. With
love and blessings. |
03. June 1939 – No Politics |
I
have received X’s letter. You can write to him: “It is absolutely
out of the question for anyone connected with the Ashram to intervene in
politics of any kind.” He must not go to Y (it would be useless in any case).
If he went and Y spoke to us of it, we would be obliged to disavow his action
as not sanctioned by us. |
25. June 1940 – No Politics |
Sri
Aurobindo and myself object to anybody here corresponding with X and especially
receiving money from him, because although he was here for some months we
know nothing about him except the little he himself told us. From
certain observations he let fall it seems that he is violently pro-Nazi and
does not hide it, and any connection with him might in these times bring
serious trouble on the Ashram. |
04. July 1940 – No Politics |
Early
this morning, your mind came to me and put me some questions to which I have
answered. I
have noted the questions and the answers so that your exterior consciousness
can benefit by it. “Why
are you not angry at the British Government when it acts in a way so
detrimental to the Ashram?” Why
be angry? It is quite natural that they should do so as it is in their
interest and they have the power. “But
it is not right and charitable!” When
did you see that a government is righteous and compassionate? In their
outward dealings they are all the same. “Then
why do you support one against another?” This
is quite another matter and depends on the play of forces acting behind the
surface. Some forces are working for the Divine, some are quite anti-divine
in their aim and purpose. If
the nations or the governments who are blindly the instruments of the divine forces
were perfectly pure and divine in their processes and forms of action as well
as in the inspiration they receive so ignorantly, they would be invincible
because the divine forces themselves are invincible. It is the mixture in the
outward expression that gives to the Asura the right to defeat them. To
be a successful instrument for the Asuric forces is easy, because they take
all the movements of your lower nature and make use of them, so that you have
no spiritual effort to make. On
the contrary, if you are to be a fit instrument of the divine force you must
make yourself perfectly pure since it is only in an integrally divinised
instrument that the Divine Force will have its full power and effect. |
25. May 1941 – No Politics |
The
world situation is critical today. India’s fate too is hanging in the
balance. There was a time when India was absolutely secure, there was no
danger whatever of her being a victim to Asuric aggression. But things have
changed. People and forces in India have acted in such a way as to invite
Asuric influences upon her: these have worked insidiously and undermined the
security that was there. If
India is in danger, Pondicherry cannot be expected to remain outside the
danger zone. It will share the fate of the rest of the country. The
protection I can give is not unconditional. It is idle to hope that in spite
of anything and everything, the protection will be there over all. My
protection is there if conditions are fulfilled. It goes without saying that
any sympathy or support for the Nazis (or for any ally of theirs)
automatically cuts across the circle of protection. Apart from this obvious
and external factor, there are more fundamental psychological conditions
which demand fulfilment. The Divine can give protection only to those who are
whole-heartedly faithful to the Divine, who live truly in the spirit of
sadhana and keep their consciousness and preoccupation fixed upon the Divine
and the service of the Divine. Desire, for example, insistence on one’s
likes and conveniences, all movements of hypocrisy and insincerity and
falsehood, are great obstacles standing in the way of the Divine’s
protection. If you seek to impose your will upon the Divine, it is as if you
were calling for a bomb to fall upon you. I do not say that things are bound
to happen in this way; but they are very likely to happen, if people do not
become conscious and strictly vigilant and act in the true spirit of a
spiritual seeker. If the psychological atmosphere remains the same as that of
the outside world, there can be no sure wall of security against the dark
Forces that are working out in it the ordeal of danger, suffering and
destruction entering here. |
11. February 1946 – No Politics |
I
have just read the very silly rumour you have spread yesterday and I must ask
you not to do such a thing again. It is well understood that the whole story
is ridiculously false without an atom of truth in it. But people are so
stupid that they can believe anything and at any rate repeat anything, and if
ever it was told that such rumours are initiated from the Ashram it would
bring to us the most unpleasant and even dangerous trouble. I
feel quite sure that you will understand my point, and send you my love and
blessings. |
14. February 1946 – No Politics |
I
told you already ― no such politics can originate from the Ashram; it
could bring a mountain of trouble. In
the present case of this fray I ask you to be true to your faith in Sri
Aurobindo and myself and to leave his fate to our responsibility. If it is the
truth of his being that he should be liberated, he will surely be liberated. With
my love and blessings. |
01. April 1946 – No Politics |
It
has been repeatedly stated that all provincial spirit is quite out of place
in the Ashram and cannot be tolerated. I
am sorry to say that the meeting which took place yesterday has displayed the
most narrow and silly provincial tendency which puts me in the unpleasant
necessity of stopping these gatherings. |
25. April 1954 – No Politics |
A
DECLARATION Sri
Aurobindo withdrew from politics; and, in his Ashram, a most important rule
is that one must abstain from all politics ― not because Sri Aurobindo
did not concern himself with the happenings of the world, but because
politics, as it is practised, is a low and ugly thing, wholly dominated by
falsehood, deceit, injustice, misuse of power and violence; because to
succeed in politics one has to cultivate in oneself hypocrisy, duplicity and
unscrupulous ambition. The
indispensable basis of our Yoga is sincerity, honesty, unselfishness,
disinterested consecration to the work to be done, nobility of character and
straightforwardness. They who do not practise these elementary virtues are
not Sri Aurobindo’s disciples and have no place in the Ashram. That is
why I refuse to answer imbecile and groundless accusations against the Ashram
emanating from perverse and evil-intentioned minds. Sri
Aurobindo always loved deeply his Motherland. But he wished her to be great,
noble, pure and worthy of her big mission in the world. He refused to let her
sink to the sordid and vulgar level of blind self-interests and ignorant
prejudices. This is why, in full conformity to his will, we lift high the
standard of truth, progress and transformation of mankind, without caring for
those who, through ignorance, stupidity, envy or bad will, seek to soil it
and drag it down into the mud. We carry it very high so that all who have a
soul may see it and gather round it. |
31. January 1955 – No Politics |
It
is important and urgent that the people of your Unity Party should rise to a
higher level of consciousness and stop all attacks of a petty political
character on persons. They must learn to fight for the Truth and the Divine
Realisation and not against any political party. From the Divine’s
point of view there is truth behind all sincere convictions. It is in the
mental and practical application to life and action that the falsehood
appears and disfigures everything. The time has come when all those who are
more or less connected with the Ashram and wish to base their action on Sri
Aurobindo’s or my teaching must abstain from all these low movements of
political polemic and remain on the higher levels of the spirit. I
expect that you will take at once the necessary steps. |
25. June 1955 – No Politics |
It
is understood that the Ashram is not doing politics and is not interested in
elections. |
No Date – No Politics |
Politics
is based on falsehood, we have nothing to do with it. Morality
is the shield that men flourish to protect themselves against Truth. It
is only the Divine’s will that is unquestionable. And
it is that which man, in all his actions, deforms and falsifies. |
16. February 1965 – No Politics |
A
Declaration Some
people looking at things superficially, might ask how is it that the Ashram
exists in this town for so many years and is not liked by the population? The
first and immediate answer is that all those in this population who are of a
higher standard in culture, intelligence, good will and education not only
have welcomed the Ashram but have expressed their sympathy, admiration and
good-feeling. Sri Aurobindo Ashram has in Pondicherry many sincere and
faithful followers and friends. This
said, our position is clear. We
do not fight against any creed, any religion. We
do not fight against any form of government. We
do not fight against any social class. We
do not fight against any nation or civilisation. We
are fighting division, unconsciousness, ignorance, inertia and falsehood. We
are endeavouring to establish upon earth union, knowledge, consciousness,
Truth, and we fight whatever opposes the advent of this new creation of
Light, Peace, Truth and Love. |
1965 – No Politics |
At
the time of the attack on the Ashram [in 1965] I tried to be confident,
peaceful and called for your help. I
ask whether this was not a cloak to hide my timidity? Never
doubt such an experience. It is exactly the condition in which everybody
ought to have been, the condition I was bringing down on the Ashram, and if
it had been shared by all, nothing could have happened, all the most violent
attacks would have been in vain. |
26. March 1971 – No Politics |
Mother
is with all those who are sincere in their aspiration towards a divine life
above party and politics. |
14. April 1936 – No Politics |
Each
one carries his capacity of happiness in himself but I am convinced that
those who cannot be happy here can be happy nowhere. |
13. January 1947 – No Politics |
People
must be happy when they are here, otherwise they cannot have the full
advantage of the exceptional opportunity. I
am always happy to receive and to help those who wish for harmony and
conciliation, and are ready to correct their mistakes and to progress. But I
can be of no help to those who throw all the blame on the others for they are
inapt to see the truth and to act accordingly. But
it goes without saying that those who are here and are ready to face some
difficulties in order to remain here, will always be welcome. You
have answered the trustful welcome given to you by an arrogant and
uncomprehending attitude, judging everything from the viewpoint of an
ignorant and presumptuous morality which could only alienate from you the sympathy
so spontaneously extended to you as to all those who come here in quest of
the spiritual life. But in order to profit by one’s stay here, a
minimum of mental humility and generosity of soul is indispensable. People
who feel miserable here and find that they have not the comfort they require
ought not to stay. We are not in a position to do more than we do, and after
all our aim is not to give to people a comfortable life, but to prepare them
for a Divine Life which is quite a different affair. The
reason for people to come and settle here is surely not to find comfort and
luxury — this can be found anywhere if one is lucky enough. But what
one can get here, that is not got in any other place: it is the Divine Love,
Grace and Care. It is when this is forgotten or disregarded that people begin
to feel miserable here. Indeed whenever somebody feels unhappy and
discontented, it can be taken as a sure sign that he is turning his back on
what the Divine is always giving and that he has gone astray in pursuit of
worldly satisfaction. |
30. October 1954 – No Politics |
Sri
Aurobindo said that the physical was to be taken into the yoga and not
rejected or neglected. And almost all here thought they were doing yoga in
the physical and fell a prey to physical “needs” and desires. To
speak frankly, I like better that mistake than [that of] the so-called
ascetics who are full of contempt, bad will and scornful feeling for others. No
time to say all that could be said on the subject. |
01. October 1959 – No Politics |
In
spite of what the ignorant men believe, it is the inner vibrations that are
responsible for the exterior events. Most
of the people who live in the Ashram forget too easily that they are not here
to live a quiet and pleasant life, but to do sadhana. And for doing sadhana a
certain control upon one’s inner movements is indispensable. |
02. October 1959 – No Politics |
It
is only those who have come for sadhana and really do sadhana who can be
happy and satisfied here. The
others have constant trouble because their desires are not satisfied. |
30. September 1960 – No Politics |
If
you want to be happy here, you must come with the will to do the yoga of
self-perfection; for if you do not come for that, you will be shocked at
every moment by things that are contrary to your habits and to the principles
of ordinary life, and it will not be possible for you to stay here, because
these things are necessary for the work and organisation here and cannot be
changed. |
19. August 1967 – No Politics |
We
are not here to make our life easy and comfortable; we are here to find the
Divine, to become the Divine, to manifest the Divine. What
happens to us is the Divine’s business, it is not our concern. The
Divine knows better than we do what is good for the progress of the world and
of ourselves. |
12. May 1969 – No Politics |
Here
sensibleness is indispensable and the integral yoga is based on balance, calm
and peace and not on an unhealthy need to suffer. |
03. February 1931 – Coming to the Ashram |
You
say that you feel you have returned to your old life and that you have fallen
from that state of spiritual consciousness in which you remained for some
time. And you ask whether it comes from the fact that Sri Aurobindo and
myself have withdrawn our protection and our help because you had been unable
to fulfil your promise. It
is a mistake to think that anything at all has been withdrawn by us. Our help
and our protection are with you as always, but it would be more correct to
say that both your inability to feel our help and your inability to keep your
promise are the simultaneous effects of the same cause. Remember
what I wrote to you when you went to Calcutta to fetch your family: do not
let any influence come in between you and the Divine. You did not pay
sufficient attention to this warning: you have allowed an influence to
interfere strongly between you and your spiritual life; your devotion and
your faith have been seriously shaken by this. As a consequence, you became
afraid and you did not find the same joy in your offering to the Divine
Cause; and also, quite naturally, you fell back into your ordinary
consciousness and your old life. You
are quite right, nevertheless, not to let yourself be discouraged. Whatever
the fall, it is always possible not only to get up again but also to rise
higher and to reach the goal. Only a strong aspiration and a constant will
are needed. You
have to take a firm resolution to let nothing interfere with your ascent
towards the Divine Realisation. And then the success is certain. Be
assured of our unfailing help and protection. |
25. June 1932 – Coming to the Ashram |
Mother,
my physical mother wants to come here. If she wants to come here for my sake
it will not be good either for me or for her. If she has a longing for the
Divine it is different. Mother,
is her longing a true one? What do You think about this? I
really believe that if you were not here, she would never dream of coming
here. It is mainly you that she wants to see, and as you very rightly say,
this is not good for you or for her. So it will be better if she does not
come. My
blessings are always with you. She
can try to do yoga, but her motive must be pure, for if she decides to do
yoga in order to join you here, nothing good can come out of it. |
16. January 1940 – Coming to the Ashram |
I
am quite ready to shower my grace upon X, but I do not consider it advisable
for him that he should come here. I don’t believe a half-a-minute “darshan”
can change these habits. We have had bitter experience about them already,
that they resist even a psychic opening. He must first have the sincere will
to change. |
24. February 1941 – Coming to the Ashram |
We
do not think the time has come for you for a permanent stay in the Ashram. It
is best for you to come from time to time for darshan and prepare yourself. When
the preparation is sufficient then you can come for a permanent stay. You
can be sure of our help and our love and blessings will be with you. Sri
Aurobindo asks me to tell you that it is better for you not to come to the
Ashram immediately. The
Yoga is difficult and to take an unprepared plunge into it might make it
still more difficult. You
should read first and understand the “Life Divine” and make sure
that your resolution is on a firm basis and your mind and vital being ready
to enter into a new inner life. Our
help will be with you and our blessings. |
10. June 1949 – Coming to the Ashram |
Just
received and read your letter. Here is my answer. Your
nature is such that you will always wish to be where you are not. Your
attraction for the Ashram life comes from the fact that you are far away from
it. As soon as you would be back here you would feel restless again and the
urge to run away. As Ramakrishna said, it is better to be far away from the
Guru and constantly think of him rather than to remain near the Guru and
think only of the world’s enjoyments. When
you will have risen above this condition and found in yourself your psychic
being and its sincere and constant urge for the Divine, then it will be time
to come back and to settle here for good. |
06. June 1954 – Coming to the Ashram |
It
is true that I have pardoned X, for the Divine Grace pardons everything, but
it is true also that the coming of X’s wife and child here is
absolutely out of the question, for many reasons of which one is sufficient ―
it is that nothing is more contagious than a bad example and I cannot allow
the recurrence of such unhappy events. |
05. February 1955 – Coming to the Ashram |
One
mistake you have made and it is the cause of all the trouble. Before going
you ought to have spoken to me frankly and told me that you would be
compelled to marry this young girl in order to bring her here. I might have
advised you to try to avoid such an unpleasant necessity, but in any case the
news of your marriage would not have come as a shock and created such a
scandal. Now,
the best is to wait until X is cured of his illness and bring him with you;
it will be for the Ashramites at least some proof of your sincerity. We
have prepared a lodging for Y with the little boy, and you will live
separately. You
must learn by this experience that a courageous and straightforward frankness
is always the best way of facing difficulties. |
20. February 1955 – Coming to the Ashram |
Where
is your faith in the Divine? Having faith in the Divine you ought to rejoice
that X has received the inner call and decided to lead the divine life; you
ought to be made happy by this sign of the Divine’s Grace and feel
grateful for it. Quietly
face the social difficulties with equality and cheerfulness; then you will
know that my love and blessings are with you. |
03. June 1957 – Coming to the Ashram |
My
dear children, I
have received your letter and appreciate your resolution. But in view of the
difficulties you were experiencing here when you were living at the Ashram, I
find it more advisable for you to wait some time and see whether you can rely
upon the resolution you have made to join the Ashram. It would be better for
you now to leave India if you cannot remain. If after some time you find that
you still maintain the same resolution, write to me again and manage to come
not with a tourist visa but a student or teacher visa. If
the truth is there it will never die out however adverse the circumstances. Let
the blessings of the Grace be always with you. |
01. August 1959 – Coming to the Ashram |
I
am sorry, but for the moment we are not in a position to increase the number
of inmates. It is already difficult to manage with those who are here ―
exception made of the very few cases of those who might come with a genuine call
for sadhana. |
24. March 1966 – Coming to the Ashram |
Surely
my blessings are with all three. As for coming here, it is not quite sure
that the two elder ones will want to come ― their own will is
necessary. The third one is a bit too young to say anything for certain ―
but she is promising. |
No Date – Coming to the Ashram |
You
ask if you can retain the same relation with me if you stay away for some
time more. Well,
it will surely depend on the length of the time. Because
little by little you forget that you have (or had) a true being and you will
get so accustomed to being a “thoughtful”, “tactful”
and “reasonable” creature that you will no more dream of being
otherwise. In
any case you have to make the decision yourself; neither your parents nor I
can take the decision for you. They have no more than I have the right to
interfere in your destiny. I can say only one thing, if ever and as soon as
you feel disgusted with being a thoughtful, tactful and reasonable creature, run
away from there, quick and without hesitation, and come back here. I shall
give you back your true self. It
is indeed indispensable that something should change radically in your nature
before you are fit for staying here. You are far too ego-centric to lead a
spiritual life; and it is also the cause of this catastrophe and of the
suffering it has brought to you, which is the natural consequence of the
whole affair. Indeed it is good if you go to face the ordinary life now and
learn to live with the others and for the others instead of making of the
Ashram life an excuse for living selfishly for yourself. Each
one has the right to follow the path he has chosen, but it must be at the
right place, and obviously this Ashram is not the place to follow the path
you have chosen. |
25. February 1939 – Leaving the Ashram |
I
do not advise you to go. As for X, under the circumstances you describe, it
might be better for her, instead of her going, that someone comes here to
help her. Can you arrange for that? Blessings. |
03. May 1939 – Leaving the Ashram |
I
did not approve much of X’s departure, but as for yours I disapprove of
it completely, and cannot understand why you should abandon your work and
interrupt and imperil your sadhana because she chooses to go back to her
village. I
do not find this decision either good or fair to yourself and your spiritual
aspiration, so I hope you will look at it in this light and reconsider your
decision. |
30. May 1939 – Leaving the Ashram |
If
you are convinced that a stay in your native place will bring relief to your
body I cannot refuse my sanction. You can start on the 1st of June as you
propose. |
24. December 1940 – Leaving the Ashram |
It
is better not to go; this kind of trip is not very wholesome for spiritual
life. With
my love and blessings. |
30. November 1943 – Leaving the Ashram |
The
mistake in your psychology is its excessive simplification. You look at one
side and with exaggerated emphasis and ignore the rest. A person may have
certain qualities but not to perfection, and there is in the subconscient the
very contradiction of these qualities. If one does not take care to eliminate
this contradiction, then at any moment under the pressure of circumstances
what is in the subconscient may rise up with force and bring about a
collapse, what is called a fall from the Yoga. |
22. December 1943 – Leaving the Ashram |
I
may point out to you that nothing irreparable has happened. Of course the
further one wanders away from the path, the more radical will be the
conversion needed to return to it; but the return is always possible. |
24. June 1958 – Leaving the Ashram |
Because,
to each one is given his full chance, and there can always be an unexpected
opening and a conversion. |
07. October 1959 – Leaving the Ashram |
I
have received and read your letter. It
might be better to clear up a few points. First,
it is always unwise to expect gratitude from people, especially from
servants. Second,
when it is only the one who jokes that takes pleasure in the joke, it is
called a bad joke. Finally,
it is not necessary to attach any importance to the opinions of people
because they are only the passing results of passing impressions; other
circumstances and new impressions will easily change them. But
to smooth the situation I find it wiser to change your quarters and let time
ease the tension. However,
I must add that if you feel unhappy here and the atmosphere is difficult to
bear, I can in no way ask you to stay in spite of the ordeal. |
05. September 1964 – Leaving the
Ashram |
I
see no point in your going to Tiruvannamalai unless you like tourism. |
13. December 1966 – Leaving the Ashram |
My
dear child, You
are my son and I am your mother for eternity. Do
not worry, I take the entire responsibility of your spiritual growth and you can
live in the Ashram so long as you feel it your home and you sincerely
consecrate yourself to the Divine’s Work. With
love and blessings. |
03. July 1968 – Leaving the Ashram |
The
path is not an easy one. To
remain here is possible only for those who feel deep in themselves that here
is the only place in the world where they must live. This
may―(must)―come to you ― but meanwhile it is better to go
back to the world and see what it has to give you. I
will be with you always in your aspiration towards a more true future. Blessings. |
No Date – Leaving the Ashram |
Here
there is the greatest possible field of experience, since it extends from the
most material activities to the most spiritual regions while covering all the
intermediary planes. Therefore
if you feel the need to go away from here to have your “experience of
man”, as you say, it is because you want to have the freedom to do all
the foolish things you feel like doing, without being under the direct
control of a truth-consciousness which would show you that they are
stupidities. The
true experiences that are needed for individual progress do not depend on
circumstances or on the environment in which one lives, but on the inner
attitude and the will for progress. If
you want to find your soul, to know it and obey it, remain here at any cost. If
this is not the aim of your life and you are ready to live the life of the
immense majority of men, you may certainly go back to your family. As
for your question, “Where do you fit?”, the world is full of
people like you, so you would fit quite well with the world, if ― for
there is an if ― if you were not divided inside yourself. The cause of
all your trouble is that you do not fit with yourself, or rather that your
exterior being and its actions do not fit at all with your soul, and as your
soul is sufficiently awake, it is this clash in you that puts you in
difficulties. Once
one has an awakened soul it is not easy to get rid of it. So it is better to
obey its orders. This
advice is the best help I can give you. Could
it be that you are a little impatient about what you consider as a slow
advance? Is
it that you are restless and eager to taste soon the fruit of your efforts? Moreover
I cannot see how to be plunged again, even for a few weeks only, in the very
atmosphere which is responsible for the thickness of the surface-crust
through which your soul has to pierce to make itself felt exteriorly, can in
the least help you to get rid of the “clinging impediments”. You
are quite conscious of the aspiration and the aim of your soul; you are quite
conscious of what your soul wants you and expects you to become. It is only
some consequences of this present physical formation that stand in the way,
and now, it is only a steady and patient working out of these impediments
that can solve the difficulty. So,
from the yoga point of view, any “taking leave” would be a kind
of “giving way” to the obstinacy of the resistance. This, for me,
is quite clear. But
are you quite sure that there is not the remembrance of an attachment lurking
in some corner of the mind which makes you answer unknowingly to the
insistence of a pressure coming from outside? In that case the problem would
have to be considered from another angle. It
is obvious that your inner being is not very strong and does not have the
power to counteract the pernicious influence of an environment full of
sterile doubts, defeatist pessimism, egoism and unfaithfulness. Our
path is not easy, it demands great courage and untiring endurance. One must
work hard and make a great effort with quiet stability to obtain results
which at times are scarcely perceptible outwardly. There
are many human beings who need to roll in the mire in order to feel the
necessity to cleanse themselves. If
the desire is too persistent for you to have the strength to overcome it, ask
the people you know to find you a post (this is usually not too difficult for
the young people going out from the Ashram) and go and face the ordinary life
until you learn the true value of the life you would have left. One
must have heroism to be a precursor; for, generally, men have faith only in
what is already accomplished, evident, visible, and recognised even by the
most sceptical. I
shall be sorry to see you go and hoped it would not be necessary. But if you
are feeling so miserable and so little sure of yourself, it might be better
to go for awhile and recover your poise. I will leave the door open for you
and as soon as you become strong enough, you will come back. My
blessings are and will always be with you. And
if next time you can come for the yoga and to lead the divine life, then
everything will become easy. I
am happy if your stay here has widened your vision and understanding and
deepened your consciousness. |
26.
January 1962 – Relations with Persons Outside the Ashram |
I
appreciate your feelings about what a sadhak ought to be and from that point
of view, what you say is quite true. But it is well understood that the Ashram
is not exclusively composed of sadhaks. The Ashram is a reduced image of life
where those who practice yoga are a minority, and if I were to keep here only
those who are quite sincere in their sadhana, very few indeed would remain. Sri
Aurobindo always reminds us of the fact that the Divine is everywhere and in
everything, and asks us to practise a true compassion, as is so beautifully
expressed in this aphorism which I am just commenting upon, “Examine
thyself without pity, then thou wilt be more charitable and pitiful to
others.” And
in this light, I must ask you to let X come and see his mother who loves him
dearly and would be very miserable if she were deprived of his visits. As
for his work it is a matter between myself and him, and I know we shall come
to some satisfying arrangement. So
I must ask you once more to be in peace, and to trust in the Divine’s
Grace and Wisdom. |
22.
October 1965 – Relations with Persons Outside the Ashram |
My
dear child, Certainly
we are your true parents, and your true duty is towards the Divine. Let
the ignorant say according to their ignorance and keep in you the light,
knowledge and peace of the Divine Consciousness. With
our love and blessings. I
am glad you are taking all this “drama” as it deserves to be
taken, that is to say with a good laugh. They
call you “refugees” but it is indeed a glorious thing to be God’s
refugees and to enjoy his shelter and His love… Let
them write if it pleases them to display their lack of faith in the Divine
Life, we cannot be affected by that. Sri
Aurobindo says: Better
to put behind you your past altogether and not re-establish broken ties. It
would be better not to write nor to send a wire. A
good advice to all the Ashramites in their dealings with visitors and
foreigners (and even among themselves): “When
you have nothing pleasant to say about something or somebody in the Ashram,
keep silent. “You
must know that this silence is faithfulness to the Divine’s work.” |
22. July 1968 – Relations with Persons Outside the Ashram |
The
proximity of the heart and feelings is much stronger and truer than the
proximity of the bodies. Love
truly your mother and without sorrow or suffering you will let her go to America,
knowing that the earth is small and the love is vast. |
17. April 1969 – Relations with Persons Outside the Ashram |
What
Sri Aurobindo has written is absolutely true and must be followed. There
is only one new fact ― from the beginning of this year a new
consciousness has manifested and is working energetically to prepare the
earth for the new creation. |
No Date – Relations with Persons Outside the
Ashram |
By
communion with the psychic being, the incarnate Divine, deep within us, an
intense aspiration, a perfect concentration, a constant dedication. |
24. April 1938 – Finance and Economy |
First
of all, from the financial point of view, the principle on which our action is
based is the following: money is not meant to make money. This idea that
money must make money is a falsehood and a perversion. Money
is meant to increase the wealth, the prosperity and the productiveness of a
group, a country or, better, of the whole earth. Money is a means, a force, a
power, and not an end in itself. And like all forces and all powers, it is by
movement and circulation that it grows and increases its power, not by
accumulation and stagnation. What
we are attempting here is to prove to the world, by giving it a concrete
example, that by inner psychological realisation and outer organisation a
world can be created where most of the causes of human misery will be
abolished. I
am not in the habit of writing for money from anybody. If people do not feel
that it is for them a great opportunity and Grace to be able to give their
money for the Divine cause, tant pis pour eux! Money is needed for the work —
money is bound to come; as for who will have the privilege of giving it, that
remains to be seen. So
much the worse for them! |
22. June 1940 – Finance and Economy |
You must know that what you will have to
coordinate in its most material and exterior form, is not merely an industry
or a group of industries, nor a department in an administration, nor a
service in a state, but a small world in miniature containing potentially all
the possibilities of a human collectivity, plus new and yet unknown
potentialities (possibilities) still latent and waiting for manifestation. You will find already an embryo of
organisation which has for its centre of coordination the symbol of the
Divine Presence representing the One Supreme Master of the Universe. For here
all works are dedicated to the Lord, the One who is all and contains all. And
all works are done not for a personal profit but as an offering of love, for
here the only power we can dispose of is the power of love; and I am there
simply as a symbol and a messenger to guide and unite the efforts. Practically, if we were a little less short
of funds, many difficulties would be wiped off. We have to be careful about every expenditure
and because of that many useful things are not done. So, if you could find one person or more who
might be interested in the enterprise, rather the adventure — for it is
nothing short of the creation of a new world — and if they were ready
to help financially, by gift or loan it would enable us to move more promptly
and completely in our endeavour. This is the situation in brief. If you want
more details, they can be given. It is a great mistake to believe that I would
agree to the unselfish movement of some people only to satisfy the demands of
those who remain selfish and full of desires. The time of egoistic greed is
over; each one will have to share in the effort towards economy. |
1945 or 1946 – Finance and Economy |
In
view of the present circumstances in India where the difficulties of supplies
and transport (especially of food supplies) have not diminished with the end of
the war, I am obliged to request the inmates to be extremely careful to avoid
all waste of any kind especially of food-stuff. So many people are lacking
the most indispensable requirements of life. |
20. April 1951 – Finance and Economy |
The
money is not mine, the money belongs to the Ashram and the Ashram does not
lend money. Also it cannot favour so particularly someone, especially when
this person has not been too faithful to the Ashram. |
17. December 1952 – Finance and
Economy |
There
is no question of going to people and collecting funds. The
thing to be done is to find one man, or one financial group, or one
foundation that is in a position to dispose of the total amount needed and is
ready to go into this adventure and to run the risk for the sake of doing
something new and worthwhile. Such
a man or such people exist. There is only to make the two poles meet. You
should not ask their help for collecting such a small amount as fifty thousand
or a lakh of rupees. You must approach them with dignity and the sense of the
importance of your mission. Never forget that this work is not an ordinary
superficial one, but a work of the spirit and that it is sure to be done. It
is not a charity that we are asking from these people, it is an opportunity
that is given to them to come closer to their soul. Before
starting the work, call me and I shall be there. My strength is always with
you. |
22. June 1940 – Finance and Economy |
You must know that what you will have to
coordinate in its most material and exterior form, is not merely an industry
or a group of industries, nor a department in an administration, nor a
service in a state, but a small world in miniature containing potentially all
the possibilities of a human collectivity, plus new and yet unknown
potentialities (possibilities) still latent and waiting for manifestation. You will find already an embryo of
organisation which has for its centre of coordination the symbol of the
Divine Presence representing the One Supreme Master of the Universe. For here
all works are dedicated to the Lord, the One who is all and contains all. And
all works are done not for a personal profit but as an offering of love, for
here the only power we can dispose of is the power of love; and I am there
simply as a symbol and a messenger to guide and unite the efforts. Practically, if we were a little less short
of funds, many difficulties would be wiped off. We have to be careful about every expenditure
and because of that many useful things are not done. So, if you could find one person or more who
might be interested in the enterprise, rather the adventure — for it is
nothing short of the creation of a new world — and if they were ready
to help financially, by gift or loan it would enable us to move more promptly
and completely in our endeavour. This is the situation in brief. If you want
more details, they can be given. It is a great mistake to believe that I would
agree to the unselfish movement of some people only to satisfy the demands of
those who remain selfish and full of desires. The time of egoistic greed is
over; each one will have to share in the effort towards economy. |
1945 or 1946 – Finance and Economy |
In
view of the present circumstances in India where the difficulties of supplies
and transport (especially of food supplies) have not diminished with the end
of the war, I am obliged to request the inmates to be extremely careful to
avoid all waste of any kind especially of food-stuff. So many people are
lacking the most indispensable requirements of life. |
No Date – Finance and Economy |
Unhappily
(?) the present difficulty is neither a flood nor a famine, nor a war, nor an
earthquake nor a conflagration or any of those things which move the human
sentiments and make them dominate for a while the material desires named “needs”.
Money
difficulties generally make people dry and even bitter, if not rebellious.
And I know of some people who are on the verge of losing their faith because
I do not have all the money I need! |
15. May 1954 – Finance and Economy |
When
money is missing it must be replaced by an immense effort of goodwill and
organisation. It is that effort that I am asking for, a triumph over Tamas
and lazy indifference. I
do not want anybody to give up but I want everyone to surpass himself. People
in the Ashram receive all they truly need. I do not approve of any
distribution of fruits and flowers to the visitors. It is only an
encouragement to greed and desire and indiscipline. And if each one goes on
doing what he thinks best, the whole organisation will end in a chaos. |
27. May 1955 – Finance and Economy |
If
business cannot be done with the true attitude of consecration to the Divine,
then business will be stopped and banned from the Ashram as politics are
banned for the same reason. So
unless the consciousness of the sadhaks recovers from this sad condition of
confusion and pettiness, I shall find myself under the necessity of forbidding
all commercial activities as it will be proved that they cannot be done in
the true spirit. |
22. August 1939 – Sri Aurobindo for
the Ashram |
“[For
the Ashram] there has never been, at any time, a mental plan, a fixed
programme or an organisation decided beforehand. The whole thing has taken
birth, grown and developed as a living being by a movement of consciousness
(Chit-tapas) constantly maintained, increased and fortified.” Sri
Aurobindo |
06. June 1932 – Organisation and Work |
I
agree that the gate condition is rather distressing. But to write down
instructions is very difficult because of all the details that would have to
be mentioned. To
the gate-keepers and inmates of the Library House I
have repeatedly said that the “soup verandah” must be kept neat
and tidy, free from all personal objects (cups, tumblers, flasks, shoes and
sandals, etc.) straying all over the place. It is the most unbecoming sight
to give to the visitors entering through the Ashram gate. I
expect not to have to repeat it another time, and that this order will be
carried out scrupulously. |
03. May 1935 – Organisation and Work |
That
is to say, the movement of consciousness has never ceased at any moment. It
is not that a “movement of creation” was started and then stopped
and then again started ― constantly the consciousness is recreating, so
to say, continues its creation; it is not a thing which has been done and
which grows out of what has been done. It continues to be like this. The
consciousness is at work constantly, and not as a continuation of what was
before, but as a result of what it sees at each instant. In mental movement,
there is the consequence of what has been done before ― it is not that,
it is the consciousness seeing constantly what is to be done. It is extremely
important to understand, because it is like this that it continues to work,
for everything. It is not at all a “formation” whose growth must
be looked after: the consciousness at each second follows—it follows
its own movement…. That permits everything; it is just that which
permits miracles, reversals, etc.; it permits everything. It is just the
opposite of human creations. And it has been like that, it continues to be
like that and it will always be like that as long as I am there. Statistics
and calculations are purely mental and here all mental rules are eventually
contradicted by the working of the higher force. I
am very fond of proper organization ― if those who organise want
sincerely to do it ― I require only clear and precise information. When
this is given and there is sufficient trust in the Organising Power it is
sufficient. The rest will be done. The
bad service comes always when the proper consciousness is lacking at the
head. A
clear and precise vision of what is to be done and a steady, calm and firm
will to have it done are the essential conditions for an organisation to be
run properly. And as a general rule, never ask from others the virtues you do
not possess yourself. I have a strong feeling that in X department the
supervision is not what it ought to be. You
replied very well, but obviously it is difficult to give conscientiousness to
someone who has none and to put heart into someone who is lazy. |
27. September 1939 – Organisation and Work |
It
is not that there is a dearth of people without work in the Ashram; but those
who are without work are certainly so because they do not like to work; and
for that disease it is very difficult to find a remedy ― it is called
laziness… When
human passions guide the work, I can only stand apart as a witness. I am
politely informed of what is decided ― never asked for what is to be
done. I
cannot give orders because if orders were disobeyed, it would automatically
lead to a catastrophe. So
there is nothing else to do than to wait patiently for the passions to cool
down and… hope for the best. Perhaps
some people may wake up to the necessity of working hard. There
are too many conflicting opinions and feelings for me to give an order. Now
times are difficult for everybody. There is war and everybody suffers. Those
who have the immense privilege of being here quiet and in safety must at
least show their gratitude by discarding all petty quarrels and silly
grievances. Everyone
must do his or her work conscientiously and earnestly, and overcome all
obscure selfish movements. |
19. January 1945 – Organisation and Work |
Do
not take it as a personal affair. Disharmony and confusion are spread all over
the world because of the resistance of the falsehood to the action of the
Truth. Here as the action of the Truth is more conscious and concentrated,
the resistance is exasperated. And in this great turmoil most of the
individuals are moved like puppets by the forces in the conflict. As
for the conditions in the Ashram, it is as you say and probably worse. I
shall say like Sri Aurobindo: unless the consciousness changes nothing can
really be done. You
will interfere ― and it is good as an example and a demonstration ―
but the next day it will become worse. We
cannot even call down the Truth to manifest. The falsehood is so widely and
deeply spread that the result would be a wholesale destruction. Yet the Grace
is infinite, it may find out a way. Sri
Aurobindo says that he wishes to make an endeavour to set things right by
yogic means rather than by steps of an exterior kind; but for this it is
necessary that things should go on for some time as they are at present. For
that your cooperation will be necessary and he is sure that he can count on
your goodwill to make the necessary effort towards that end. It
remains absolutely true that I am mostly busy with something I consider more
important than exterior organization ― for the moment ― and that
is why I expect each one to do his duty to the best of his capacity and with
his eyes fixed upon the magnitude of the Divine’s work which will
surely help him in his personal difficulties. Times
are hard for everybody and in everything ― but it is surely to teach us
to overcome our limitations. This
is very interesting but not unexpected. Since I have “retired”,
each one seems to do according to his own ideas without correlation with the
others and ― under the pretext of not disturbing me ― without
consulting or even informing me! Although
by my own means I know more or less what is going on, I simply smile and do
not interfere. Each one must learn by experience. I
am waiting for the day when order will conquer disorder and harmony be the
master of confusion. I am behind all effort in this direction. Needless
to say that my force and help is intensely with all those who, along with me,
are fighting this state of affairs. And all I ask of them is to be confident
and to endure. The Truth shall triumph. Bon courage! I
am blaming nothing, nor anybody and know that each one does the best he can.
It is evident that the job is very difficult. But are we not here to conquer
difficulties? To
do properly the work of the Ashram one must be strong and plastic enough to
know how to utilise the inexhaustible Energy which is backing you all. I
expect everybody here to rise to the height of the needs. If
we are not able to do even that much, how can we hope to be ready for the
descent of the Light of Truth when it will come to manifest upon earth?… When
I give work to someone it is not only for the sake of the work but also as
the best means to advance on the path of Yoga. When I gave you this work, I
was quite aware of your difficulties and shortcomings, but at the same time I
knew that if you opened yourself to my help and force you would be able to
surmount these obstacles and at the same time to increase your consciousness
and open yourself to the Divine’s Grace. Now
it is time for you to make a real progress and to check your outbursts of
temper whenever your will is contradicted. If you want to please me ―
and I have no doubt of that ― you will sincerely try to collaborate
with X and to carry on with him the work. I
do not want anyone of you two to be the boss of the other ― I want you
both to feel as brothers, children of the same Mother, working sincerely and
courageously for the sake of her love. I
hope you will agree to this and I assure you that my love and blessings will
always be with you in this endeavour. |
25. September 1952 – Organisation and Work |
Gate
Duty The
Mother considers the duty of the gate-keeper very important and of great
responsibility. This duty should be performed with care and vigilance. Visitors
and those coming for inquiry or business should be received with due
courtesy, if required offered a seat, and given the necessary information or
possible assistance. No distinction should be made between persons. For
any out-of-the-ordinary inquiry, the secretary should be approached. It
will be within the right of the gate-keeper to request people waiting in the
gate area without purpose or gathering in groups, to leave the place. He also
should not enter into long conversations with other members of the Ashram,
nor should he indulge himself in writing, reading or doing anything else than
to concentrate on his duty. No
unauthorised person should be allowed to go into the Ashram compound without
permission. Servants
are expected not to touch the filter. They should take water from the
cycle-house. In case of need the inmates should accompany the servants. The
gate area should be kept quiet and tidy. The
gate should not be left in charge of any other than those appointed for the
work. |
26. June 1954 – Organisation and Work |
Here
is exactly what I said to X: “I give you the responsibility of the
enterprise, the organisation and the carrying on of it. The plans and
projects will have to be shown to me for my sanction. For the execution, I shall
ask Y, whose enthusiasm I appreciate, to work with you according to the
instructions you will give him and to fully collaborate, having in view that
it is Sri Aurobindo’s and my work, and to do his utmost to make it a
success.” To
yourself I say: Let
the work start and be fully organised. I
have no intention of giving posts and positions before something is done and
each one proves by acts what he is capable of doing. It
is by the efficiency and the quality of the work that I will judge the
workers. And
it is only afterwards that titles can be given. Never
forget that here it is for the perfection of the work that we are striving,
not for the satisfaction of the ego. I
do not give positions to the sadhaks ― I give them work; and to all I
give an equal opportunity. It is those who prove to be most capable and most
sincere, honest and faithful that have the biggest amount of work and the
greatest responsibility. Whatever
the external circumstances, they are, without exception, the objective
projection of what is inside yourself. When in your work you find something
giving trouble outside, look within and you will find in yourself the
corresponding difficulty. Change
yourself and the circumstances will change. |
08. August 1955 – Organisation and Work |
I
am glad that through experience you have become conscious of the fact that I
am with you. This
is the true relation between us, much more than a superficial contact. 1)
Here, at the Ashram, our aim is to express a higher Truth, not to follow the
ordinary human conventionalities. I
do not give to these official documents any undue importance. They are mere
necessities in the present condition of the world, but do not correspond to
any deep reality. 2)
In the actualities of life the power of a man does not depend on an official
title, but on the force and the light of his inner consciousness. I
have read your letters and am well satisfied with the confidence you have in
your capacity to do the work. It is true that you have the capacity, but you
will agree that there is a difference between having the capacity and having
the knowledge; and to have the knowledge of a work it must be learned. So
you must first learn from those who know and the best way of learning is to
see them do. When you will know and have proved your thoroughness, steadiness
and faithfulness in doing the work, then I will entrust you with the full
responsibility and give you the entire management of the work. There
are honest people but they do not have the capacity to work. There are
capable people but they are not honest in their work. When I find someone
both honest and capable he becomes very precious. |
17. August 1955 – Organisation and Work |
Here
every work represents something of the universe. When a new work is started
here, new problems of the world come in. That is why I do not invite new
problems, but if they come I do not avoid them. I have to bring down the
highest consciousness; for that I must organise below and tackle all the
problems. |
09. May 1957 – Organisation and Work |
The
Mother wants that the people responsible for receiving the visitors should
always be very polite and gentle in their behaviour towards them. High and
low, young and old, whether they are well-dressed or ill-clad, all should
always be received properly with benevolence and good behaviour. It is not
necessary that the better dressed people may be more fit for being received
well in this Ashram. It should not be that we give more care to the people
with a motor car than to an ordinary man looking like a beggar. We must never
forget that they are as much human as we are and we have no right to think
that we are at the top of the scale. And
our politeness should not be merely an outer form, stiff politeness, so to
say. It must be something coming from within. Whatever may be the
difficulties and whatever may be the circumstances ― Mother fully knows
even to the minutest detail the circumstances, when we lose our temper and
get irritated in our work, and knowing that fully well she says ―
whatever may be the circumstances, rudeness or curt behaviour is never
permissible. There
are difficulties in our way, but Mother says that as a rule our difficulties
and our troubles are always such that we do have the capacity of overcoming
them. If we can remain at our best we shall always be able to tackle the
situation without losing control. Remember, each time we lose control of
ourselves, each time we get angry or we have to use the outer means of
keeping discipline, it means that at that moment we have fallen low and we
could not rise up to the situation. In everything, in every way, it boils
down to one rule ― always endeavour to make progress, try to be your
true self. Even if you have not been able to do it today you must be able to
do it tomorrow. But the full effect must be there. Never forget in your
action that you are representing the Ashram. People will judge the Ashram
from your behaviour. Even if you have to say No, even if you have to reject
somebody’s request, you can do it with all politeness and courtesy. Try
to help each one. Even if others are rude to you, it is not a reason for you
to do likewise. If you behave in the same way as the outsiders do, then what
is the fun of your being here. |
01. December 1957 – Organisation and Work |
Formerly
I used to keep control over everything. Nothing would be done without my
first knowing and approving of it. Afterwards I adopted a different mode of
acting. I withdrew from all the details and kept myself at a distance,
watching things from above, as it were, and sending the right inspiration to
each worker in his own field. This
change was necessary for the worker’s spiritual development. He has to
become aware of my influence inwardly. But he can receive it only if all the
workers collaborate. Without collaboration the right inspiration will not be
effective. The action from above has a wide sweep: it covers all the
departments and is one harmonious whole. If walls are set up in the field of
work, dividing and breaking it up, the work can never be according to the
spiritual Will. So
bear this in mind: no collaboration, no right working. |
05. November 1958 – Organisation and Work |
There
is no question at all of “position” ― nor of prestige. X
has a lot of knowledge and experience of the stage that we do not have. She
is willing to share it with us. So the only sensible thing for us to do is to
learn as much as we can and to be grateful for it. Moreover
never forget that we are working here for the Divine and that no egoistic
feeling can be allowed to intervene and spoil the work. Always
present with you. |
02. October 1962 – Organisation and Work |
My
dear child, X
will come and see you, at my request, to make arrangements for his work in your
department. I
ask you to receive him very affectionately, for he is my child just as you
are, and to give him the opportunity to do some interesting work in which his
capacities will be made good use of. I
would like him to feel at ease and also to feel that he is there to do my
work. My
blessings. |
25. January 1965 – Organisation and Work |
Without
discipline no proper work is possible. Without
discipline no proper life is possible. And
above all, without discipline no Sadhana is possible. Each
department has necessarily a discipline and you must follow the discipline of
your department. Personal
feelings, grudges and misunderstandings must never interfere with the work
which is done as a service to the Divine and not for human interests. Your
service to the Divine must be scrupulously honest, disinterested and
unselfish, otherwise it has no value. |
17. February 1968 – Organisation and Work |
Here
nobody can be an exclusive head ― everyone must learn to collaborate.
It is a very good discipline for vanity, self-conceit and the excessive sense
of personal importance. |
15. March 1969 – Organisation and Work |
In
the Ashram, negligence in work is treachery. |
26. August 1969 – Organisation and Work |
In
human life the cause of all difficulties, all discords, all moral sufferings,
is the presence in everyone of the ego with its desires, its likes and
dislikes. Even in a disinterested work which consists in helping others,
until one has learned to overcome the ego and its demands, until one can
force it to keep calm and quiet in one corner, the ego reacts to everything
that displeases it, starts an inner storm that rises to the surface and
spoils all the work. This
work of overcoming the ego is long, slow and difficult; it demands constant
alertness and sustained effort. This effort is easier for some and more
difficult for others. We
are here in the Ashram to do this work together with the help of Sri
Aurobindo’s knowledge and force, in an attempt to realise a community
that is more harmonious, more united, and consequently much more effective in
life. As
long as I was physically present among you all, my presence was helping you
to achieve this mastery over the ego and so it was not necessary for me to
speak to you about it individually very often. But
now this effort must become the basis of each individual’s existence,
more especially for those of you who have a responsible position and have to
take care of others. The leaders must always set the example, the leaders
must always practise the virtues they demand from those who are in their
care; they must be understanding, patient, enduring, full of sympathy and
warm and friendly goodwill, not out of egoism to win friends for themselves,
but out of generosity to be able to understand and help others. To
forget oneself, one’s own likings and preferences, is indispensable in
order to be a true leader. That
is what I am asking of you now, so that you can face your responsibilities as
you should. And then you will find that where you used to feel disorder and
disunity, they have vanished, and harmony, peace and joy have taken their
place. You
know that I love you and that I am always with you to sustain you, help you
and show you the way. Blessings. |
28. May 1970 – Organisation and Work |
You
seem to forget that by the fact that you are living in the Ashram, it is
neither for yourself nor for a boss that you are working, but for the Divine.
Your life must be entirely consecrated to the Divine Work and cannot be
governed by petty human considerations. |
18. February 1972 – Organisation and Work |
Whatever
is done here, must be done in a spirit of complete collaboration with one
single aim in view ― the service of the Divine. A
community life must necessarily have a discipline in order that the weaker
may not be maltreated by the stronger; and this discipline ought to be
respected by all those who wish to live in that community. But
for the community to be happy it is necessary that this discipline should be
determined by someone or by those who have the greatest broadness of mind
and, if possible, by him or by those who are conscious of the Divine Presence
and are surrendered to that. For
the earth to be happy, power should be in the hands of those alone who are conscious
of the Divine Will. But this is impossible at the moment because the number
of those who are truly conscious of the Divine Will is negligible and these
have necessarily no ambition. To
tell the truth, when the hour comes for this realisation, this will come
about quite naturally. The
duty of each one is to prepare oneself for that as completely as one can. |
23. June 1932 – Paid Workers |
You
should be very polite with those who depend upon you for their living. If
you ill-treat them, they feel very much but cannot reply to you as man to man
for fear of losing their job. There
may be some dignity in being rough with your superiors, but with those who
depend on you, the true dignity is to be very courteous. |
30. August 1932 – Paid Workers |
Family
considerations do not interest me at all. The salary should depend on the
work of the worker, on his ability, his regularity, not on the number of
people he has to feed. For if we took these circumstances into consideration,
it would no longer be paid work but charity, and as I have said very often,
we are not a relief committee. As a general rule I have not increased the
salary of the workers and servants this year, but if this boy works very well
and if you are satisfied with his behaviour, I can give him 9 rupees instead
of 8, to begin with. |
10. March 1935 – Paid Workers |
A
servant is not a convict and must be allowed some amount of liberty and free
movement. I
am sure that servants behave according to the way they are treated. |
16. May 1940 – Paid Workers |
It
is very bad to constantly rebuke servants ― the less you scold them,
the better it is. When
X asks you to scold them you must refuse to do so and tell him that I have
forbidden you to do it. As
for your co-workers, each one must be left free to do according to his own
feelings. My
love and blessings. |
19. July 1940 – Paid Workers |
If
you are sure that the servants are robbing, it proves that they are not
properly supervised and you will have to look to it more carefully. |
01. November 1943 – Paid Workers |
I
told you already my point of view about the number of workmen. The more they
are, the less they do. I do not approve of 14 men for the vegetables. The
work can be done and well done with much less. |
13. October 1944 – Paid Workers |
My
dear child, X
will have told you my decision about Y. I had to take it, in spite of your “objection”,
because this man only asked to be given another work in the Ashram; he
neither threatened nor asked for more wages. He is a good worker and it would
be a pity to lose him. This you can easily understand if you get over the
first egoistic reactions to this affair; and surely you cannot accept the
feeling of being “insulted” which is quite unyogic. I
hope that after reading this you will recover and come to a truer view of
this very small and unimportant event. With
my love and blessings. |
01. February 1945 – Paid Workers |
You
can take him as daily labourer at annas 10 per day, but I refuse to pay
overtime; you will have to see that he finishes his work in time. Our
experience is constant that when the workmen are paid overtime they do practically
nothing during the working hours and so manage to have regularly overtime pay
at a very high rate. |
01. January 1946 – Paid Workers |
Today
after a break of several years owing to the tragic events which have
disrupted the world, we resume our established custom of distributing cloth
at New Year. Unfortunately
circumstances are still very difficult, almost worse than during the war, and
do not allow me to do what I would have liked. The clothes I shall distribute
today are all I could obtain, and even that was extremely difficult. I will
only add that I hope that next year it will be better. |
05. March 1946 – Paid Workers |
DECLARATION
TO THE WORKERS OF SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM It
is my desire to explain to the workers the special relationship that exists
between them and me as compared with the ordinary relationship between
employer and employees. It is also my desire that having understood this
special relationship the workers should always keep this understanding before
them in all their deliberations and in all the joint demands which they make
to me. This
special relationship is as follows: (a)
The work in the Ashram is not done for profit, as is well known. Therefore
during the war when things became expensive and difficult for everyone, it
became so for me too, without my income increasing in any way by the fact of
the same circumstances. Industrial and commercial concerns made more profits
and so could easily increase the wages, but here in the Ashram only the
expenses went on increasing. In spite of this, in view of the difficulties of
the workers I gave them regular increments and dearness allowances. (b)
There have been times when there was no work for some workers, but unlike
business firms I have never dismissed workers but have always endeavoured to
find some other work for them to do. It has always been my policy not to send
away, for want of work, workers who have served faithfully. I could have
easily done so and could have even closed down all the works without any
serious hardship to the Ashram. But by doing so I would have only increased
the general misery which is already so great, and that I did not want to do. (c)
There are a good number of workers who have worked for me for many long years
and have served me with devotion and faithfulness and who besides considering
me as their employer have also looked to me as their protector, of them and
their families. (d)
On the whole the workers of the Ashram have so far worked more or less as
members of a family with me as their head, and this special relationship has
no doubt brought benefit to many of them. I would like to preserve this
relationship and make it the foundation for all my dealings with the workers. With
these points in view, it is suggested that the workers of the Ashram should
form a separate syndicate of their own, since they stand with regard to their
employer in a different position from other workers, as has already been
explained. This syndicate might be affiliated to the general body of workers,
but would maintain its own line of action and conduct. It
is further suggested that this syndicate of Ashram workers should elect a
committee which represents the various shades of opinion among the workers.
This committee would receive and consider the demands put forward by the
workers and, having deliberated and arrived at a decision that it considers
just and reasonable, would present it to me for action through their
president. I will receive with goodwill and sympathy all requests of this
kind and will act for the best according to the reasonableness of the demand. In
these times of struggle and conflict and misery and suffering I offer to all
who wish to work under me, with me, the possibility of a reciprocal
understanding and a fruitful and beneficial collaboration. |
April 1952 – Paid Workers |
What
I said to the workers on April 21st, 1952: It
was unnecessary for you to assemble here and take all this trouble for
nothing. But since you are here I have some things to tell you. First,
you are demanding your cloths. I have never said that you would not receive
them. But it is difficult to get hold of them and it takes time. They are on
the way now and when they arrive you will be informed. As
for an increase in your wages, I have already answered you, and I repeat, I
have overstepped the limits of my present resources and I cannot add to my
expenditure in any way. So if I increase the wages of some of you, I shall be
obliged to dismiss some others in order to compensate. It remains to be seen
which is stronger: your individual egoism or your collective egoism. Do you
want to increase your own earnings at the expense of the livelihood of some
of your fellow-workers? You
complain that you live in misery; and I tell you that you live in misery
because you waste your money on drinking and smoking and because you waste
your energy in sexual excess. All these—alcohol, tobacco and sexual
excess—ruin your health. Money
does not bring happiness. The Sannyasi who possesses nothing and usually eats
only one meal a day is perfectly happy if he is sincere. Whereas a rich man
may be thoroughly unhappy if he has ruined his health by all sorts of excess
and over-indulgence. I
repeat, it is not money that makes a man happy, but rather an inner balance
of energy, good health and good feelings. Stop drinking, smoking and
over-indulging, stop hating and envying, and then you will no longer lament
your lot, you will no longer feel that the world is full of misery. |
10. July 1954 – Paid Workers |
TO
THE EMPLOYEES OF SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM What
I wish to do for you. I
shall tell you how I view the solution of your problems, both individual and
collective, and what is the truth of the relation between us. But
for the working out of the programme I am going to place before you, two
essential conditions are necessary. First, I must have the financial means to
execute my plan; secondly, you must show a minimum of sincerity, honesty and
goodwill in your attitude towards me and towards your work. You have most
unfortunately the habit of trying to deceive me. Bad advisers have taught you
that that is the best thing to do in your relation with your employer. It may
be that when the employer himself seeks to deceive you and exploit you, this
attitude on your part is legitimate. But in regard to me it is a foolishness
and a blunder; first of all, because you cannot deceive me and your deceit
becomes immediately obvious and takes away from me all desire to come to your
aid, and secondly because I am not a “boss” and I do not seek to
exploit you. All
my effort is towards realising in the world as much truth as actual
circumstances will allow; and with the increase of truth, the welfare and
happiness of all will necessarily increase. Differences
of caste and class have no truth for me; all that counts is individual value.
My aim is to create a big family in which it will be possible for each one to
fully develop his capacities and express them. Each one will have his place
and occupation in accordance with his capacities and in a relation of
goodwill and brotherhood. As
a consequence of such a family organisation there will be no need of
remuneration or wages. Work should not be a means of earning one’s
livelihood; its purpose should be twofold: first to develop one’s
nature and capacity for action, and, secondly, in proportion to one’s
physical means and moral and intellectual aptitude, to give service to the
family to which one belongs and to whose welfare it is but proper to contribute,
as it is proper for the family to provide for the real needs of each of its
members. To
give a concrete form to this ideal under the present conditions of life, my
idea is to build a kind of city accommodating at the outset about two
thousand persons. It will be built according to the most modern plans,
meeting all the most up-to-date requirements of hygiene and public health. It
will have not only residential houses, but also gardens and sportsgrounds for
physical culture. Each family will be lodged in a separate house; bachelors
will be grouped according to their occupations and affinities. Nothing
necessary for life will be forgotten. Kitchens equipped in the most modern
hygienic way will supply equally to all simple and healthy food, assuring the
energy necessary for the proper maintenance of the body. They will function
on a co-operative basis of work in common and of collaboration. In
the matter of education, what is necessary is to arrange for the moral and
intellectual instruction and development of all, children and adults: various
schools, technical instruction in different vocations, classes for music and
dance, a cinema hall where educational films will be shown, a lecture hall, a
library, a reading room, varied physical education, a sportsground and so on. Each
one can choose the kind of activity that is most suitable to his nature and
will receive the required training. Even small gardens will be provided where
those who like cultivation can grow flowers, fruits and vegetables. In
the matter of health, there will be regular medical visits, a hospital, a
dispensary, a nursing home for the segregation of contagious cases. A
department of hygiene will have the exclusive function of inspecting all
public and private buildings to see that the most rigorous rules of
cleanliness are observed everywhere and by all. As natural adjuncts to this
department public baths and common laundries will be put at the disposal of
everyone. Finally,
big stores will be set up where one can find all the small “extras”
which give life variety and pleasantness and which one will get against “coupons”
that will be given in recompense for especially notable achievement in work
or conduct. I
shall not give a long description of the organisation and the working of the
institution, although everything in it to the smallest details has already
been foreseen. It
goes without saying that for admission to live in this ideal place the
essential conditions that need to be fulfilled are good character, good
conduct, honest, regular and efficient work and a general goodwill. |
18. March 1955 – Paid Workers |
Do
you know the story of the hen that laid golden eggs? There was once a peasant
whose entire fortune consisted of one hen; but this was a wonderful hen.
Every other day she gave him a golden egg. Now this peasant in his stupid and
greedy ignorance imagined that the hen’s body must be full of gold, and
that if he opened it up he would find a great treasure. So he slit her open ―
and found nothing. Thus he lost both the hen and the eggs. This
story shows us that ignorant and stupid greed is sure to lead to ruin. So
learn a lesson from it and understand that if you demand from me what is
beyond my means, and if I were so foolish as to yield to you, I should go
straight to my ruin and the result would be that all the work would be
stopped and you would be out of work and would therefore have no wages at
all, and no way to earn your living. |
02. July 1968 – Paid Workers |
To
increase the salary of some will mean to deprive others of their livelihood. Be
careful about the various reports of the workers ― they are always
biased. Each
one speaks always with his preferences (likes and dislikes) and twists
things. How
to remove the distrust from our workers? Can
you make the blind see? The
whole of humanity ― with very few exceptions ― distrusts the
Divine and yet His Grace is most active. The
Employer to the Employee Nothing
lasting can be established without a basis of trust. And this trust must be
mutual. You
must be convinced that it is not only my good that I am aiming at, but also
yours. And
on my side I must know and feel that you are here not merely to profit but
also to serve. There
is no welfare of the whole without the welfare of each part. There
is no harmonious growth of the whole without the progress of each one of its
parts. If
you feel you are being exploited, I also will feel that you are trying to
exploit me. And
if you fear you are being deceived, I also will feel that you are trying to
deceive me. It
is only in straightforwardness, sincerity and confidence that human society
can progress. Don’t
be indulgent, don’t be severe. They
should know that you see everything, but you should not scold them. |
May 1932 – General |
X
might be told that apart from the superficiality and shallowness of his
reasons for not coming for Pranam, there are others, much more advanced in
Sadhana than he is, who do come. What about these? He
is always trying to prove that he is far superior to all the other sadhaks.
That is the root of his mistake. |
11. October 1935 – General |
I
am happy at your resolution and I hope you will keep to it. I was going to
write to you that you must choose between seeing me and drink ― for I
would not see you if you went on drinking ― but I am glad to hear that
you have made the resolution already. |
16. December 1940 – General |
Sri
Aurobindo says that you must on no account omit your coming to meditation
every evening. I
entirely agree that this attendance is absolutely necessary. |
10. May 1944 – General |
It
is vanity and selfishness that prevent the sadhaks from taking the teaching
in a good spirit. |
16. May 1954 – General |
Utter
SILENCE must be observed in the room. Whoever
pronounces a word in the presence of Sri Aurobindo will have to leave the
place immediately. Spirit
of service has gone away from this place. |
16. April 1958 – General |
There
is nobody here, even among the best, who is ready to give up all his habits,
conveniences and preferences to win the final victory, even if he has to
break his neck on the way. It
is your attitude that must change ― because nothing is personal, all
belongs to the Divine and is meant for collective use if necessary ―
and as a concrete illustration of this, I must ask you to leave your present
quarters and to go to a new house where you are given some lodging. I advise
you to take this decision as a manifestation of the Grace. |
05. March 1966 – General |
Purani His
higher intellectual part has gone to Sri Aurobindo and united with him. His
psychic is with me, and he is very happy and in peace. His
vital is still helping those who seek his help. |
25. May 1969 – General |
It
was very interesting, the experience I had that night. Nothing like it I ever
had in my life. It was the night before the day he passed away. The time was
nine o’clock. I felt he was withdrawing, withdrawing in an
extraordinary manner. He was coming out of himself and gathering and pouring
himself into me. He was coming out consciously and deliberately with the full
force of a concentrated will. He continued to do so steadily, ceaselessly for
hours. It ended at about one o’clock, I looked at the time. There
was no slackness or interruption or stop at any moment. It was throughout the
same steady continuous flow, without a break, without a diminution in the
strength. Such a concentrated undiminishing stream it was. The process
continued until he was wholly within me as though he was pumping and
exhausting all he was in the body till the last drop. I say it was wonderful ―
I never experienced such a thing. The flow stopped when there was very little
left in the body: I let the body remain as long as it was needed for the work
to continue, till long, quite long after the doctors declared it dead. As
he was in life, he could not have done the thing, I did not expect it of him,
it must have been some past life of his that was at work and did the thing.
Not many Yogis, not even the greatest among them could do such a thing. There
he is within here, quite wakeful, looking in a rather amused way at what you
people are doing. He is merged in me wholly, that is dwelling within me, not
dissolved: he has his personality intact. Amrita is different. He is there
outside, one of you, one among you people moving about. At times, of course,
when he wants to take rest and repose he comes and lodges here. A remarkable
story. A great and very difficult thing Pavitra has done. |
June 1971 – General |
It
is not my intention to oblige you to wear mill-cloth if you do not want to. All
I said was that I have only mill-cloth to give. When
one becomes free in mind and heart, one’s way of looking at all these
things changes entirely. But
until the freedom has come, there is no compulsion. It
is by allowing bad thoughts and doubts to approach you that you have come out
of the protection. To
sell the things received from Prosperity is an insult to the Divine and will
bear its spiritual consequences. |
No Date – General |
To
each one here, power, light and strength are given as much as he can take and
even more. It is given for transforming you. But when you take all that and
use it for your personal ends and for so-called human love, it is dishonesty,
it is robbery and it is crime of the first order. You
must use everything for the purpose for which it is given, otherwise you
commit a crime. I am not speaking merely of physical things. All the inner
things that I am giving you all the time, all the strength, light, energy and
life that are being poured into you all the time, are meant for the service
of the Divine, for the sake of transforming you. If you use them for any
other purpose, you are a robber and your crime is the worst possible. It
all depends upon your attitude. If you report a matter with a spirit of
vengeance against someone or to show your superiority or with any other
personal motive, then it is absolutely wrong and you should not do that. But
the true way is that you should be like a mirror and reflect faithfully
whatever you see. Don’t give your personal colouring and be quite
dispassionate. If there is something wrong in the mirror itself, then I can
correct it. But you must try to make sure that your mirror does not distort
the picture. Of
course it is bad to complain against anybody. But what X thinks is not
correct. If you always remained in meditation, then and then only could you
say that you see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. But when you are in
the field of work, you have to give me the information. Don’t sit down
to judge. Be like a mirror and give the correct image of what you see. It is
possible your mirror may be defective, but that is my business and I shall
see to it. You have to do your best, to give a correct image according to
your light. |
08.
September 1965 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to
live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all
nationalities. The
purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity. |
1965 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
1)
Who has taken the initiative for the construction of Auroville? The
Supreme Lord. 2)
Who participates in the financing of Auroville? The
Supreme Lord. 3)
If one wants to live in Auroville, what does it imply for oneself? To
try to attain the Supreme Perfection. 4)
Must one be a student of yoga in order to live in Auroville? All
life is yoga. Therefore one cannot live without practising the supreme yoga. 5)
What will be the Ashram ‘s role in Auroville? Whatever
the Supreme Lord wants it to be. 6)
Will there be camping-grounds in Auroville? All
things are as they should be, when they should be. 7)
Will family life continue in Auroville? If
one has not gone beyond that. 8)
Can one retain one’s religion in Auroville? If
one has not gone beyond that. 9)
Can one be an atheist in Auroville? If
one has not gone beyond that. 10)
Will there be a social life in Auroville? If
one has not gone beyond that. 11)
Will there be compulsory community activities in Auroville? Nothing
is compulsory. 12)
Will money be used in Auroville? No,
Auroville will have money relations only with the outside world. 13)
How will work be organised and distributed in Auroville? “Money
would no longer be the sovereign lord; individual worth would have a far
greater importance than that of material wealth and social standing. There,
work would not be a way to earn one’s living but a way to express
oneself and to develop one’s capacities and possibilities while being
of service to the community as a whole, which, for its own part, would
provide for each individual’s subsistence and sphere of action.“ 14)
What will be the relations between the inhabitants of Auroville and the
outside world? Each
person is allowed full freedom. The external relations of residents in
Auroville will be established for each one according to his personal
aspiration and his activities within Auroville. 15)
Who will own the land and buildings of Auroville? The
Supreme Lord. 16)
What languages will be used for teaching? The
spoken languages of the earth. 17)
What will be the means of transport in Auroville? We
do not know. |
January 1966 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
Auroville
is going well and is becoming more and more real, but its realisation does
not proceed in the usual human way and it is more visible to the inner
consciousness than to the outer eye. |
20. May 1966 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
You
say that Auroville is a dream. Yes, it is a “dream” of the Lord
and generally these “dreams” turn out to be true ― much
more true than the human so-called realities! |
August 1966 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
Humanity
is not the last rung of the terrestrial creation. Evolution continues and man
will be surpassed. It
is for each individual to know whether he wants to participate in the advent
of this new species. For
those who are satisfied with the world as it is, Auroville obviously has no
reason to exist. |
1966 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
We
would like to make Auroville the cradle of the Superman. |
20.
September 1966 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
should be at the service of Truth, beyond all social, political and religious
convictions. Auroville
is the effort towards peace, in sincerity and Truth. |
20.
September 1966 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
is an attempt towards world peace, friendship, fraternity, unity. |
16.
December 1966 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
As
long as you are for some and against others, you are necessarily outside the
Truth. You
should constantly keep good will and love in your heart and let them pour out
on all with tranquillity and equality. |
January 1967 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville:
At last a place where one will be able to think only of the future. |
16. March 1967 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
is the shelter built for all those who want to hasten towards a future of
Knowledge, Peace and Unity. |
19. June 1967 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Conditions
for living in Auroville From
the psychological point of view, the required conditions are: (1)
To be convinced of the essential unity of mankind and to have the will to
collaborate for the material realisation of that unity; (2)
To have the will to collaborate in all that furthers future realisations. The
material conditions will be worked out as the realisation proceeds. |
28. February 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
aims of Auroville An
effective human unity Peace
upon earth Auroville
the City at the service of Truth |
28. February 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Greetings
from Auroville to all men of good will. Are
invited to Auroville all those who thirst for progress and aspire to a higher
and truer life. |
28. February 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
AUROVILLE
CHARTER 1)
Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a
whole. But
to live in Auroville one must be the willing servitor of the Divine
Consciousness. 2)
Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress,
and a youth that never ages. 3)
Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking
advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will
boldly spring towards future realisations. 4)
Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living
embodiment of an actual human unity. |
February 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
At
last a place where one will be able to think only of progressing and
transcending oneself. At
last a place where one will be able to live in peace, without conflicts and
without rivalries of nations, religions and ambitions. At
last a place where nothing will have the right to impose itself as the
exclusive truth. |
June 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
Ashram will retain its true role of pioneer, inspirer and guide. Auroville
is the attempt towards collective realisation. |
June 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
It
is true that to live in Auroville a great progress of consciousness has to be
made. But
the moment has come when this progress is possible. With
all my love. |
16. June 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
is meant not for the satisfaction of desires but for the growth of the true consciousness. |
20. July 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Any
sincere attempt to bring peace and unity among men is welcome in Auroville. |
05. August 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
push towards the future is to be ready to give up all gains, moral and
material, in order to acquire what the future can give us. Very
few are like that, there are many who would like to have what the Future is
bringing, but they are not ready to give up what they have in order to
acquire the new wealth. |
05.
November 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
It
is not for comfort and satisfaction of desires that one comes to Auroville; it
is for the growth of consciousness and consecration to the Truth that has to
be realised. Unselfishness
is the first need to participate in the creation of Auroville. |
19. April 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
opposition between spirituality and material life, the division between the
two has no sense for me as, in truth, life and the spirit are one and it is
in and by the physical work that the highest Spirit must be manifested. |
07. June 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
very fact of living and acting is a compromise because the world is not yet
living under the law of Truth. |
16.
September 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville No
big creation is possible without discipline — individual discipline, group discipline, discipline towards the Divine. |
December 1968 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
important thing is the execution which is to be carried out without ever
losing sight of the ideal we want to realise. |
06. February 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Discipline
is necessary for life. To live, the body itself is subject in all its
functions to a rigorous discipline. Any relaxation of this discipline causes
illness. Organisation
is a discipline of action, but for Auroville we aspire to go beyond arbitrary
and artificial organisation. We
want an organisation which is the expression of a higher consciousness
working to manifest the truth of the future. A
hierarchical organisation grouped around the most enlightened centre and
submitting to a collective discipline. This
is a makeshift which we should submit to only very provisionally. In
order to be workable, this requires all workers of Auroville to be yogis
conscious of the Divine Truth. An
organisation is needed for the work to be done — but the organisation
itself must be flexible and progressive. All
those who wish to live and work at Auroville must have an integral goodwill,
a constant aspiration to know the Truth and to submit to it, enough
plasticity to confront the exigencies of work and an endless will to progress
so as to move forward towards the ultimate Truth. And,
finally, a word of advice: be more concerned with your own faults than with
those of others. If each one worked seriously at his own self-perfection, the
perfection of the whole would follow automatically. |
22. February 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville The
city the earth needs. |
28. February 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Let
Light, peace and joy be with all those who live in Auroville and work for its
realisation. Blessings. |
28. February 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Freedom
is possible only in union with the Divine. To
unite with the Divine one must have conquered in oneself the very possibility
of desire. |
1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
freedom we want to realise in Auroville is not licence ― each one doing
what he pleases without concern for the well-being of the organisation of the
whole. |
17. April 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
conception of Auroville is purely divine and has preceded its execution by
many years. Naturally,
in the details of the execution the human consciousness intervenes. |
04. May 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
solution is to go deep within oneself and find the place where all the
differences combine to constitute the essential and eternal Unity. |
04. July 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
Aurovilians To
establish in Auroville the harmonious atmosphere which, by definition, ought to
reign there, the first step is for each one to look within himself for the
cause of friction and misunderstanding. For
these causes are always on both sides and before demanding anything from others,
each one should first strive to eliminate them from himself. |
20.
September 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Every
good Aurovilian should strive to free himself from all desires, all
preferences and all repulsions. Equality
in the face of all circumstances is the chief aim to be attained in order to
live in Auroville. Quarrels
are altogether contrary to the spirit of Auroville. Earth
needs a
place where men can live away from all national rivalries, social
conventions, self-contradictory moralities and contending religions; a
place where human beings, freed from all slavery to the past, can devote
themselves wholly to the discovery and practice of the Divine Consciousness
that is seeking to manifest. Auroville
wants to be this place and offers itself to all who aspire to live the Truth
of tomorrow. |
18.
September 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
is the ideal place for those who want to know the joy and liberation of no
longer having any personal possessions. |
October 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Peace
through human unity: Unity
through uniformity is an absurdity. Unity
must be realised through the union of the many. Each
one is part of the unity; each one is indispensable to the whole. |
08.
November 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
That
is absolutely certain for all those who understand Sri Aurobindo’s
teaching and have faith in him. It
is with the intention of creating a place where this could come about that we
want to establish Auroville. But
for this realisation to be possible, each one of us must make an effort to
transform himself; for most of the sufferings of men are the result of their
own mistakes, both physical and moral. |
09.
November 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
I
have never thought that there would no more be suffering in Auroville,
because men, as they are, love suffering and call it to them even while they
curse it. But
we shall try to teach them to truly love peace and to try to practise
equality. What
I meant was involuntary poverty and begging. Life
in Auroville will be organised in such a way that this does not exist ―
and if beggars come from outside, either they will have to go away or they
will be given shelter and taught the joy of work. |
10. November 1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
There
is no fundamental difference in the attitude towards the future and the
service of the Divine. But
the people in the Ashram are considered to have consecrated their lives to Yoga
(except, of course, the students who are here only for their studies and who
are not expected to have made their choice in life). Whereas
in Auroville simply the good will to make a collective experiment for the
progress of humanity is sufficient to gain admittance. |
1969 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
task of giving a concrete form to Sri Aurobindo’s vision was entrusted
to the Mother. The creation of a new world, a new humanity, a new society expressing
and embodying the new consciousness is the work she has undertaken. By the
very nature of things, it is a collective ideal that calls for a collective
effort so that it may be realised in the terms of an integral human
perfection. The
Ashram founded and built by the Mother was the first step towards the
accomplishment of this goal. The project of Auroville is the next step, more
exterior, which seeks to widen the base of this attempt to establish harmony
between soul and body, spirit and nature, heaven and earth, in the collective
life of mankind. |
1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
Ashram is the central consciousness, Auroville is one of the outward
expressions. In both places equally the work is done for the Divine. The
people who live in the Ashram have their own work and most of them are too
busy to give time to Auroville. Each
one must be busy with his own work; this is essential for a proper
organisation. Auroville
aspires for union. |
February 1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
all those who want to live for the future: A
physical work is as indispensable to the balance of the body as food. To
eat without working causes a serious imbalance. |
02. April 1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
You
must all agree. That
is the only way to do good work. |
April 1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
For
everyone to agree each one must rise to the summit of his consciousness; it
is on the heights that harmony is created. |
02. May 1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
and the Religions We
want the Truth. For
most men, it is what they want that they label truth. The
Aurovilians must want the Truth whatever it may be. Auroville
is for those who want to live a life essentially divine but who renounce all
religions whether they be ancient, modern, new or future. It
is only in experience that there can be knowledge of the Truth. No
one ought to speak of the Divine unless he has had experience of the Divine. Get
experience of the Divine, then alone will you have the right to speak of it. The
objective study of religions will be a part of the historical study of the
development of human consciousness. Religions
make up part of the history of mankind and it is in this guise that they will
be studied at Auroville ― not as beliefs to which one ought or ought
not to adhere, but as part of a process in the development of human
consciousness which should lead man towards his superior realisation. PROGRAMME Research
through experience of the Supreme Truth A
life divine but NO
RELIGIONS Our
research will not be a search effected by mystic means. It is in life itself
that we wish to find the Divine. And it is through this discovery that life
can really be transformed. |
13. May 1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
We
give the name of religion to any concept of the world or the universe which
is presented as the exclusive Truth in which one must have an absolute faith,
generally because this Truth is declared to be the result of a revelation. Most
religions affirm the existence of a God and the rules to be followed to obey
Him, but there are some Godless religions, such as socio-political
organisations which, in the name of an Ideal or the State, claim the same
right to be obeyed. To
seek Truth freely and to approach it freely along his own lines is a man’s
right. But each one should know that his discovery is good for him alone and
it is not to be imposed on others. |
14. May 1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
At
Auroville nothing belongs to anyone in particular. All is collective
property. To be utilised with my blessings for the welfare of all. |
13. June 1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
Be a True Aurovilian 1)
The first necessity is the inner discovery in order to know what one truly is
behind social, moral, cultural, racial and hereditary appearances. At
the centre there is a being free, vast and knowing, who awaits our discovery
and who ought to become the active centre of our being and our life in
Auroville. 2)
One lives in Auroville in order to be free from moral and social conventions;
but this freedom must not be a new slavery to the ego, to its desires and
ambitions. The
fulfilment of one’s desires bars the way to the inner discovery which
can only be achieved in the peace and transparency of perfect
disinterestedness. 3)
The Aurovilian should lose the sense of personal possession. For our passage in
the material world, what is indispensable to our life and to our action is
put at our disposal according to the place we must occupy. The
more we are consciously in contact with our inner being, the more are the
exact means given to us. 4)
Work, even manual work, is something indispensable for the inner discovery.
If one does not work, if one does not put his consciousness into matter, the
latter will never develop. To let the consciousness organise a bit of matter
by means of one’s body is very good. To establish order around oneself
helps to bring order within oneself. One
should organise one’s life not according to outer and artificial rules,
but according to an organised inner consciousness, for if one lets life go on
without subjecting it to the control of the higher consciousness, it becomes
fickle and inexpressive. It is to waste one’s time in the sense that
matter remains without any conscious utilisation. 5)
The whole earth must prepare itself for the advent of the new species, and
Auroville wants to work consciously to hasten this advent. 6)
Little by little it will be revealed to us what this new species must be, and
meanwhile the best course is to consecrate oneself entirely to the Divine. |
15. July 1970 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
All
this implies a consciousness which is not very widespread on earth. This
does not mean that things should be given to people who do not know how to
use them. What
is needed to administer Auroville is a consciousness free from all
conventions and conscious of the supramental Truth. I am still waiting for
someone like that. Each one must do his best to achieve that. |
22. January 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
the inhabitants of Auroville Only
those who have resolved to stay in Auroville for good have the right to
intervene in its organisation. |
15. February 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
All
that I have to say for Auroville henceforth shall be put in writing and
signed by me. |
17. February 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Calm,
peace, tranquillity always, and always to speak as little as possible and to
act only when it is necessary. To avoid unconsciousness as much as possible. |
24. February 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
True
spirituality lies in the service of the divine work. To
refuse to work for all is only a demonstration of selfishness, and has no
spiritual value. The
first thing to do to be able to live in Auroville is to consent to free oneself
from one’s ego. |
28. February 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
all Aurovilians My
blessings for the progress and the growth of the collective and individual
consciousness. |
February 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
be an Aurovilian one must at least belong to the enlightened portion of
humanity and aspire for the higher consciousness which will govern the
species of tomorrow. Always
higher and always better, ― beyond egoistic limitations. |
February 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
is not a work of charity. A night spent in aspiration is equivalent to a day’s
work. |
01. March 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
One
does not live in Auroville to be comfortable but to grow in consciousness and
to serve the Divine. |
03. March 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Is
it to satisfy little personal needs that you have come to Auroville? That
was really not necessary. The ordinary world is there for that. One
comes to Auroville to realise a divine life which wants to manifest on earth. Each
one should make an effort in this direction and not remain hypnotised by the
so-called “needs” which are nothing but personal fancies. Look
upward and forward, strive to surmount the animal human nature. Make the
resolution and you will see that you are helped on the way. |
27. March 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
work for Auroville is to hasten the advent of a more harmonious Future. |
15. April 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
In
our smallest action we can serve the Divine if we have the right attitude. |
27. April 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
It
is in work done as an offering to the Divine that the consciousness develops
best. Indolence
and inaction result in tamas which is a fall into inconscience and the very
opposite of progress and light. To
surmount one’s ego and to live only in the service of the Divine, that
is the ideal and the shortest way to acquire the true Consciousness. |
06. May 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
I
disapprove totally of violence. Each
act of violence is a step back on the path leading to the goal to which we aspire. The
Divine is everywhere and always supremely conscious. Nothing
must ever be done that cannot be done before the Divine. |
16. August 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
SYMBOL
OF AUROVILLE The
dot at the centre represents Unity, the Supreme; the inner circle represents
the creation, the conception of the City; the petals represent the power of
expression, realisation. |
26. August 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Each
thing in its place and there will be a place for everything. |
26. August 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
say “it is impossible to include this thing”, simply means that
its true place has not been found. |
27. August 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
All
fancies are vital movements and most undesirable. Liberty
does not mean to follow one’s desires but, on the contrary, to be free
from them. |
28. August 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
For
each problem there is a solution that can give satisfaction to everybody; but
for finding this ideal solution each one must want it instead of meeting the
others with the will to enforce one’s own preference. Enlarge
your consciousness and aspire for the satisfaction of all. |
28. August 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
must not lie. Everyone who aspires to be an Aurovilian must make the
resolution never to tell a lie. |
17.
September 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
You
see only your side of the question, but if you want to widen your consciousness
it would be better to look from all sides impartially. Later you will
discover that this attitude has great advantages. |
20. September 1971 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
Widen
your consciousness to the dimension of the earth and you will have a place
for everything. |
23. October 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
ideal of the Aurovilians must be to become egoless ― not at all to
satisfy their ego. If
they follow the old human way of selfish claim, how can they hope the world
to change? |
25. October 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
In
the beginning the organisation of the week was conceived in this way: six
days of work for the collectivity to which the individual belonged; the
seventh day of the week was reserved for the inner quest for the Divine and
the offering of one’s being to the divine will. This is the only
meaning and the only true reason for the so-called Sunday rest. Needless
to say, sincerity is the essential condition for realisation; all insincerity
is a degradation. |
14.
November 1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Each
one has good reasons to support his own opinion, and I am no expert to judge
between them. But
from the spiritual point of view I know that with true goodwill all opinions
can be harmonised in a more comprehensive and truer solution. This is what I
expect from the workers of Auroville. Not that some give way to others, but
that on the contrary all should combine their efforts to achieve a more
comprehensive and perfect result. The
ideal of Auroville demands this progress ― don’t you want to make
it? Blessings. |
1971 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
only true freedom is the one obtained by union with the Divine. One
can unite with the Divine only by mastering one’s ego. |
January 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
wants to be the first realisation of human unity based on the teaching of Sri
Aurobindo, where men of all countries would be at home. |
01. February 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
MESSAGE
FOR UNESCO Auroville
is meant to hasten the advent of the supramental Reality upon earth. The
help of all those who find the world is not as it ought to be is welcome. Each
one must know if he wants to associate with an old world ready for death, or
to work for a new and better world preparing to be born. |
03. July 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
To
follow all the impulses of the lower nature is surely not the supramental way
and has no place here. What
we want is to hasten the advent of the supramental, not at all to fall into
the ugly condition of a humanity full of desires and low impulses. |
13. July 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
So
long as we go on telling lies, we go on pushing the happy Future far from us. |
02. October 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
wants to shelter people happy to be in Auroville. Those who are dissatisfied
ought to return to the world where they can do what they want and where there
is place for everybody. |
22. October 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
For
those who have been taken into Auroville on a wrong statement of theirs, there
is only one solution: it is to cure in themselves all falsehood, that is to
say, all that contradicts in their consciousness the Presence of the Divine. |
22. October 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
The
true spirit of Auroville is collaboration and must be more and more so. True
collaboration paves the way to divinity. |
30. October 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Au
service de la Vérité At
the service of Truth Truth |
31. October 1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Harmony Good
will Discipline Truth I
can work with you only if you do not say a lie and are at the service of
Truth. |
26. November 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
Before
dying, falsehood rises in full swing. Still
people understand only the lesson of catastrophe. Will
it have to come before they open their eyes to the Truth? I
ask an effort from all so that it has not to be. It
is only the Truth that can save us, truth in words, truth in words, truth in
will, truth in feelings. It
is a choice between serving the Truth or being destroyed. |
01. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
Auroville
has been created for a progressive superhumanity, not for an infra-humanity
governed by its instincts and dominated by its desires. Those
who belong to the infra-humanity, the animal humanity, have no place here. Auroville
is for those who aspire for the supramental and make an effort to reach
there. |
07. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
It
is a warning that nature is giving, that those who do not have the true
spirit of Auroville will have to change or to go if they do not want to
change. |
12. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
Everybody
has to progress and become more sincere. Auroville
has been created not for the satisfaction of the egos and their greeds, but
for the creation of a new world, the supramental, expressing the divine
perfection. |
18. December 1972 – Aims and
Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
has been created for a superhumanity, for those who want to surmount their
ego and renounce all desire, to prepare themselves for receiving the
supermind. They alone are true Aurovilians. Those
who want to obey their ego and satisfy all their desires belong to a
subhumanity and have no place here. They must return to the world which is
their true place. |
19. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
To
all those who are telling lies By
the simple fact that you are telling lies you prove that you do not wish to
be true Aurovilians. If
you wish to remain in Auroville you must stop lying. |
28. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
To
be a true Aurovilian one must never lie. |
28. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
Not
the only solution. It is a centre of transformation, a small nucleus of men
who are transforming themselves and setting an example to the world. This is
what Auroville hopes to be. As long as egoism and bad will exist in the
world, a general transformation is impossible. |
28. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
An
amusing definition occurs to me: a divine anarchy. But the world will not
understand. Men must become conscious of their psychic being and organise
themselves spontaneously, without fixed rules and laws ― that is the
ideal. For
this, one must be in contact with one’s psychic being, one must be
guided by it and the ego’s authority and influence must disappear. |
28. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
Auroville
has been created for those who want to progress, their own progress. This
is written for each one; each one is concerned with himself first. |
28. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
As
long as they have desires, they are not true Aurovilians. Let
them not play with words: there is a world of difference between desires and
aspiration. Every
sincere person knows this. And
above all let them not mistake their ego and their desires for the Divine. It
is because they deceive themselves that they make this confusion. They
must be conscious of the divine presence in themselves, and for that, the ego
must be silenced and desires must disappear. |
1972 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Jesus
is one of the many forms which the Divine has assumed to enter into
relationship with the earth. But there are and there will be many others; and
the children of Auroville should replace the exclusiveness of one religion by
the wide faith of knowledge. |
31. December 1972 – Aims and Principles of
Auroville |
There
is only one solution for falsehood: it is to cure in ourselves all that
contradicts in our consciousness the presence of the Divine. |
05. February 1973 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
It
is not what you do but the spirit in which you do it that makes Karmayoga. |
15. February 1973 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
is not a place for politics; no politics must be done in Auroville and in the
offices of Auroville. |
18. March 1973 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
will become what it must be: Only
if and when the people living there will stop lying. |
18. March 1973 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
When
you say “I want to serve the Divine”, do you believe the
All-Knowing does not know that it is a lie? |
27. March 1973 – Aims and Principles of Auroville |
Auroville
is created to realise the ideal of Sri Aurobindo who taught us the Karma
Yoga. Auroville
is for those who want to do the Yoga of work. To
live in Auroville means to do the Yoga of work. So
all Aurovilians must take up a work and do it as Yoga. |
14. August 1970 – Matrimandir |
The
Matrimandir wants to be the symbol of the Divine’s answer to man’s
aspiration for perfection. Union
with the Divine manifesting in a progressive human unity. |
15. November 1970 – Matrimandir |
The
Matrimandir wants to be the symbol of the Universal Mother according to Sri
Aurobindo’s teaching. The
Matrimandir will be the soul of Auroville. The
sooner the soul is there, the better it will be for everybody and especially
for the Aurovilians. |
16. February 1971 – Matrimandir |
It
is preferable that the work be organised without paid labour so that it is
sure to continue in all circumstances. |
21. February 1971 – Matrimandir |
Let
the Matrimandir be the living symbol of Auroville’s aspiration for the
Divine. |
14. March 1971 – Matrimandir |
The
fraternity of collaboration. The
aspiration towards Unity in joy and Light. Blessings. |
10. April 1971 – Matrimandir |
As
we are in a period of construction, it is imperative that the Aurovilians who
live at the Centre work on the construction of the Matrimandir. Those
who do not want to work on the Matrimandir should not live at the Centre. |
October 1971 – Matrimandir |
The
Matrimandir is directly under the influence of the Divine and certainly He
arranges things better than we could do ourselves. |
05. October 1971 – Matrimandir |
There
is only one Matrimandir, the Matrimandir of Auroville. The
others must have another name. |
20. October 1971 – Matrimandir |
The
safety and strength of the construction should come before personal
questions. I
count upon you to see that everything is done harmoniously. |
03. November 1971 – Matrimandir |
Strength,
safety, durability, harmonious balance. The
foundations are especially important and should be done by experts. There
is room for everyone of goodwill, and for those who in all sincerity and
simplicity want to offer their work, there is enough to keep them usefully
occupied. |
21. February 1972 – Matrimandir |
Let
Auroville be the symbol of a progressive Unity. And
the best way to realise this is a unity of aspiration towards the Divine
Perfection in work and in feeling, in a consecration of the entire life. |
July 1972 – Matrimandir |
(Significance
of the four pillars) North
— Mahakali East—
Mahalakshmi South
— Maheshwari West
— Mahasaraswati (Significance
of the twelve underground rooms which will radiate from the Matrimandir
foundation) Sincerity,
Humility, Gratitude, Perseverance, Aspiration, Receptivity, Progress,
Courage, Goodness, Generosity, Equality, Peace. |
03. May 1972 – Matrimandir |
(Significance
of the twelve gardens surrounding the Matrimandir) Existence,
Consciousness, Bliss, Light, Life, Power, Wealth, Utility, Progress, Youth,
Harmony, Perfection. (Message
for the concreting of the Matrimandir foundation floor) Let
us all work with a growing sincerity for the manifestation of the Divine
Truth. |
15. August 1972 – Matrimandir |
Goodwill
and peace to all. |
12. February 1963 – Community Affairs
(general) |
Auromodèle
is an attempt and an experiment. As it develops the organisation will be
modified according to the need. Every
organisation should remain supple and flexible so as to progress constantly
and modify itself when the need arises. |
22. March 1966 – Community Affairs |
Nothing
on any Auroville project can be published without my approval. Blessings. |
01. April 1966 – Community Affairs |
A
mild and harmless protector is often more effective than a poisonous one. |
21. March 1968 – Community Affairs |
Yes,
the land itself has a consciousness, even though this consciousness is not
intellectualised and cannot express itself. |
April 1968 – Community Affairs |
To
be at the head of the Liaison Office one must feel absolutely equal towards
all and every nation. A
complete sincerity is required in this attitude. |
28. June 1968 – Community Affairs |
1)
Do we need a Personnel Department in Auroville? No. 2)
Should it be a part of the Liaison Office? Do
not multiply departments, titles and names. It complicates life uselessly. |
14. August 1968 – Community Affairs |
We
shall work for a better tomorrow. |
29. December 1968 – Community Affairs |
I
should like this whole place to be called “Peace”, and that
peace, actual peace should reign there, not only between the occupants but
with the whole of Auroville, present and future. |
1969 – Community Affairs |
Be
confident and peaceful yourself. That
is contagious. My
blessings are with you. |
23. June 1969 – Community Affairs |
To
do always our best in all sincerity. |
18. August 1969 – Community Affairs (Auromodèle) |
Auromodèle
is being built to make a concrete experiment and to learn how to live in
Auroville. |
31. December 1969 – Community Affairs |
My
will is that you do some useful, practical and effective work in America or
here according to your feeling. With
love and blessings. |
22. May 1970 – Community Affairs (Auromodèle) |
The
purpose of life in Auromodèle is to learn to live in Auroville, to make all
the experiments necessary for learning to live in Auroville. We
want to find a way for the community to live for the Divine. Each
individual has his own way but the group community should find a way to suit
everyone. |
1970 – Community Affairs |
It
would perhaps be better to ask people who, by a serious practice of yoga,
have had at least a glimpse of the Higher Wisdom. |
15. December 1970 – Community Affairs |
A
sincere will to know and to progress. |
15. December 1970 – Community Affairs (Language) |
(Languages
to be studied at Aspiration School) (1)
Tamil (2)
French (3)
Simplified Sanskrit to replace Hindi as the language of India (4)
English as the international language. |
January 1971 – Community Affairs |
We
would wish that this Gazette be the messenger of the future and of the
progress to be realised for humanity. |
06. February 1971 – Community Affairs |
The
education is free. But naturally the transport and food must be paid for. |
March 1971 – Community Affairs (Chemicals) |
(Someone
asked whether chemical fertilisers and pesticides should be used in
Auroville.) NO,
NO, NO. Auroville
should not fall back into old errors which belong to a past that is trying to
revive. |
1971 – Community Affairs (Chemicals) |
Cultivation
without chemical fertilisers and dangerous insecticides is advisable. |
06. October 1971 – Community Affairs |
The
future belongs to those who want to progress. Blessings
to those whose motto is: “Always better.” In
the physical the Divine manifests as Beauty. |
05. November 1971 – Community Affairs (Flowers) |
Flowers
are the prayers of the vegetal world. The
plants offer their beauty to the Supreme. |
12. April 1972 – Community Affairs (Mahalakshmi) |
Divine
Mother, About
Mahalakshmi, Sri Aurobindo has said: “If she finds herself in men’s
hearts surrounded with selfishness and hatred and jealousy and malignance and
envy and strife, if treachery and greed and ingratitude are mixed in the
sacred chalice, if grossness of passion and unrefined desire degrade
devotion, in such hearts the gracious and beautiful Goddess will not linger.
A divine disgust seizes upon her and she withdraws, for she is not one who
insists or strives….” In
fear that you may do this, and with sorrow that we have caused you pain, we,
at Aspiration, ask your forgiveness. Many of us, many times, have promised to
change; many of us again do so promise now. We pray for the grace. With our
love. My
love and blessings are always with you for progress and transformation. |
1967 – Community Affairs (Social Regulations) |
(Someone
asked about proper arrangements for the birth of an Auroville child. Mother
advised that only the doctor and the father should be present, and added:) The
most important thing is to be quiet, in a peaceful atmosphere so that the
Force can work without disturbance. |
15. June 1968 – Community Affairs (Marriage) |
…
Of course the whole idea of marriage is amusing because I consider the thing
childish. You
know in Auroville there will be no marriages. If a man and a woman love each
other and want to live together they may do so without any ceremony. If they
want to separate they can also do so freely. Why should people be compelled
to stay together when they have ceased to love each other? A
lot of crimes would be prevented if people were free in this respect. They
would not have to hide things from one another or even commit crimes to be
separated. Of course, if they truly love each other they will continue to
live together always naturally, without being forced to do so by any law.
That is why this ceremony and ritual of marriage is so childish. Children
born in Auroville will have no family name. They will have just the first
name. |
March 1933 – Community Affairs (Supreme Truth) |
To
unite your physical lives, your material interests, to become partners in
order to face together the difficulties and successes, the defeats and
victories of life—that is the very foundation of marriage, but you
already know that it is not enough. To
be united in your sensations, to have the same aesthetic tastes and
enjoyments, to be moved in common by the same things, one through the other
and one for the other—that is good, that is necessary, but it is not
enough. To
be one in your deeper feelings, to keep a mutual affection and tenderness
that never vary in spite of all the blows of life and can withstand every
weariness and irritation and disappointment, to be always and on every
occasion happy, extremely happy, to be together, to find in every
circumstance tranquillity, peace and joy in each other—that is good,
that is very good, that is indispensable, but it is not enough. To
unite your minds, to harmonise your thoughts and make them complementary, to
share your intellectual preoccupations and discoveries; in short, to make
your sphere of mental activity identical through a widening and enrichment
acquired by both at once—that is good, that is absolutely necessary,
but it is not enough. Beyond
all that, in the depths, at the centre, at the summit of the being, there is
a Supreme Truth of being, an Eternal Light, independent of all the
circumstances of birth, country, environment, education; That is the origin,
cause and master of our spiritual development; it is That which gives a
permanent direction to our lives; it is That which determines our destinies;
it is in the consciousness of That that you must unite. To be one in
aspiration and ascension, to move forward at the same pace on the same
spiritual path, that is the secret of a lasting union. |
13. November 1970 – Community Affairs |
Concentrating
together is indeed a very good thing and helps you to become conscious. But
it cannot be imposed. I advise you and them to organise this moment of silence
daily for all those who want to participate, but without imposing anything on
the others. It is not compulsory but it is good. |
1971 – Community Affairs (Smoking) |
Auroville Smoking
must not become a public menace. Those
who cannot do without smoking may do it in a room expressly set aside for the
purpose. |
25. February 1972 – Community Affairs |
Children
below fifteen years will see only educational films. Care
should be taken in selecting films to be shown in Auroville. All
that encourages the lower movements and actions must be avoided. |
February 1971 – Community Affairs (No Drugs) |
Drugs
are prohibited in Auroville. If
there are any who take them, they do it deceitfully. The
ideal Aurovilian, eager to become conscious of the Divine Consciousness,
takes neither tobacco, nor alcohol, nor drugs. |
04. March 1971 – Community Affairs (Drugs/Rules) |
In
July, again you were telling the young people of Aspiration, “I do not
want to make rules for Auroville as I did for the Ashram.” But recently
you wrote, “Drugs are prohibited in Auroville.” Has there been a
change in your vision of Auroville? Perhaps
Aurovilians have not attained the level of consciousness that is expected of
them. |
15. April 1971 – Community Affairs (No Drugs) |
I
have said, no drugs in Auroville, and I do not go back on my word. Is
it true that essentially you are not against the experience? This
so-called experience warps the development and damages the consciousness; on the
pathway to the Divine it is a fall into the rut. This
is clear, I think. |
01. June 1971 – Community Affairs (Cleanliness) |
In
this country cleanliness is indispensable to avoid typhoid. |
1971 – Community Affairs (Cleanliness) |
An
absolute cleanliness is indispensable in this country and climate to avoid
illness. Great
precautions must be taken. |
23. November 1971 – Community Affairs (Sex) |
Sexual
activities bind man to the animal and they will be completely transformed in
the future. Those
who want to work for the future and prepare themselves to live it, would do
well not to be hypnotised by this subject which animalises the consciousness.
Above all, do not associate it with love in your thought, for they really
have nothing to do with each other. |
31. August 1972 – Community Affairs (Animality) |
We
are always too attracted by animals, and it is more interesting to look to
the future than towards the past. As
far as I am concerned, a zoo does not interest me. We already tend to be too
attached to animality rather than supermentality. |
21. October 1972 – Community Affairs |
To
take pleasure in dirt and disorder is a sure sign of a nature which rejects
its psychic being and wants nothing to do with it. |
21. January 1973 – Community Affairs (Cleanliness) |
Cleanliness
is the first indispensable step towards the supramental manifestation. |
04. April 1969 – Community Affairs (Giving Food) |
Once
you have started giving food to the workmen, you cannot stop doing so,
otherwise you would lose their confidence. This is imperative—show it
to the others. Blessings
to all. |
September 1969 – Community Affairs (Villagers) |
Those
who are in contact with the villagers should not forget that these people are
worth as much as they are, that they know as much, that they think and feel
as well as they do. They
should therefore never have an attitude of ridiculous superiority. They
are at home and you are the visitors. |
23. November 1969 – Community Affairs (Villagers) |
To
the inhabitants of Aspiration: A
relationship that is not only cordial but friendly with the inhabitants of
the neighbouring village is absolutely indispensable. For the realisation of
Auroville the first step is to establish a true human fraternity ― any
shortcoming in this regard is a grave mistake which can compromise the whole
work. My
blessings are with all sincere effort towards harmony. |
10. September 1970 – Community Affairs |
In
connection with the integration programme of the families from the village,
which started on 7 August 1970, we pray for your guidance in the following: (1)
Whether they are to be treated as Aurovilians in all matters. Yes. (2)
Whether regular Prosperity should be issued to them. Yes. (3)
Whether all Prosperity items can be taken from Auroville Prosperity. All
that they choose to take. (4)
Whether any guiding principles should be laid down for them on joining
Auroville. If
yes, the Mother may kindly enlighten us. Certainly
it would be good if somebody was intelligent enough to do it and do it well. (5)
Whether any particular amount for food should be fixed per person per day; if
yes, whether Rs. 2.50 per adult and Rs. 2.00 per child will be all right. There
must be a period of at least one month during which they are given what they
ask. Afterwards
we shall see what may be done reasonably. |
08. February 1972 – Community Affairs (India) |
From
the spiritual point of view, India is the foremost country in the world. Her
mission is to set the example of spirituality. Sri Aurobindo came on earth to
teach this to the world. This
fact is so obvious that a simple and ignorant peasant here is, in his heart,
closer to the Divine than the intellectuals of Europe. All
those who want to become Aurovilians must know this and behave accordingly;
otherwise they are unworthy of being Aurovilians. |
July 1972 – Community Affairs (No Offence) |
It
is all right. But while putting things in order, be very careful not to
offend the people from the Tamil village. It has been very difficult for us
to win their confidence and nothing should be done which could make them lose
this new-born confidence which is of capital importance. Take
with you someone who knows and speaks Tamil fluently so that you can talk
with them and explain things to them. They
are your brothers in spirit ― this should never be forgotten. |
November 1965 – Finance |
To
find the necessary funds for Auroville one could proceed in the following
manner: Find in every country a very wealthy person who would be the centre
for collecting funds for Auroville. Advantages:
Such a person would carry weight, would be an example for the others and
would never give the impression of begging. In
principle this way is all right. But in practice, and to avoid all
possibility of failure (because failure would have a deplorable effect), we
must wait for an indication from circumstances of which I will be immediately
informed. And then I will give the signal to go ahead. |
19. June 1967 – Finance |
They
may not practise themselves, but if they do not know about yoga, how can they
understand the purpose of Auroville? |
28. December 1967 – Finance |
It
is for this that we all work here, but not in the artificial manner of
philanthropists who work on the exterior effects only. We
want to eliminate for good the cause of suffering by divinising matter
through the integral transformation. |
17. May 1968 – Finance (Donators) |
It
is not this kind of people who can give to Auroville what it needs. |
09. June 1968 – Finance |
The
work of U.S.A. is to provide the financial help needed to prepare the earth
for the new creation. Become
aware of those, individual or organisation, capable of bringing about this
transformation and give them the necessary money. |
18. August 1969 – Finance |
All
these questions prove that you expect Auroville to be a continuation of all
that has been done up to now. Auroville
wants to be a new creation expressing a new consciousness in a new way and
according to new methods. |
November 1969 – Finance |
The
more you chase funds the less you get. What you should do is to inform people
about Auroville. That
is important. |
December 1969 – Finance |
It
is only when people feel that it is their good fortune to help Auroville grow
that the funds will come abundantly. |
May 1970 – Finance (Lands) |
The
lands for Auroville are to be bought and can be bought — the money is
needed. Will
you help? |
1971 – Finance |
Give
your money to the Divine work and you will be richer than you would be by
keeping it. |
June 1965 – Early Talks (Auroville) |
Have
you heard of Auroville? For
a long time, I had a plan of the “ideal town”, but that was
during Sri Aurobindo’s lifetime, with Sri Aurobindo living at the
centre. Afterwards, I was no longer interested. Then the idea of Auroville ―
I gave the name Auroville ― was taken up again, but from the other end:
instead of the formation having to find the place, it was the place ―
near the lake ― which gave birth to the formation, and until now I took
only a very minor interest in it, for I had received nothing directly. Then
our little A took it into her head to have a house there, by the lake, and to
have a house for me next to hers, and to offer it to me. And she wrote me all
her dreams: one or two sentences suddenly stirred an old, old memory of
something which had tried to manifest ― a creation ― when I was
very young and which had again started trying to manifest at the very
beginning of the century, when I was with Théon. Then all that was forgotten.
It came back with this letter; all at once, I had my plan for Auroville. Now
I have my overall plan, I am waiting for B to draw the detailed plans, for I
had said from the beginning: “B will be the architect”, and I
wrote to B. When he came here last year, he went to see Chandigarh, the town
built by Le Corbusier, up there in the Punjab, and he was not very happy. It
seems quite ordinary to me ― I know nothing about it, I haven’t
seen it, I only saw some photographs which were horrible. And while he was
speaking to me, I could see that he felt, “Oh, if only I had a town to
build!…” So I wrote to him: “If you want, I have a town to
build.” He is happy. He is coming. When he comes, I shall show him my
plan and he will build the town. My plan is very simple. The
place is up there, on the Madras road, on top of the hill. (Mother takes a
paper and begins to draw.) We have here ― naturally, it is not like
that in Nature, we shall have to adapt ourselves; it is like that up there on
the ideal plane ― here, a central point. This central point is a park
which I saw when I was very young ― perhaps the most beautiful thing in
the world from the point of view of physical, material Nature ― a park
with water and trees, like all parks, and flowers, but not many; flowers in
the form of creepers, palms and ferns, all varieties of palms; water, if
possible running water, and possibly a small cascade. From the practical
point of view, it would be very good: at the far end, outside the park, we
could build reservoirs which would be used to supply water to the residents. So
in this park, I saw the “Pavilion of Love”. But I dislike this
word, for man has turned it into something grotesque; I am speaking of the
principle of Divine Love. But that has changed: it will be “The
Pavilion of the Mother” ― but not this (Mother points to herself)―the
Mother, the true Mother, the principle of the Mother. I say “Mother”
because Sri Aurobindo used that word, otherwise I would have put something
else, I would have put “creative principle” or “principle
of realisation” or ― I do not know…. It will be a small
building, not a big one, with only a meditation room downstairs, but with
columns and probably a circular shape. I say probably, because I am leaving
that for B to decide. Upstairs, the first floor will be a room and the roof
will be a covered terrace. You know the ancient Indo-Moghul miniatures, with
palaces where there are terraces with small roofs supported by columns? You
know those old miniatures? Hundreds of them have come into my hands….
But this pavilion is very, very beautiful, a small pavilion like this, with a
roof on a terrace, and low walls with couches against them to sit on, to
meditate in the open air in the evening, at night. And below, downstairs, at
ground-level, a meditation room, simply ― something quite bare. There
would probably be at the far end something which would be a living light,
perhaps the symbol in living light, a constant light. Otherwise, a very
peaceful, very silent place. Nearby,
there would be a small dwelling, a small dwelling which would nevertheless
have three floors, but not large-sized, and that would be the house of A, who
would serve as a guardian. She would be the guardian of the pavilion. She
wrote me a very nice letter but she did not understand all that, of course. That
is the centre. All
around, there is a circular road which separates the park from the rest of
the town. There would probably be a gateway ― in fact there must be one
― in the park. A gateway with the guardian of the gate. The guardian of
the gate is a new girl who has come from Africa, who wrote me a letter
telling me that she wanted to be the guardian of Auroville in order to let
only the “servants of Truth” enter (Mother laughs). It is a very
nice plan. So I shall probably put her there as guardian of the park, with a
small house on the road at the entrance. But
the interesting thing is that around this central point, there are four big
sections, like four big petals (Mother draws), but the corners of the petals
are rounded and there are small intermediate zones―four big sections
and four zones…. Naturally that is only in the air; on the ground, it
will be an approximation. We
have four big sections: the cultural section, to the North, that is to say,
towards Madras; to the East, the industrial section; to the South, the
international section; and to the West, that is to say, towards the lake, the
residential section. To
make myself clear: the residential section, where there will be the houses of
the people who have already subscribed and of all the others who are coming
in large numbers to have a plot in Auroville. That will be next to the lake. The
international section: we have already approached a certain number of
ambassadors and countries for each one to have its pavilion ― a
pavilion from every country. It was an old idea. Some have already accepted,
so it is on the way. Each pavilion has its own garden with, as far as
possible, a representation of the plants and products of the country which it
represents. If they have enough money and enough space, they can also have a
sort of small museum or permanent exhibition of the country’s
achievements. The buildings should be constructed according to the
architecture of each country ― it should be like a document of
information. Then, depending on the money they wish to spend, they could also
have accommodation for students, conference-rooms, etc., a cuisine of the
country, a restaurant of the country ― they could have all kinds of
developments. Then
the industrial section. Already many people, including the Government of
Madras the Madras ― Government is loaning money ― want to start
industries, which will be on a special basis. This industrial section is to
the East and it is very big, there is plenty of space; it will go down
towards the sea. In fact, to the North of Pondicherry there is quite a large
area which is totally uninhabited and uncultivated; it is by the sea, going
up the coast towards the North. So this industrial section would go down
towards the sea, and if possible there would be a kind of wharf ― not
exactly a port but a place where boats could come alongside; and all these
industries, with the inland transportation they need, would have a
possibility to export directly. And there, there would be a big hotel ―
B has already made a plan for it; we wanted to build the hotel here, on the
site of the “Messageries Maritimes”, but after having said yes,
the owner said no; it is very good, it will be better over there ― a
big hotel to receive visitors from outside. Already quite a number of
industries have registered for this section; I do not know if there will be
enough room, but we shall manage. Then,
to the North ― that is where there is the most space, of course ―
towards Madras, the cultural section. There, an auditorium ― the
auditorium which I have dreamt of building for a long time; plans had already
been made ― an auditorium with a concert-hall and a grand organ, the
best of its kind today. It seems they are making wonderful things. I want a
grand organ. There will also be a stage with wings ― a rotating stage,
etc., the best of its kind. So, a magnificent auditorium, there. There will
be a library, there will be a museum with all sorts of exhibitions ―
not inside the auditorium: in addition to it there will be a film-studio, a
film-school; there will be a gliding club. Already we almost have
authorisation from the Government, and the promise, so it is already well on
the way. Then towards Madras, where there is plenty of space, a stadium. We
want this stadium to be the most modern and the most perfect possible, with
the idea ― it is an idea I have had for a long time ― that twelve
years ― the Olympic Games take place every four years ― twelve
years from 1968―in ‘68 the Olympiads are taking place in Mexico ―
twelve years later we would hold the Olympic Games in India, there. So we
need space. Between
these sections, there are intermediate zones, four intermediate zones: one
for public services, post office, etc.; one zone for transport, railway
station and possibly an aerodrome; one zone for food ― that one would
be near the lake and would include dairies, poultry farms, orchards,
cultivated lands, etc.; it would spread and include the Lake Estate: what
they wanted to do separately would be within the framework of Auroville. Then
a fourth zone. I have said: public services, transport, food, and the fourth
zone: shops. We do not need many shops, but a few are necessary in order to
obtain what we do not produce. They are like districts, you see. And
you will be there at the centre? A
hopes so (Mother laughs). I did not say no, I did not say yes; I told her, “The
Lord will decide.” It depends on my state of health. A removal, no ―
I am here because of the Samadhi, I shall stay here, that is quite sure. But
I can go there on a visit; it is not so far, it takes five minutes by car.
But A wants to be quiet, silent, aloof, and that is quite possible in her
park, surrounded by a road, with someone to stop people from coming in; one
can stay very quiet ― but if I am there, that is the end of it! There
would be collective meditations, etc. That is to say that if I get a sign,
first the physical sign, then the inner command to go out, I shall drive
there and spend an hour, in the afternoon ― I can do that now and then.
We still have time because, before everything is ready, it will take years. That
is to say that the disciples will stay here? Ah!
The Ashram stays here ― the Ashram stays here, I stay here, that is
understood. Auroville is… A
satellite. Yes,
it is the contact with the outside world. The centre on my drawing is a
symbolic centre. But
that is what A expects: she wants a house where she would be all alone next
to a house where I would be all alone. The second part is a dream, because
myself all alone…. You only have to see what is happening! It is true,
isn’t it? So it does not go with the “all alone”. Solitude
must be found within, it is the only way. But as far as living is concerned,
I shall certainly not go and live there, because the Samadhi is here; but I
could go there to visit. For example, I could go there for an inauguration or
for certain ceremonies. We shall see. It will be years from now. In
short, Auroville is more for outside? Oh
yes! It is a town! Consequently, it is the whole contact with outside. An
attempt to realise on earth a more ideal life. In
the old formation which I had made, there had to be a hill and a river. There
had to be a hill, because Sri Aurobindo’s house was on top of the hill.
But Sri Aurobindo was there at the centre. It was arranged according to the
plan of my symbol, that is to say, a point in the middle, with Sri Aurobindo
and all that concerned Sri Aurobindo’s life, and four big petals ―
which were not the same as on this drawing, it was something else ― and
twelve all around, the town itself; and around that, there were the
residences of the disciples; you know my symbol: instead of lines, there are
bands; well, the last circular band formed the area for the disciples’
residences, and each one had his own house and garden ― a small house
and a garden for each one. There was some means of transport, I wasn’t
sure if it was individual transport or collective transport ― like those
small open tramcars in the mountains, you know ― going in all
directions to take the disciples back towards the centre of the town. And
around all that, there was a wall, with a gateway and guardians at the gate,
and one could not enter without authorisation. There was no money ―
within the walls, no money; at the various entrances, there were banks or
counters of some sort, where people could deposit their money and receive
tickets in exchange, with which they could obtain lodging, food, this, that. But
no money ― the tickets were only for visitors, who could not enter
without a permit. It was a tremendous organisation…. No money, I did
not want any money. Look!
In my plan I forgot one thing. I wanted to build a housing estate for
workers, but the housing estate was to be part of the industrial section,
perhaps an extension along the edge of the industrial section. Outside
the walls, in my first formation, on one side there was an industrial town,
and on the other, fields, farms, etc., to supply the town. But that
represented a real country ― not a big country, but a country. Now it
is much reduced. It is no longer my symbol; there are only four zones and
there are no walls. And there will be money. You see, the other formation was
truly an ideal endeavour…. But I counted on many years before trying to
start. At that time I thought twenty-four years. But now it is much more
modest, it is a transitional attempt, and it is much more realisable. The
other plan was… I almost had the land; it was in the time of Sir Akbar,
you remember, from Hyderabad. They sent me some photographs of the State of
Hyderabad and there, in those photographs, I found my ideal spot: an isolated
hill, quite a big hill, and below it, a large, flowing river. I told him, “I
want this place”, and he arranged the matter. Everything was arranged.
They sent me the plans, the papers and everything, saying that they were
giving it to the Ashram. But they laid down one condition ― it was
virgin forest, uncultivated land ― the place was given on condition,
naturally, that we would cultivate it ― but the products must be
utilised on the spot; for example, the crops, the wood, must be utilised on
the spot, not transported; nothing could leave the State of Hyderabad. There
was even C, who was a navigator, who said that he would obtain a sailing boat
from England to go up the river to fetch the products and bring them to us
here. Everything was very well planned! Then they set this condition. I asked
if it was not possible to have it removed; then Sir Akbar died and that was
the end of it, the matter was dropped. Afterwards, I was glad that it was not
done because, now that Sri Aurobindo has departed, I cannot leave
Pondicherry. I could only leave Pondicherry with him provided that he
accepted to live in his ideal town. At that time, I had spoken of this
project to D, the person who built Golconde; and he was enthusiastic, he told
me, “As soon as you start to build, call me, I shall come.” I had
shown him my plan; it was based on an enlargement of my symbol; he was most
enthusiastic, he thought it was magnificent. It
was dropped. But the other one, which is just a small intermediate attempt,
we can try. I
have no illusions that it will keep its original purity, but we shall try
something. Much
depends on the financial organisation of the project? For
the time being, E is taking care of that, because he receives the money
through the Sri Aurobindo Society and he bought the land. A fair amount of
land has already been bought. It is going well. Naturally, the difficulty is
to find enough money. But, for example, the pavilions ― each country
will bear the expenses for its own pavilion; the industries ― each
industry will provide the money for its own business; the residents ―
each one will give the money necessary for his land. The Government ―
Madras has already given us the promise will give between sixty and eighty
per cent: one part grant, that is to say, gift; one part loan, free of
interest and repayable over ten years, twenty years, forty years ― a
long-term repayment. E knows all about it, he has already had quite a few
results. But according to whether the money comes in quickly or comes in
little by little, it will go more or less quickly. From the construction
point of view, it will depend on B’s plasticity; the details are all
the same to me ― only I would like this pavilion to be very beautiful.
I can see it. For I have seen it, I have had the vision of it; so I shall try
to make him understand what I have seen. And the park too, I have seen it ―
these are old visions which I had repeatedly. But that is not difficult. The
greatest difficulty is the water, because there is no river nearby, up there.
But they are already trying to channel the rivers; there was even a project
to channel water from the Himalayas across the whole of India: F had made a
plan and had spoken about it in Delhi; they objected that it would be rather
expensive, obviously! But, anyway, even without such grandiose things,
something must be done to supply the water. That will be the greatest
difficulty; that will take the most time. All the rest, light, power, will be
done on the spot in the industrial section ― but water cannot be made!
The Americans have seriously thought of finding a way to use sea-water,
because the earth no longer has enough drinking water for man ― the
water which they call “fresh”: it is ironical; the amount of
water is not enough for the needs of man, so they have already started
chemical experiments on a large scale to transform sea-water and make it
utilisable ― obviously, that would be the solution to the problem. But
that already exists. It
exists, but not on a sufficiently large scale. It
does in Israel. Do
they do that in Israel? Do they use sea-water? Obviously, that would be the
solution ― the sea is there. We
shall see. It
would have to be brought up. A
yachting club would be rather nice? Ah!
Certainly, with the industrial section. Near
your port, there. It
will not be a “port” but, well… Yes, the visitors’
hotel with a yachting club nearby, that is an idea. I shall add that. (Mother
writes it down.) It
will surely be a success. Now
look! A shower of letters, my child! From everywhere, from all over the
world, people are writing to me: “At last! This is the project I was
waiting for”, etc. A shower. There
is also a gliding club. We have already been promised an instructor and a
glider. It is a promise. It will be in the industrial section, on top of the
hill. Of course, the yacht club will be on the sea, not on the lake; but I
had thought ― because there is much talk of deepening the lake, it is
almost filled up ― I was thinking of a hydroplane station, there. We
can also have boating on the lake? Not
if there are hydroplanes. It is not big enough for boating. But it would be
very good for a hydroplane station. But that depends: if we have an airport,
it is unnecessary; if we do not have an airport…. But already, in the
Lake Estate project, there was an airport. G, who has become a squadron
leader, has sent me a plan for an airport too, but for small planes, whereas
we want an airport which can handle a regular service to Madras, a passenger
airport. There has already been much talk about it. There were discussions
between Air India and another company; then they could not come to an
agreement ― all sorts of petty, foolish difficulties. But all that,
with the growth of Auroville, will fall away quite naturally ― people
will be only too glad to have an airport. No,
there are two difficulties. Small sums of money we have to be ― precise:
what the Government can loan, what people give to have a plot ― it is
coming. But it takes massive sums, you know, it takes billions to build a
town! |
September 1966 – Early Talks (Auroville) |
Begging
is not permitted in Auroville. Persons found begging on the road will be
distributed as follows: children to school, the old to a home, the sick to
the hospital, the healthy to work. A
school, a home, a hospital and special work areas will be arranged for this.
They will not be mixed with the others, because some people may come from
outside and begin to beg in the street. There
are no police. We have… we haven’t found the word… a band
of guards, a battalion of guards, something like the firemen in Japan, who
are gymnasts and who do everything when there are accidents ― anything,
earthquakes ― they do everything. They climb up into houses. Instead of
police, there will be a kind of battalion of guards, who will go out
regularly into the various parts of the town to see if they are needed. And
if they come across people begging, they will be distributed as I said. There
will be a school for the children, a home for the old, a hospital for the
sick and disabled, and a place where work will be provided for all those who…
There will be every possible kind of work, from sweeping to… anything,
and work that is needed, they will do it, according to their abilities. This
has to be organised. A
special school for the children to teach them to work, to teach them the
things that are indispensable for them to be able to work. No
prison, no police. |
30. December 1967 – Early Talks (Auroville) |
Mother
reads a disciple’s notation of comments she made about her conception
of Auroville. “Auroville
will be a self-supporting township. “All
who live there will participate in its life and development. “This
participation may be passive or active. “There
will be no taxes as such but each will contribute to the collective welfare
in work, kind or money. “Sections
like industries which participate actively will contribute part of their
income towards the development of the township. “Or
if they produce something (like foodstuffs) useful for the citizens, they
will contribute in kind to the township, which is responsible for feeding its
citizens. “No
rules or laws are being framed. Things will get formulated as the underlying
truth of the township emerges and takes shape progressively. We do not
anticipate.” I
thought I had said more than that because I said a good deal about it,
inwardly ― on the organisation, the food, etc. We are going to make
experiments. Some
things are really interesting; first of all, for example, I would like each
country to have its pavilion, and in the pavilion there will be the cooking
of that country ― that is, the Japanese will be able to eat Japanese
food if they want to, etc. But in the town itself there will be food for both
vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and there will also be some attempt to find
the food of tomorrow. The
whole process of assimilation which makes you so heavy ― it takes so
much of a person’s time and energy ― that should be done
beforehand, you should be given something which is immediately assimilable,
like the things they are making now; for example they have vitamin pills and
proteins which can be assimilated directly, nutritious elements which are
found in one thing or another and which don’t have much volume ―
a huge quantity is needed to assimilate very little. Now that they are
skilful enough in chemistry, it could be simplified. People
do not like this simply because they take an intense pleasure in eating; but
when you no longer take pleasure in eating, you still need nourishment
without wasting your time on it. An enormous amount of time is wasted―time
in eating, in digesting, and all the rest. And there, I would like an
experimental kitchen, a kind of culinary laboratory for experimenting. People
would go to one place or another according to their tastes and inclinations. And
they don’t pay for their food, but they should offer their work or
their produce: those who have fields, for example, should give the produce
from their fields; those who have factories should give their products; or
one gives one’s labour in exchange for food. That
in itself eliminates much of the internal exchange of money. And for
everything we would find things like this. Basically, it should be a city for
study, for study and research into a way of life which is both simplified and
in which the higher qualities will have more time to develop. It
is only a small beginning. Mother
goes through the text sentence by sentence. “Auroville
will be a self-supporting township.” I
want to insist on the fact that it will be an experiment, it is for making
experiments ― experiments, research, study. Auroville will be a city
that will try to be, or will tend to become, or attempt to be “self-supporting”,
that is to say… Autonomous? “Autonomous”
is understood to mean some kind of independence which breaks off relations
with others, and that is not what I mean. For
example, those who produce food, like Aurofood ― of course, when we are
50,000 it will be difficult to provide for all the needs, but for the moment
we are only a few thousand at most ― well, a factory always produces
far too much, so it will sell outside and receive money. Aurofood for example
wants to have a special relationship with the workers ― not at all the
old system, something which would be an improvement on the communist system,
a more balanced organisation than sovietism, that is, something which does
not err too much on one side at the expense of the other. There
is one thing I wanted to say: the participation in the well-being and life of
the town as a whole is not something calculated on an individual basis; that
is, this individual should give so much, it is not like that. It is
calculated according to the means, the activity, the capacity for production;
it is not the democratic idea which cuts everything up into equal pieces,
which is an absurd machinery. It is calculated according to one’s
means: one who has much gives much, one who has little gives little; one who
is strong works hard, one who is not strong does something else. You see, it
is something truer, deeper. That is why I make no attempt to explain now,
because people will start to make all kinds of complaints. All this must come
about automatically, so to speak, with the growth of the city, in the true
spirit. That is why this note is extremely concise. For
example, this sentence: “All
who live there will participate in its life and development.” All
who live there will participate in its life and development according to
their capacities and means, not mechanically ― so much per unit. That’s
it, it must be something living and true, not a mechanical thing; and according
to each one’s capacities: that is, one who has material means, such as
those provided by a factory, should give in proportion to its production, not
so much per individual, per head. “The
participation may be passive or active.” I
do not understand what “passive” means; I said it in French and
it has been put into English. What could that mean, “passive”?…
It would be something more like planes or different levels of consciousness. You
meant that those who are wise, who work within, do not need to… Yes,
that’s it. Those who have a higher knowledge do not need to work with
their hands, that is what I meant. “There
will be no taxes as such, but each one will contribute to the collective
welfare in work, kind or money.” So
that is clear: there will be no taxes, but each one will have to contribute
to the collective welfare by his work, in kind or in money. Those who have
nothing but money will give money. But to tell the truth, “work”
can be inner work―but one cannot say that, because people are not
honest enough. The work can be an occult, completely inner work; but for
that, it must be absolutely sincere and true, and with the capacity for it:
no pretension. But not necessarily a physical work. “Sections
like industries which participate actively will contribute part of their
income towards the development of the township; or if they produce something
(like foodstuffs) that is useful to the citizens, they will contribute in
kind to the township, which is responsible for feeding its citizens.” This
is what we were just saying. The industries will participate actively, they
will contribute. If these industries produce articles which are not
constantly needed and therefore in amounts or quantities that are too great
to be used within the city but which will sell outside, they, of course,
should participate with money. And I give food as an example; those who
produce food will give what they produce to the town―in proportion to
what they produce, of course ― and the town is responsible for feeding
everyone. That means that people will not need to buy food with money; but it
must be earned. It
is a sort of adaptation of the communist system, but not in a spirit of
levelling; according to the capacity, the position ― not the psychological
or intellectual, but the inner position of each one. What
is true is that materially every human being has the right ― but it is
not a “right”… The organisation should be such, should be
so arranged, that the material needs of everyone are assured, not according
to ideas of rights and equality, but on the basis of the minimum needs. And
once that is established, each one should be free to organise his life
according to ― not according to his financial means, but his inner
capacities. “No
rules or laws are being framed. Things will get formulated as the underlying
truth of the township emerges and takes shape progressively. We do not
anticipate.” What
I mean is that usually ― always so far, and now more and more ―
men lay down mental rules according to their conceptions and ideals, and then
they apply them (Mother brings down her fist to show the world in the grip of
mind), and that is absolutely false, it is arbitrary, unreal ― and the
result is that things revolt or wither and disappear… It is the
experience of life itself that should slowly elaborate rules which are as
flexible and wide as possible, to be always progressive. Nothing should be
fixed. That
is the great error of governments; they make a framework and say, “There
you are, we have set this up and now we must live by it”, and so of
course they crush life and prevent it from progressing. Life itself must
develop more and more in a progression towards Light, Knowledge, Power,
little by little establishing rules that are as general as possible, so that
they can be extremely flexible and change with the need ― and change as
quickly as the needs and habits do. (Silence) The
problem finally comes down to this: to replace the mental government of the
intelligence by the government of a spiritualised consciousness. |
February 1968 – Early Talks (Auroville) |
One
must have an absolutely transparent sincerity. Lack of sincerity is the cause
of the difficulties we meet at present. Insincerity is in all men. There are
perhaps a hundred men on earth who are totally sincere. Man’s very
nature makes him insincere ― it is very complicated, for he is
constantly deceiving himself, hiding the truth from himself, making excuses
for himself. Yoga is the way to become sincere in all parts of the being. It
is difficult to be sincere, but at least one can be mentally sincere; this is
what can be demanded of Aurovilians. The force is there, present as never
before; man’s insincerity prevents it from descending, from being felt.
The world lives in falsehood, all relations between men have until now been
based on falsehood and deceit. Diplomatic relations between nations are based
on falsehood. They claim to want peace, and meanwhile they are arming
themselves. Only a transparent sincerity in man and among nations can usher
in a transformed world. Auroville
is the first attempt in this experiment. A new world will be born; if men are
willing to make an effort for transformation, to seek for sincerity, it is
possible. From animal to man, thousands of years were needed; today, with his
mind, man can will and hasten a transformation towards a man who shall be
God. This
transformation by the help of the mind ― by self-analysis ― is a
first step; afterwards, it is necessary to transform the vital impulses: that
is much more difficult, and especially to transform the physical. Every cell
in our bodies must become conscious. This is the work I am doing here; it
will enable the conquest of death. That is another story; that will be the
humanity of the future, perhaps after hundreds of years, perhaps sooner. It
will depend on men, on nations. Auroville
is the first step towards this goal. |
March 1968 – Early Talks (Auroville) |
About
Section One of the Auroville Charter: “But to live in Auroville one must
be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.” This
is the big dispute at the moment about Auroville. In the Charter, I put “Divine
Consciousness”, so they say, “It reminds us of God.” I said
(Mother laughs), “It doesn’t remind me of God!” So
some translate it as “the highest consciousness”, others put
something else. I agreed with the Russians to put “perfect
Consciousness”, but it is an approximation…. And That ―
which cannot be named and cannot be defined ― is the supreme Power. It
is the Power that one finds. And the supreme Power is only an aspect: the
aspect that concerns creation. |
10. April 1968 – Early Talks (Auroville) |
Apropos
Auroville: on money and government. The
conflict about money is what might be called a “conflict of ownership”,
but the truth is that money belongs to no one. This idea of possessing money
has warped everything. Money should not be a “possession”: like
power it is a means of action which is given to you, but you must use it
according to… what we can call the “will of the Giver”,
that is, in an impersonal and enlightened way. If you are a good instrument
for diffusing and utilising money, then it comes to you, and it comes to you
in proportion to your capacity to use it as it is meant to be used. That is
the true mechanism. The
true attitude is this: money is a force intended for the work on earth, the
work required to prepare the earth to receive and manifest the divine forces,
and it ― that is, the power of utilising it ― must come into the
hands of those who have the clearest, most comprehensive and truest vision. To
start with, the first thing (but this is elementary) is not to have the sense
of possession ― what does it mean, “it is mine”?…
Now, I don’t quite understand. Why do people want it to belong to them?
― so that they can use it as they like and do what they want with it
and handle it according to their own conceptions? That’s how it is. On
the other hand, yes, there are people who like to store it up somewhere…
but that is a disease. To be sure of always having some, they hoard it. But
if people understood that one should be like a receiving and transmitting
station and that the wider the range (just the opposite of personal), the
more impersonal, comprehensive and wide it is, the most force it can hold (“force”
that is translated materially: notes and coins). This power to hold is
proportional to the capacity to use the money in the best way ―”best”
in terms of the general progress: the widest vision, the greatest
understanding and the most enlightened, exact and true usage, not according
to the warped needs of the ego but according to the general need of the earth
for its evolution and development. That is to say, the widest vision will
have the largest capacity. Behind
all wrong movements, there is a true movement; there is a joy in being able
to direct, utilise, organise in such a way that there is a minimum of waste
and the maximum of result. It is a very interesting vision to have. And this
must be the true side in people who want to accumulate money: it is the
capacity to use it on a very large scale. Then, there are those who very much
like to have it and spend it; that is something else ― they are
generous natures, neither regulated nor organised. But the joy of being able
to satisfy all true needs, all necessities, is good. It is like the joy of
changing a sickness into health, a falsehood into truth, a suffering into
joy; it is the same thing: to change an artificial and foolish need ―
which does not correspond to anything natural ― into a possibility
which becomes something quite natural. So much money is needed to do this or
that or the other, so much is needed to arrange this, to repair that, to
build this, to organise that ― that is good. And I understand that
people like to be the channels through which the money goes exactly where it
is needed. That must be the true movement in people who like to…
translated into foolish egoism, who need to appropriate. When
the need to accumulate and the need to spend (which are both blind and
ignorant) are combined, they can lead to a clear vision and a most efficient
utilisation. That is good. Then
there comes, slowly and slowly, the possibility of putting it into practice. But,
naturally, the need is for very clear heads and for intermediaries of high
integrity (!) to be able to be everywhere at the same time and do all at the
same time. Then this famous question of money would be solved. Money
does not belong to anybody. Money is a collective possession which should be
used only by those who have an integral, comprehensive and universal vision.
I would add something to that: not only integral and comprehensive, but
essentially true as well; a vision which can tell the difference between a
use which is in accord with the universal progress, and a use which could be
termed fanciful. But these are details, for even the mistakes, even, from a
certain standpoint, the waste, help the general progress: these are lessons
learned the hard way. (Silence) I
always remember what X used to say (X was completely opposed to
philanthropy); he used to say: Philanthropy perpetuates human misery because
without human misery philanthropy would have no more reason to exist!…
And you know the great philanthropist, what was his name? ― during
Mazarin’s time; he founded the Little Sisters of Charity…. Vincent
de Paul? That’s
it. Mazarin once told him: There have never been so many poor people as since
you started taking care of them! (Mother laughs.) Later. I
have been rethinking what I said about money. That is how life in Auroville
should be organised, but I doubt whether people are ready. That
is to say that it is possible so long as they accept the guidance of a sage? Yes.
The first thing that should be accepted and recognised by everyone is that
the invisible and higher power that is, the power ― which belongs to a
plane of consciousness that is mostly veiled, but which is within each; a
consciousness which can be called anything, by any name, it does not matter,
but which is integral and pure in the sense that it is not false, it is in
the Truth ― that this power is capable of ordering material things in a
way that is truer, happier and better for everyone than any material power.
That is the first point. Once people agree on that… It
is not something one can pretend to have; an individual cannot pretend to
have it, either he has it or he hasn’t, because (Mother laughs) in any
circumstance of life, if it is a pretension, it will show clearly! On top of
that, it does not give you any material power. There again, X once said ―
he was speaking of the true hierarchy, the hierarchy based on each one’s
power of consciousness ― the individual or individuals who are at the
very summit necessarily have the least needs; their material needs become
less as their capacity of material vision grows. And that is very true. It is
automatic and spontaneous, not the result of an effort: the wider the
consciousness, the more it embraces things and realities ― the less its
material needs, automatically, because they lose all their importance and
value. The need for material necessities is reduced to a minimum, which will
itself change with the progressive development of Matter. And
that is easily recognisable, isn’t it? It is difficult to act the part. And
the second thing is the power of conviction; that is, the highest
consciousness, when it is brought into contact with Matter, spontaneously has
a greater power of conviction than all the intermediary planes. By mere
contact, its power of conviction, that is, its power of transformation, is
greater than that of all the intermediary planes. That is a fact. These two
facts together make it impossible for any pretension to last long. I am
looking at it from the standpoint of a collective organisation. As
soon as you come down from this supreme Height, there is all the play of the
various influences (gesture of mixture and conflict) and that in itself is a
sure sign: even a slight descent ― even into the domain of higher mind,
higher intelligence ― and the whole conflict of influences begins. Only
what is right at the very summit and is perfectly pure, has this power of
spontaneous conviction. Therefore, whatever one may do instead of that is an
approximation and it is not much better than democracy ― that is, the
system which wants to rule by the greatest number and the lowest level ―
I mean social democracy, the latest trend. If
there is no representative of the supreme Consciousness ― that can
happen, can’t it? ― if there isn’t any, there could be
instead, it could be tried, government by a few ― a small number set
between four and eight, something like that, four, seven, eight ― who
have an intuitive intelligence: “intuitive” is more important
than intelligence ― with an intuition that is manifested
intellectually. This
would have its drawbacks from the practical point of view, but it would
perhaps be closer to the truth than the lowest level ― socialism or
communism. Everything in between has proved to be incompetent: theocracy,
aristocracy, democracy and plutocracy, all those have been a complete
failure. The other one, the socialist or communist government is proving
itself a failure as well. Basically
socialism and communism correspond to a kind of absence of government,
because they do not have the power to govern others; they are obliged to
transfer their power to someone who exercises it, like a Lenin for example,
because he was a brain. All this has been tried and proved to be incompetent.
The only thing that could be competent is the Truth-Consciousness, which
would choose instruments and express itself through a certain number of
instruments in the absence of one ―”one” is not enough
either, “one” would necessarily have to choose a group. Those
who have this consciousness may belong to any social class: it is not a
privilege of birth, but the outcome of personal effort and development. In
fact, that is an outward sign, the obvious sign of a change from the
political point of view ― it is no longer a matter of classes and
categories nor of birth ― all that is obsolete. It is the individuals
who have attained a certain higher consciousness who have the right to govern
― not others, regardless of their social class. This
would be the true vision. All
those who participate in the experiment should be absolutely convinced that
the highest consciousness is the best judge of the most material things. What
has ruined India is this idea that the higher consciousness deals with higher
things and that lower things do not interest it at all, and that it
understands nothing about them! That has been the ruin of India. Well, this
error must be completely eradicated. It is the highest consciousness which
sees most clearly ― most clearly and most truly ― what the needs
of the most material things must be. With
that, a new type of government could be tried. |
31. May 1969 – Early Talks (Auroville) |
The
night before last, I spent more than three hours with Sri Aurobindo and I was
showing him all that was about to come down for Auroville. It was quite interesting.
There were games, there was art, there was even cooking! But all that was
very symbolic. And I was explaining to him as though on a table, in front of
a vast landscape. I was explaining to him the principle on which physical
exercises and games were going to be organised. It was very clear, very
precise, I was giving as though a demonstration, and it was as though I was
showing on a smaller scale a miniature representation of what was going to be
done. I was moving people and things (gesture, as though on a chess-board).
But it was very interesting, and he was very interested: he was laying down
the broad laws of organisation (I do not know how to explain). There was art
and it was beautiful, it was good. And how to make the houses pleasant and pretty,
upon what principle of construction. And then even the kitchen; it was so
amusing, each one brought forward his invention…. This went on for
three hours ― three hours of the night, it is a lot! Very interesting. Yet
conditions upon earth seem to be very far from all that… (After
some hesitation) No… it was right there, it did not seem to be foreign
to earth. It was a harmony: a conscious harmony behind things; a conscious
harmony behind the physical exercises and the games; a conscious harmony
behind the decoration, the art; a conscious harmony behind the food… I
mean that all this seems to be at the opposite pole of what is now upon
earth. Not… No? I
saw X today and I was telling him that the whole organisation of the arts and
sports, even of food and all the rest, was ready in the subtle physical ―
ready to come down and embody itself ― and I told him, “What is
needed is just a handful of earth (gesture of cupping the hands), a handful
of earth where one could grow the plant…. One must find a handful of
earth to let it grow.” |
31. December 1969 – Matrimandir Talks |
That
was the first idea: there was the Centre and the town was organised around
it. Now they are doing the very opposite! They want to build the town and put
the Centre in afterwards. And
the “thing” is ready to come! I have known it for a long time, it
is there (gesture upward), it is waiting. A’s
idea is an island at the centre, with water around it, running water, which
will provide the whole water supply for the city; and when it has passed
through the city, it will be sent to a pump-house, and from there it will go
out to irrigate all the surrounding cultivated lands. So this Centre is like
a small island and on it is what we called at first the “Matrimandir”
― which I always see as a very big room, absolutely bare, receiving a
light that comes from above, arranged in such a way that the light from above
would be concentrated on one place where there would be… whatever we
want to put as the centre of the city. At first, we had thought of Sri
Aurobindo’s symbol, but we can put whatever we want. Like that, with a
ray of light striking it all the time, which turns, turns, turns… with
the sun, you understand. If that is properly done, it will be very good. And
then underneath, so that people can sit and meditate, or simply rest,
nothing, nothing, except something comfortable underneath so that they can
sit without getting tired, probably with some pillars, which would serve as
back-rests at the same time. Something like that. And that is what I always
see. And the room should be high, so that the sun can enter as a ray,
according to the time of day, and strike the centre which will be there. If
that is done, it will be very good. And
then for the rest it is all the same to me, they can do what they want. At
first they thought of making a place for me to stay, but I will never go
there, so it is not worth the trouble, it is completely useless. And to look
after this island it was agreed that there would be a little house for B who
would like to be there simply as the guardian. And then A had arranged a
whole system of bridges to link it with the other bank. And the other bank
would consist entirely of gardens all around. These gardens… we thought
of twelve gardens ― to divide the distance into twelve, of making
twelve gardens, each one centred on something, a state of consciousness, and
the flowers which represent it. And then, the twelfth garden would be in the
water, around ― not around, but beside ― the “Mandir”,
with the tree, the banyan which is there. That is the centre of the city. And
there, the twelve gardens around the outside would be repeated with the
flowers arranged in the same way. For
the outside of this kind of temple, A had thought of making a big lotus. But
then, this interior, this play of light, I don’t know if it would be
possible with a lotus shape? If
A and C could both collaborate… if they could both come together, and
if one of them could always be here, one of them, now one, now the other, if
one of them could always be here, with a single plan they would draw up
together ― it would go much faster, a hundred times faster. This
idea of the ray of sun… when I look, at once that is what I see. And a
ray of sun which could come at all times ― it would be arranged in such
a way that it comes all the time (gesture following the movement of the sun).
And then, something would be there, a symbol, which would be both upright so
that it can be seen all around, and flat to receive the light fully. What?…
And let it not become a religion, for heaven’s sake! Who
could find the way to realise that? Because there is no lack of sun here….
Of course there are days when there isn’t any, but after all, there are
many days when there is ― so that from every side, from any angle, the
ray falls. It should be arranged like that. It’s a question of
geometry. You can speak about it to C, because if he had an idea… That
is what is needed, something, a symbol ― we’ll find what is
needed, we’ll see ― of course, like an altar, but.. What? Which
receives the light both directly from above and from all sides. And
then, no other windows, you understand? All the rest in a sort of half-light.
And that, like a light… that would be good, it could be very good. I
would like someone who can feel that. And
if it were well realised, that would already be very interesting for people.
It would be a concrete realisation of something…. They will begin to
say that it is a religion of the sun! (Mother laughs) Oh, you know, I am used
to every, every stupidity. Of
course, logically, or rather psychologically, it is a mistake to build all
around and the Centre afterwards. The
idea of A, of his group, is to have industries which can bring in money for
Auroville, then… That is to say that instead of being able to get it done
quickly, it will take centuries. I
will speak to A about it tomorrow. I mean I will tell him to see C who has
some excellent ideas ― well, that he should come to an understanding
with him. You see, it’s very simple: we’ll try to make A
understand and to set up a collaboration. For
me now, things are no longer exclusive, not at all. I see very well the
possibility of using the most opposite tendencies at the same time…. It
is not exclusive. I do not say: “Ah! No, not that!” No, no, no.
All, all together. That is what I want: to be able to create a place where
all the opposites can unite. Unless
that can be done… (gesture of turning round and round) it goes on and
on and on. |
03. January 1970 – Matrimandir Talks |
Sweet
Mother, I have told C to come, he is waiting outside. Yes.
There is an interesting thing. For a long time I had been feeling something,
then we spoke about it the other day and I saw it. I spoke of it to A, I told
him to see C and I also told him that I had seen what should be done. Of course
he did not say No, he said Yes to everything, but I felt that he did not
really intend… But, this is what happened. I saw clearly ― very,
very distinctly…. That is to say it was like that and it is still like
that, it is there (gesture indicating an eternal plane)… the interior
of this place…. It
will be a kind of hall like the inside of a column. No windows. The
ventilation will be artificial, with those machines (gesture indicating an
air-conditioner) and only a roof. And the sun striking the centre. Or when
there is no sun ― at night and on cloudy days ― an electric
spotlight. And
the idea is to build right now a sort of example or model to hold about a
hundred people. When the town is built and we have had the experience, we
will make it into something big. But then it will be very big, to hold a
thousand to two thousand people. And the second one will be built around the
first: that means, the first one will not go until the second one is
finished. That is the idea. Only,
so as to talk about it to C (and if possible, if I see that it is possible,
to talk about it to A), I wanted to have a plan. I will have it made, not
myself, because I can’t any more; I would have been able to do it at
one time, but now I don’t see well enough. I will have it done this
afternoon, in front of me, a plan, and with this plan I will be able to
explain really well. But to you I simply wanted to say what I have seen. It
will be a tower with twelve facets, each facet represents a month of the
year; and up above, the roof of the tower will be like this (gesture
indicating a roof which slopes upwards from the sides to the centre). And
then, inside, there will be twelve columns. The walls and then twelve
columns. And right at the centre, on the floor, there is my symbol, and above
it four of Sri Aurobindo’s symbols, joined to form a square, and above
that.. a globe. If possible, a globe made of transparent material, and with
or without light inside, but the sun should strike the globe; then according
to the month, the time, it will be from here, from there, from there (gesture
indicating the movement of the sun). You understand? There will always be an
opening with a ray. Not a diffused light: a ray which strikes, which should
strike. It will require some technical knowledge to be able to carry it out,
and that is why I want to make a design with an engineer. And
then, there will be no windows or lights inside. It will always be in a kind
of clear half-light, day and night ― by day with the sun, by night with
artificial light. And on the floor, nothing, just a floor like this one (in
Mother’s room). That is to say, first wood (wood or something else),
then a sort of rubber foam, thick, very soft, and then a carpet. A carpet
everywhere, everywhere except at the centre. And people will be able to sit
everywhere. And the twelve columns are for people who need support for their
backs! And
then, people will not come for a regular meditation or anything of that kind
(but the inner organisation will be made afterwards): it will be a place for
concentration. Not everyone will be able to come; there will be a time in the
week or a time in the day (I don’t know) when visitors will be allowed
to come, but anyway, no mixture. A fixed time or a fixed day for showing
people around, and the rest of time only for those who are… serious—serious,
sincere, who want to learn to concentrate. So
I think that is good. It was there (gesture upward). I still see it when I
speak of it ― I see. As I see it, it is very beautiful, it is really
very beautiful… a sort of half-light: one can see, but it is very
tranquil. And then, very clear and very bright rays of light (the spotlight,
the artificial light, must be rather golden, it must not be cold ― that
will depend on the spotlight) onto the symbol. A globe made of a plastic
material or… I don’t know. Crystal? If
it is possible, yes. For the small temple the globe will not need to be very
big: if it were as big as this (about thirty centimetres) it would be good.
But for the big temple it will have to be big. But
how will the big temple be built? On top of the small one? No,
no, the small one will go. But the big one will be built later, and on a vast
scale… the small one will go only after the big one is built. But of
course, for the town to be finished, it will take about twenty years (for
everything to be really in order, in its place). It is like the gardens: all
the gardens which are being made are for now, but in twenty years all that
will have to be on another scale; then, it must be something really…
really beautiful. And
I wonder what material should be used to make this globe, the big one?…
The small one, in crystal perhaps: a globe like that (thirty centimetres). I
think that will be enough. One must be able to see the globe from every
corner of the room. It
shouldn’t be raised too high above the floor either? No,
Sri Aurobindo’s symbol does not need to be big. It should be so big
(gesture)… Twenty-five,
thirty centimetres? At
the most, at the very most. That
means that it will be at about eye-level? Eye-level,
yes, that’s it. And
a very tranquil atmosphere. And nothing, you see ― great columns…
It remains to be seen whether the style of the columns should be…
whether they will be round, or if they will also have twelve facets….
And twelve columns. And
a roof in two sections? Yes,
a roof in two sections so as to have the sun. It must be arranged in such a
way that the rain cannot come in. We cannot think of having to open and close
something when it rains, it is not possible. It must be arranged in such a way
that the rain cannot get in. But the sun must enter as rays, not diffused. So
the opening must be small. It needs an engineer who really knows his job. And
when would they start? I
would like to begin at once, as soon as we have the plans. Only, there are
two questions: first the plans (we can get the workers) and then the money….
I think that it is possible with this idea of making a sort of small model
(of course “small” is a manner of speaking, because to be able to
hold a hundred people easily it still needs to be quite big), a small model
to begin with, and then while making the small model they will learn, and the
big one will be made only when the town is finished — not right now. I
spoke about it to A, who told me the next day: “Yes, but it will take
time to prepare.” I didn’t say anything about all that I’ve
just told you, I only spoke of doing something. And afterwards I had the
vision of this room ― so I no longer need anyone to see what it should
be: I know. And it requires an engineer rather than an architect, because an
architect… it must be as simple as possible. I
told C what you had seen, this great empty room; it moved him very much. This
great empty room was just what he saw. He understands quite well. Well, empty
― that means simply a form. But
a form… Like a tower, but… (that’s why I wanted to have a
sketch, to show it) twelve regular facets, and then there should be a wall,
not an upright wall but something like this (slightly inclined gesture). I
don’t know if it is possible. And inside, twelve columns. And then an
arrangement must be found to catch the sun. Twelve facets in such a way that
at any time of the year it can come. It needs someone who knows the job well. The
outside… I did not see the outside, I did not see it at all. I saw only
the inside. I
wanted to explain to C when I had the papers. It would be easier, but since
you have called him… D
goes and brings C to the room. Mother tells him: After
we decided to build this temple, I saw it, I saw it from the inside. I have
just tried to describe it to E. But in a few days I will have some plans and
drawings, so I will be able to explain more clearly. Because I don’t
know at all how it is outside, but inside I know. C:
The outside grows from the inside. It
is a kind of tower with twelve regular facets, which represent the twelve
months of the year, and it is absolutely empty…. And it must be able to
hold from a hundred to two hundred people. And then, to support the roof
there will be twelve columns inside (not outside), and right at the centre,
well, the object of concentration…. And with the collaboration of the
sun, all the year round the sun should enter as rays: no diffusion, an
arrangement must be made so that it can enter as rays. Then according to the
time of day and the month of the year, the ray will turn (there will be an
arrangement up above) and the ray will be directed onto the centre. At the
centre there will be the symbol of Sri Aurobindo, supporting a globe. A globe
which we shall try to make from something transparent like crystal or…
A big globe. And then, people will be allowed in to concentrate―(Mother
laughs) to learn to concentrate! No fixed meditations, none of all that, but
they must stay there in silence, in silence and concentration. C:
It is very beautiful. But
the place is absolutely… as simple as possible. And the floor in such a
way that people are comfortable, so that they don’t have to think that
it hurts them here or it hurts them there! C:
It is very beautiful. And
in the middle, on the floor, my symbol. At the centre of my symbol we will
put, in four parts, like a square, four symbols of Sri Aurobindo, upright,
supporting a transparent globe. That has been seen. So
I am going to have some small plans prepared by an engineer, simple ones, to
show, and then I will show you when it is ready. So. And then we will see.
The walls will probably have to be of concrete. C:
The whole structure can be in reinforced concrete. The
roof should probably be sloping, and then at the centre there will have to be
a special arrangement for the sun. You
said that the walls would be slightly sloping. Either
the walls or the roof should be sloping ― whichever is the easiest to
do. The walls could be made straight and the roof sloping. And the upper part
of the roof resting on the twelve columns, and up above, the arrangement for
the sun. And
inside, nothing; nothing but the columns. The columns, I don’t know, we
will have to see whether they should be made with facets (like the roof, with
twelve facets) or else simply round. C:
Round. Or
simply square ― it remains to be seen. And
then, on the floor, we will put something thick and soft. Here — you
are comfortable as you are sitting? Yes? First there is wood, and then this
kind of rubber, and on top of it a woollen carpet. With
your symbol? Not
the carpet. For the symbol, I had thought it would be better to make it out
of something durable. C:
It should be in stone. The
symbol… everything will be around it, of course. The symbol will not
cover it all, it will be only in the middle of the space―(Mother
laughs) they mustn’t sit on the symbol! ― that, in the middle.
The proportion of the symbol to the whole will have to be considered very
carefully in relation to the height. C:
And the room quite large? Oh
yes, it has to be… it should be like a sort of half-light with these
rays of sunlight, so that the ray can be seen. A ray of sunlight. Then
according to the time of day, the sun will turn (with the time of day and the
month of the year). And then at night, as soon as the sun disappears,
spotlights are lit which will have the same effect and the same colour. And
day and night the light remains there. But no windows or lamps or anything
like that — nothing. Ventilation with air-conditioners (they are built
into the walls, it is very easy). And silence. Inside no one speaks! (Mother
laughs) That will be good. So, as soon as my papers are ready, I will call
you and show them to you. C:
Very good. C
leaves. Mother then continues speaking with E. I
did not ask C if he had seen A because… A is completely in the “practical”
atmosphere of today. It is good ― it must get started! You
see, this is what I have learned: the failure of the religions. It is because
they were divided. They wanted people to be religious to the exclusion of the
other religions; and every branch of knowledge has been a failure because
they were exclusive; and man has been a failure because he was exclusive. And
what the new consciousness wants (it is on this that it insists) is: no more
divisions. To be able to understand the spiritual extreme, the material
extreme, and to find… to find the meeting-point, the point where…
that becomes a real force. From
the practical point of view I will try to make A understand; but I have seen,
it seemed to me that what is needed… A, when he is here, looks after
Auromodèle, the practical side, all that. It is very necessary, it is very
good; and for the building of the Centre, I would like C to do it, and so I
would like C to stay when A is away; C should be here when A is gone, and we
shall do it with C. Only I don’t want either of them to feel that it is
one of them against the other. They must understand that it is to complement
one another. I think C will understand. But
A might take that as an encroachment on his responsibilities? Perhaps
not. I will try, I will try. No,
when I told him that it was necessary to build the Centre, that I had seen it
and that it should be done, he did not object. He only told me, “But it
will take time.” I told him, “No, it must be done at once.”
And that is why I am having these sketches made by an engineer to show to
him, because it is not an architect’s job, it is an engineer’s
job, with very precise calculations for the light of the sun, very precise.
It needs someone who really knows. The architect has to see that the columns
are beautiful, that the walls are beautiful, that the proportions are correct
― all that is very good ― and then the symbol at the centre. The
aspect of beauty, of course the architect should see to that, but the whole
calculation aspect… And the important thing is this, the play of the
sun onto the centre. Because that becomes the symbol ― the symbol of
the future realisation. |
10. January 1970 – Matrimandir Talks |
I
have a letter from C… I
am going to see him this afternoon. I
told you that I had seen the central building of Auroville… I have a
plan, would you be interested to see it? There are some rolls there. (Mother
unrolls the plan as she explains) There will be twelve facets. And, at an
equal distance from the centre, twelve columns. At the centre, on the ground,
is my symbol, and at the centre of my symbol there are four of Sri Aurobindo’s
symbols, upright, forming a square, and on the square a translucent globe (we
don’t know yet in what material). And then, from the top of the roof,
when the sun is shining, the sunlight will fall onto it as a ray (nowhere
else, only there). When there is no sun, there will be electric spotlights
which will send a ray (also a ray, not a diffused light) exactly onto it,
onto this globe. And
then, there are no doors, but… going deep down, one comes up again into
the temple. One goes under the wall and comes up again inside. Again it is a
symbol. Everything is symbolic. And
then there is no furniture, but on the floor, like here, there is first wood,
probably, then over the wood a thick “dunlop” and over it a
carpet, like here. The colour is yet to be chosen. The whole place will be
white. I am not sure if the symbols of Sri Aurobindo will be white… I
don’t think so. I did not see them white, I saw them in an indefinable
colour between gold and orange, a kind of colour like that. They will be
upright. They will be carved in stone. And a globe which is not transparent
but translucent. And then, right at the bottom (below the globe), there will
be a light which will be directed upwards, shining diffusely into the globe.
And then, from outside, there will be rays of light falling onto the centre.
And no other lights, no windows, electric ventilation. And not a single piece
of furniture, nothing. A place… for trying to find one’s
consciousness. Outside,
it will be something like that (Mother unrolls another plan). We don’t
know if the roof will be completely pointed or… very simple, very
simple. It will be able to hold about two hundred people. I
said that to reassure the people who think that something huge is needed. I
said, “We will begin with this, and then we will see.” You
understand? I said, “This Centre should be there until the town is
completely built, and afterwards we will see.” Afterwards no one will
want to remove it! Yes,
oh, it is quite possible! You see, A told me, “And then what will we do
afterwards?” I said, “Well, we will think about that later!”
That’s it! They don’t know… they don’t know that one
must not think! I didn’t think about it at all, at all, at all. One
day, I saw it like that, as I see you. And even now, it is so living that I
only have to look and I see it. And what I saw was the Centre and the light
which falls on it and then, quite naturally, while looking at it I noticed, I
said, “There, it is like that.” But it was not thought, I did not
think “twelve columns and then twelve facets and then…”; I
did not think all that. I saw. It
is like these symbols of Sri Aurobindo…. When I am speaking of the
Centre I still see these four symbols of Sri Aurobindo, which support each
other at the corners, like that, and this colour… a strange colour…
I don’t know where we could find that. It is an orange-gold, very warm.
And it is the only colour in the place; all the rest is white, and the
translucent globe. The
exact measurement is on the plan, it must be marked. They
make marvellous things there…. Isn’t it marked, the size of the
globe? It
can be hollow. It need not be solid, so that it is not too heavy. This
underground entrance… one will enter a dozen metres or so away from the
wall, at the foot of the urn. The urn will mark the descent. I must choose
from which side exactly…. And then, it is possible that later the urn,
instead of being outside, will be within the enclosure. So perhaps we could
simply put a great wall all around, and then the gardens. Between the
enclosure wall and the building we are going to make now, we could have the
gardens and the urn. And that wall will have one entrance… one or
several, ordinary doors. People will be able to walk in the garden. And then
one should fulfil certain conditions to have the right to go down into the
underground passage and come out into the temple…. That must be
something like an initiation, not just “like that”, no matter how… I
said to A, “We will see in twenty years” ― so that calmed
him down. But the first idea was to surround it with water, to make an island
so that one would have to cross the water to be able to reach the temple. It
is quite possible to make an island…. |
17. January 1970 – Matrimandir Talks |
The
outside ― I have seen nothing. There is a sketch, it is a sketch by F….
I did not see anything at all and I am open to all suggestions. And then? Have
they seen A too? Because A had two ideas; he came to see me with two ideas,
and I told him which of the two I preferred, but nothing is decided yet. And
A is to make a sketch of his ideas. So I will see what C says and then I will
tell you A’s ideas. Are
you sure that he hasn’t seen A? Because A told me, “I want to
make a great circle; the interior is an exact semi-circle and the other
semi-circle would be underground.” He used almost the same words. Yes,
yes, that was the first idea A told me, almost identically the same words.
And then, his second idea was a pyramid. To leave the temple as we had said,
and then make a pyramid. But I had also thought of a pyramid, and I told him,
“I thought of a pyramid.” But he said that he would make both
plans and that then we would see. But if that agrees with C’s idea it
is very good. But
the columns have a use, because at the top of the columns we will put the
spotlights which will direct the light onto the centre. There will be light
night and day; for the day, openings will be arranged, but as soon as the sun
is gone the spotlights will be lit and the spotlights are fixed on top of the
twelve columns and converge onto the centre. The
columns are not near to the wall. The columns are here, exactly half-way
between the centre and the wall. I
saw columns, myself. On
the outer walls the general ventilation will be arranged, which will be
electric (no windows), and then on the columns there was the light… I
saw columns, I clearly saw the columns. As
for the gallery all around, I don’t know if I like that much… I
did not see it, I saw the walls completely bare, without windows, and then
the columns, and then the centre. That I am sure of, because I saw it, and I
saw it for a long time. That
means that it makes a perfect circle: half above, half below…. It will
do. Only an arrangement must be made for the sun. It
must be one ray. In what I have seen, one saw the ray. I
don’t know if it is good to make many entrances like that…. There
will be a practical problem to solve; if there is only one entrance and a
very strict watch at that entrance, it is all right, but if there are several
entrances and if there is not enough light, there will be disasters. I
did not think of it as “stuck against the wall” ― there was
always a passage around the wall. What
I don’t like is the idea of these galleries, because the walls were
quite straight, from top to bottom, in white marble. So
they must come to an understanding. But that must be half done already since
A spoke to me about the idea. If I had known that it was C’s idea, I
would have said Yes right away. But it will work out. It’s all right. I
don’t know. I tell you, I have seen nothing for the outside, so I don’t
know. But it would be dangerous, one could fall. It
is the wall which must be twenty-four metres away. The
question exactly was that it should make a perfect circle. The
thing that would really please me would be if they could both come to an
agreement and present me with a project from both of them at once. Like that,
it would be easy to carry it out…. Hasn’t A adopted C’s
idea? Why don’t the two of them see together how to carry it out? What
will happen under there? (Mother points to the underground part of the
shell). All that is mental, but when you are going to have a big basement,
all dark, what is going to happen in there? What is going to happen? Lots of
unmentionable things. Humanity is not transformed, one should not forget it.
And all kinds of people will come…. Even if there is a control at the
entrance you can’t prevent people from going to see, so then what is
going to happen under there? That was my first objection when A told me, “We
could make wonderful underground passages!” I told him, “That’s
all very well, but who will control what happens under there?” My
idea was quite a short descent, which came out there (Mother points to the
single opening of the original plan). Quite a short descent, not a great
tunnel like that. But it is possible, it is a question of control, that’s
all. Only there is a big difference between a passage with room for two lines
of people (one going up and one going down) and coming out there, and an
enormous tunnel like this one ― there is a big difference! And now, in
addition, it will be all dark! That
means that one will not see very clearly in there. Then what is going to
happen in there? There
won’t be any accidents? Ah! There are people with their heads in the
clouds who are all ready to break their heads on the floor. You see, it’s
a bit too mental for my taste ― I mean that from the mental point of
view it is very attractive, but in vision… In
any case they must get together. And then I will see. I would like to be able
to have them both together with their paper. Then that would be very good. A
shell… the idea was a sphere. Why a shell? An
egg-shell is elongated, it is not spherical. A real egg is rather like a
spinning-top ― so the upper part would be wider and the base narrower
with only the stairs…. That is quite possible. Give
me a piece of paper. (Mother draws an egg as she explains) And then, there,
down below, there would only be the stairs, like that, yes. But
then, what is it like, the egg of Brahman? The
bottom of an egg is always narrower than the top. So if we take an egg like
that (Mother draws), and at the base this is the staircase, and the spiral
staircase comes up to the temple. For example, seven stairway openings. And
here (Mother draws the central part of the egg), it is twenty-four metres and
only fifteen and a half metres in height. Then like that it is correct. No,
it must have straight walls, the walls cannot be curved, I saw them straight. According
to what I had seen, the columns were higher than the walls, and that is why
the roof sloped. And the electric light was on the columns. And the widest
point of the egg would be here (Mother draws a line at the level of the
carpet). Seven
stairways. And then an underground passage which leads to the base of the egg
where the seven stairways start from. That is possible. That
is to say that one can, for the outside, for the appearance, make them
rounded. But inside, the wall must be straight. Yes,
a dome over the straight wall. But the dome can be the dome of the egg, and I
had thought that the place where the dome comes to join the walls would be on
the columns. Twelve columns. And here, for the outside, they can round off
their wall like that (Mother draws). It
would even be possible to have a space between the outermost wall and the
inner wall. To make a space. That is to be seen. Yes,
that’s understood. The twenty-four metres end at the walls. I
would prefer to have them outside the wall. Yes,
and the interior would be much clearer. I didn’t like the sight of all
these stairways. I did not like to see even one stairway, but to see seven…
But outside, it is all right. The
passage outside. That
is how they want it. For below I don’t mind. If they want it to be a
stairway like that or a stairway… so long as it is not too steep. It
is not possible. All the people of the Ashram who are of working age are all
working, they have all got their work. They
would simply love that! For them it would be extraordinary fun. I have more
trouble to prevent them from dispersing themselves than I would ever have to
get them to do something. It would be an amusement for them. Oh
no! He does not know. It is all in the mind, it is all mental. They do not
know. Who knows? It is only when one sees. Not one of them sees. All
thoughts, thoughts, thoughts…. Thoughts do not build. I
am working, working (kneading gesture) to bring together the energies that
can do it. And there must be a sifting out there. But,
you understand, they are talking about physical work, and for physical work
there are only the young people who are at the school ― all the
Ashramites have grown old, my child, they are all old. There are only the
young people at the school. And the young ones who are at the school are not
here to be Ashramites, they are here to be educated ― it is up to them
to choose. Many, many of them want to go to Auroville. So it would be the
educational side of the Ashram which would go to Auroville…. There are
many of them. But give me the names ― who can go and work with his
hands? My
child, you are one of the youngest…. Do you see me telling J: “Go
and work”? If
you knew how many letters I receive from so-called Aurovilians who say, “Oh,
I want to be quiet at last, I want to come to the Ashram, I do not want to be
an Aurovilian any more.” There, it is just the opposite, “I want
to be quiet.” There. You
know, I do not believe in external decisions. I simply believe in one thing
only: the force of the Consciousness which is making a pressure like that
(crushing gesture). And the pressure goes on increasing… which means
that it will sift out the people. I believe only in that ― the pressure
of the Consciousness. All the rest are things that men do. They do them more
or less well, and then it lives, and then it dies, and then it changes, and
then it gets distorted, and then… everything they have done. It is not
worth the trouble. The power of execution must come from above, like that,
imperative (gesture of descent)! And for that, this (Mother points to her
forehead), this must keep quiet. Not to say, “Oh, that must not be, oh!
this must be, oh! we ought to do…” Peace, peace, peace. He knows
better than you do what is needed. There. So
since there are not many people who can understand, I say nothing. I watch
and I wait. If
they can come to an agreement, the work will go faster. There. Objections about
details have no importance, because one sets out with one idea and one
arrives with another… one makes a lot of progress in between. So that
does not need to be discussed, it is only… Only try to unite your
energies to get started more quickly, that’s all. |
10. March 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
Each
man has his solution, and that is the great difficulty. To be in the Truth,
each one has his solution. And yet we must find a way for all these solutions
to work together. So
the framework must be vast, very flexible, and there must be a great goodwill
from everyone: that is the first condition ― the first individual
condition ― goodwill. To be flexible enough to do the best thing to be
done at each moment. To
be practical, you must first have a very clear vision of your goal, of where
you are going. From this point of view, take money for example. An ideal
which may be several hundred years ahead of its time, we don’t know:
money should be a power which belongs to nobody and which should be
controlled by the most universal wisdom present. Put on the earth someone who
has a vision vast enough to be able to know the needs of the earth and
precise enough to be able to tell where the money should go ― you
understand, we are very far from that, aren’t we? For the moment, the
gentleman still says, “This is mine”, and when he is generous, he
says, “I give it to you.” That’s not it. But
there is a long way to go between what we are and what must be. And for that
we must be very flexible, never losing sight of the goal, but knowing that we
cannot reach it at one bound and that we must find the way. Well, that is
much more difficult, even more difficult than to make the inner discovery.
Truly speaking, that should have been made before coming here. For
there is a starting-point: when you have found within yourself the light that
never wavers, the presence which can guide you with certitude, then you
become aware that constantly, in everything that happens, there is something
to be learnt, and that in the present state of matter there is always a
progress to be made. That is how one should come, eager to find out at every
minute the progress to be made. To have a life that wants to grow and perfect
itself, that is what the collective ideal of Auroville should be: “A
life that wants to grow and perfect itself”, and above all, not in the
same way for everyone ― each one in his own way. Well,
now there are thirty of you, it is difficult, isn’t it? When there are
thirty thousand of you, it will be easier, because, naturally, there will be
many more possibilities. You are the pioneers, you have the most difficult
task, but I feel it is the most interesting one. Because you must establish
in a concrete, durable and growing way the attitude that is needed to truly
be an Aurovilian. To learn every day the lesson that is needed to truly be an
Aurovilian. To learn every day the lesson of the day…. Each sunrise is
an opportunity to make a discovery. So, with that state of mind, you find
out. Everyone does. And
the body needs activity if you keep it inactive, it will begin to revolt by
becoming sick and so on. It needs an activity, it really needs an activity
like planting flowers, building a house, something really material. You must
feel it. Some people do exercises, some ride bicycles, there are countless
activities, but in your little group you must all come to an agreement so
that each one can find the activity which suits his temperament, his nature
and his need. But not with ideas. Ideas are not much good, ideas give you
preconceptions, for example, “That is a good work, that work is not
worthy of me,” and all that sort of nonsense. There is no bad work ―
there are only bad workers. All work is good when you know how to do it in
the right way. Everything. And it is a kind of communion. If you are
fortunate enough to be conscious of an inner light, you will see that in your
manual work, it is as if you called the Divine down into things; then the
communion becomes very concrete, there is a whole world to be discovered, it
is marvellous. You
are young, you have plenty of time before you. And to be young, to be really
young, we must always, always keep on growing, developing, progressing.
Growth is the sign of youthfulness and there is no limit to the growth of
consciousness. I know old people of twenty and young people of fifty, sixty,
seventy. And if one does manual work, one keeps in good health. So
now you must find the solution. |
24. March 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
All
I ask is that they should be sincere, that they do not come out of mere
curiosity. If they are sincere, if they truly want to progress, they may come
one at a time, I am quite willing. I do not even need to know their names.
You see, that has no importance to me. It is only the quality of the
receptivity that counts. If they are open and feel that it does them good,
then fine, it is very good…. (To
C) So you will come once a week to keep me informed about the garden….
You, you people come from Auroville; him, he works here…. Is that all
right? I
am going to set two conditions. To want to progress ― that is really a
moderate condition. To want to progress, to know that everything is yet to be
done, everything is yet to be conquered. The second condition: to do
something every day, some activity, some work, anything, something which is
not for oneself, and above all something which is an expression of goodwill
for all ― you are a group, aren’t you? ― simply to show
that you do not live solely for yourselves as if you were at the centre of
the universe and the whole universe had to revolve around you. That is how it
is for the vast majority of people, and they don’t even know it. Each
one should become aware that, spontaneously, one puts oneself at the centre
of the universe and wants everything to come to oneself, just like that, in
one way or another. But one should make an effort to recognise the existence
of the whole, that’s all. It is to widen one’s consciousness,
just to become a little less tiny. So
those who adhere to my programme will come once a week, in turn. Is that all
right? (To
C) As for you, I shall give you a rose for your mother because she likes them
very much. So you will give her this. And you will come… you should not
come on the same day, because it takes too much time. There
are as many Judos as there are people practising it. Ten is all right. The
first thing is to learn how to fall. (General laughter) All right. So I shall
see you next Tuesday. Good-bye. |
31. March 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
You
should have an office, that is to say, there ought to be someone there all
the time, someone who could receive people coming from outside, interview
them, find out who has sent them, where they come from, why they have come.
He should be an Indian. That is absolutely indispensable, someone who speaks… There
should be one Indian and one European who can speak at least French and
English. If he could speak German too it would be still better. But nowadays,
with English… Spending
the night ― I don’t agree, because we know nothing about what
they are like or what they want or why they have come. Those who come with a
recommendation, someone knows them, they have been sent to us, that is
different; but those who come just like that ― there must be someone to
tell them what it’s all about, and that it is not an object of
curiosity. But
it would be rather useful, it would be very useful. It would be enough to
have a table and a chair ― you invite them in and interview them. If
necessary, there could be a stool for them! “What
do you expect from us, who told you about us”, etc…. And then it
ought to be someone with a little psychological insight. If he sees that the
people are sincere and interesting, then it is all right; but to spend the
night ― better not. I
think that until there is enough accommodation for everyone it is quite
indispensable. I’m not saying that it will be super-comfortable, but it
is most indispensable. Indians
are wonderful at learning languages. They can learn four or five languages
without mixing them up. This young boy would learn very well ― it would
be a good thing. |
21. April 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
For
your questions, the best way, you see, it is education. To educate them not
by words and speeches but by example. If you can make them mix with your life
and your work, and they get the influence of your way of being, your way of
understanding, then, little by little, they will change. And when they become
curious and ask questions, then it will be time to answer and to tell them
what you know. Then
you will give them that. (Mother gives two Blessings Packets.) You’ll
tell them: the Mother is sending that for you. And you tell them: keep that
upon you, it will help you. Because
I have been told that in Aspiration there is a big number of cats and dogs.
It is true? You know, I have nothing against cats and dogs. I have kept some
also at one time. But the climate is not good; it is almost impossible to
avoid… to avoid rabies. And then, you understand, it becomes dangerous
and you will have to kill them, which is not a pleasant business. It would be
better to diminish the number as much as possible. I have been obliged to ask
not to keep dogs; some keep them all the same. But you can’t have a
pleasant contact with them. They carry the illness. There are some diseases,
rather serious, and dogs, cats, carry them. I don’t want to give nasty
descriptions, but… It is not safe and it cannot be peaceful. Do you
know the illness they carry? There are two: one is plague, the other is
leprosy. And
then, well, they breed. (Laughter) There is no end to it. And breeding ―
what can we do? Drown them all? It is not pleasant. Naturally, you could
easily tell me: if we chase them away from here they will go somewhere else.
But, anyway, what I would like is that this should not be encouraged. You
know, you will have more cats and dogs than human beings. That’s how it
is. Then ― there is one interesting thing you could do. Far, far away,
in some deserted area where no one lives, you could put them all together, in
a protected area, so that they could not get out. Then they will find
something to eat. Say, a spot of virgin forest ― they still exist in
India. With cats it is very easy. When a cat has kittens, if you carry the
babies off somewhere and put them there, the mother never comes back, she
stays with the little ones. Something should be found, a remote spot. They
still exist in India. But not on Auroville land. In
fact, all I am asking you to do is not to allow the number to increase, in
any case. One day you will come to me all in tears, saying: life has become
unbearable! (Laughter) So, I am warning you. |
28. April 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
There
will be… Do you know the small Ashram brooches? Well, there is going to
be one for Auroville. Because there are people who come and settle down on
Auroville land and they refuse to go and see the Committee, saying, “Auroville
is free!” And they settle down there. But all the same, we need to be
able to distinguish between those who are recognised Aurovilians and those
who are more fanciful. So something is being prepared ― of course, it
is not ready yet. I only wanted to show you. It
will be a small brooch about this size. It is like this. The circle will be
made of silver; and here are the four aspects, and Sri Aurobindo’s square
with the lotus. And “Auroville” will be written all around it. So
you will wear that in your button-hole the ― recognised Aurovilians! |
26. May 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
By
mystic means I mean the way of those who withdraw from life, like the monks,
the people who withdraw into convents, or like the sannyasins here, those who
abandon life to find spiritual life, who make a division between the two and
say, “It is either one or the other.” We say, “That is not
true.” It is in life and by living life entirely that one can live the
spiritual life, that one must live the spiritual life. The supreme
consciousness has to be brought here. From the purely material and physical
point of view, man is not the last race. As man came after the animal, so
another being must come after man. And as there is only one Consciousness, it
is the same Consciousness which having had the experience of man will have
the experience of a superhuman being. And so if we go away, if we leave life,
if we reject life, then we will never be ready to do that. But
if you had read Sri Aurobindo, you would have understood, you would not have
asked this question. It is because there is a lack of preparation from the
intellectual point of view. You want to know everything without having
studied. It
is because when you want something, it is the ego that wants. So, the ego…
must be ignored. The first thing to do is not to act for yourself but to act
in obedience to the Divine, to express the divine Will. For your part, you
have no orders to give. As long as it is a personal will, a personal desire,
it is not the true thing, and you cannot… Not only is it not the true
thing, but you cannot know the true thing! That
is why alone, we are nothing at all. This is life. We do not act for
ourselves. We do not act from our personal will and for a personal result. We
act only by the divine Will and for the divine Will. So much so, that
effortlessly, spontaneously, we can feel the greatest tenderness for our physical
enemy. When you have felt that, you will understand. That is the whole
limitation, the whole limitation. When
conflicts arise, and they arise all the time, for all of us ―
immediately it is as if one were drawing back into one’s own skin. For
that is what happens: each one draws back inside himself. But the difficulty
is that even when one has relatively little personal will, if the person next
to you expresses a personal will, it is exactly… First of all it
creates a reaction and then too, if you are more or less in agreement with
it, you take this will, you see, and you begin to reflect it all around. So
you can see what happens. And that is going on all the time. First one person
has a will, and then another, and so on, endlessly. That is happening
everywhere; the strongest will prevails. It is worthless, worthless. When
we say, “We are at the service of the Divine”, it is not just
words. It is He who should act through us, not we ourselves. The greatest
objection is: How can we know the divine Will? But as a matter of fact, I
tell you: if you sincerely renounce your personal will, you will know. |
02. June 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
I
have been asked to formulate the aspiration of Auroville. Because there
is a lot of goodwill, but it is… it does not seem to be organised.
So, I said: the best thing to do is to formulate what Auroville wants to be.
That will provide some coordination. But it is a great task. Each
time, we could formulate one of the aspirations, or else you could bring me a
question each time. And there will be many of them, so, one question and then
either I will answer right away or I will give you the answer the next time.
Or else, we can try to express together the aspiration of Auroville. I
know what I want Auroville to be. But there is a considerable gap… It
is Auroville in a few years’ time, many years from now. This
is how we will proceed: each time you come, I will give you one of Auroville’s
aspirations and then we’ll put them one after the other, and the next
time you can ask me a question on what I have said the time before. There is
one drawback; it is not always the same people who come. There are three of
you who always come. You must keep up the continuity. (Mother
writes) “To Be a True Aurovilian.” I have written it with only
one “1” on purpose. So,
we shall see about number two. From
the point of view of behaviour, of more-down-to-earth things, for example: We
want to be free from all moral and social conventions. But that is where we
have to be very careful! One must not liberate oneself from these things by
sinking below them into licence and the blind satisfaction of desires; one
must liberate oneself from these conventions by rising above them and by
eliminating desires, and replace moral rules by obedience to the Divine. If
it is laziness, you must begin slowly and gradually build up as the body
becomes used to it. If it is because of a sense of superiority, that is a
serious disease! (Mother laughs) It must be cured! We
have been given a body not to reject it but to make it into something better.
And that is precisely one of the goals of Auroville. The human body must be
improved, perfected, and it must become a superhuman body capable of
expressing a being higher than man. And this certainly cannot happen if we
neglect it. It is by an enlightened physical culture and by using physical
activities ― the activities of the body ― not for little personal
needs and satisfactions, but to make the body more capable of expressing a
higher beauty and consciousness. And for that, physical education has an
important place, which should be given to it. The
question “Why are they like that” ― everyone says to me, “They
are like this. They are like that. Why are they like that?” And in
every domain. And that is precisely why I thought of doing what I spoke of
before: formulating the true aspiration of Auroville. And
this cultivation of the body must be done with an enlightened sense, not to
do eccentric or marvellous things, but to give the body the possibility of
being strong and supple enough to express a higher consciousness. That
will be part of the long list. They
need to be told a little…. Each has come with an aspiration, the idea that he
would find something new, but it is not very clear. And so they must be given a clear
picture, comprehensive enough for all the aspirations to be able to find their place
and their expression. We will do that. We see each other once a week. We will
do it little by little. You
will have to tell them, but I have just said it. They can be told, you can
tell them: physical culture has an important place in preparing the body for
its new functions. There! I
have written number two: “The Aurovilian does not want to be a slave to
his desires.” It is a major resolution. |
09. June 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
Such
things have to be written. As it stands, it is merely talk. When one is
speaking like that, it is not in a form which can be preserved. You see,
there is the way you speak, the tone of your voice, the force you put into
it, and then the expression which completes what is not explicit. Then, when
it is printed, all that is missing, and it becomes just talk. It lacks the
essential thing: the consciousness one puts into what one says. The words are
not enough. If
I had the time I would correct it for you and then you could publish it; but as
it stands now, it is not possible. When you read, you are with the words
alone, and very few people are capable of drawing on the force while they are
reading. The words must be as precise as possible. That is why I have written
down this text. When it is finished, I will put it in English, then those who
don’t know French will be able to understand. |
23. June 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
If
the water is bad, it keeps coming back. You should get it analysed. (Mother
advises analysis of the water by E.) Give him some water and ask him to have
a look at it. Then we will do what is needed. The best thing, the safest
thing is to boil it and then filter it. And then you must be careful about
the vessels; make sure they are clean. If you are careless… Boiling it,
that’s easy. Filtering it ― someone could make a filter. And
then, don’t drink just anywhere! That is the only thing, the only
precaution you have to take in this country: the water. You get all kinds of
diseases from the water. I thought that this had already been explained to
you. You can build a filter; make it a big one! |
07. July 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
We
want to build the Matrimandir; and then, that was the idea: when we begin to build
the Matrimandir, everyone who wants to work there will be able to do so. And
that would really be working on the central idea. And
it should be soon. It should have been already. So there, there will be work
for everyone. We have been thinking of beginning the Matrimandir for a long
time. In fact, everyone should come and work there, except, of course, those
who work elsewhere. There will be work for everybody. It is better than…
It is the centre of the town. You
could tell him this: in principle the idea is good. But as for the
application, for a long time, more than a year, we wanted to begin the
Matrimandir so that everyone could work there. A person would have to say, “No,
I do not want to” and have his reasons. It
is like the Force, the central Force of Auroville, the cohesive Force of
Auroville. There
will be gardens. There will be everything, all the possibilities: engineers,
architects, all kinds of manual work. So you can tell him from me that he has
picked up the idea which was in the air, but that we
want its application to be truly symbolic. And when we begin to build the
Matrimandir, we will put everyone to work on it. Not every day and all the
time, but it will be organised. |
28. July 1970 – Aspiration Talks |
The
reason is something quite different. It had nothing to do with that. The
reason is quite simply that it is rather difficult to make a rule that
applies for one person and not for another ― very complicated. And
unfortunately, among the people living in Auroville there are some who drink.
And there are other things too… But anyway, one was found almost dead
drunk in the Playground. So, naturally, with us here at the Ashram it is
forbidden to drink, to drink alcohol. It caused a terrible uproar.
That is the reason. It is not an inner reason, it is a very practical reason.
It is impossible to say, “This one may go; that one cannot.”
What can they do at the door? And it almost caused a revolution.
If they ask my advice, I would say, I advise you not to drink
because it diminishes the consciousness and ruins your health. But some
people do not ask my advice. And I do not want to make rules for Auroville as
I did for the Ashram. It is not the same thing. The
people who live in Auroville and insist on following all the old habits ―
the old ones and the new ones too ― which harm the consciousness, which
lower the consciousness, things like smoking, drinking and, of course, drugs…
all that, it is as if you were cutting pieces off your being. In the Ashram,
naturally, I said No. We want to grow in consciousness; we do not want to
descend into the pit of desires. To those who refuse to understand I say:
the aim of Auroville is to discover a new, deeper, more complete, more perfect
life and to show the world that tomorrow will be better than today. Some
people believe that smoking, drinking, etc. will form part of the life of
tomorrow. That is their business. If they want to go through this experience,
let them do it. They will realise that they are imprisoning themselves in
their own desires. But anyway, I am not a moralist, not at all, at all, at
all. It is their own business. It is their own business. If they want to go
through this experience, let them do it. But the Ashram is not the place for it.
Thank God, at the Ashram we have learnt that life is something else. True
life is not the satisfaction of desires. I can affirm from experience that
all the experiences brought by drugs, all that contact with the invisible
world, can be had in a much better, more conscious and controlled way without
drugs. Only, one must control oneself. It is more difficult than swallowing
poison. But I am not going to preach. When
and if Auroville becomes the example of a higher life, having conquered all
desires and opened itself to higher forces, then we will be able to go
everywhere. When the Aurovilians become lights moving in the world, they will
be welcome. |
30. March 1972 – Talk |
Since
we have set aside all conventions, immediately everybody thinks: “Ah!
Nice place to satisfy our desires.” And they nearly all come with that
intention. And
because I built a maternity clinic for the children of people I was obliged
to send away from the Ashram, so that they would have a place
to have their children, people think that the maternity clinic is intended
for all illegitimate children. I
am not concerned about legality, I am not concerned about laws or
conventions. But what I do want is a more divine life and not an animal life. And
they turn freedom into license, they use it to satisfy their desires. And all
the things that we have truly worked all our lives to master, they indulge in
― a dissipation. I am absolutely disgusted. We
are here to give up all desires and turn towards the Divine and to become
conscious of the Divine. The Divine we seek is not remote and inaccessible.
He is at the core of His own creation and what He wants us to do is to find
Him, and by our personal transformation to become capable of knowing Him, of
uniting with Him and, in the end, of manifesting Him consciously. This is
what we should consecrate ourselves to, this is our true reason for
existence. And our first step towards this sublime realisation is the
manifestation of the supramental Consciousness. To
realise and manifest the Divine in our own lives is the way, not to become animals
and live like cats and dogs. Just
the opposite! The greater part of the population of Auroville is a
subhumanity instead of a superhumanity. Well, it is time for all that to come
to an end. There
are people who have come just like that, and now when I tell them: “This
won’t do at all,” they answer: “Oh, we didn’t come
here for that!” How
I would like to be able to go and tell them all to their faces that they are
mistaken, that things are not like that. But I think it is time to write it
down. How
pretty it is, a very pretty humanity! But,
Sweet Mother, your force is extremely active right now. Yes,
I know. I know, when I am in this state I see the Force all the time ―
it is not my force, it is the Divine Force. As for myself, I try, I try to be
like that. This body tries to be simply… simply a transmitter, as
transparent as possible, as impersonal as possible. So that the Divine can do
what He wants. (Silence) Yesterday,
it was fifty-eight years since I came here for the first time. For
fifty-eight years I have been working for that, for the body to be as
transparent and as immaterial as possible, in other words, not to be an
obstruction to the Force that is coming down. Now,
now it is the body, the body itself that wants it with all its cells. That is
the only reason for its existence. To try, to try to realise on earth a
purely transparent, translucid element which would allow the Force to act
without distorting it. |
03. June 1947 – India |
After
Lord Louis Mountbatten speech about India‘s independence and separation: A
proposal has been made for the solution of our difficulties in organising
Indian independence and it is being accepted with whatever bitterness of
regret and searchings of the heart by Indian leaders. But
do you know why this proposal has been made to us? It is to prove to us the
absurdity of our quarrels. And
do you know why we have to accept these proposals? It is to prove to
ourselves the absurdity of our quarrels. Clearly,
this is not a solution; it is a test, an ordeal which, if we live it out in
all sincerity, will prove to us that it is not by cutting a country into
small bits that we shall bring about its unity and its greatness; it is not
by opposing interests against each other that we can win for it prosperity;
it is not by setting one dogma against another that we can serve the spirit
of Truth. In spite of all, India has a single soul and while we have to wait
till we can speak of an India one and indivisible, our cry must be: Let
the soul of India live forever! |
06. June 1947 – India |
The
Soul of India is one and indivisible. India
is conscious of her mission in the world. She
is waiting for the exterior means of manifestation. |
15. August 1947 – India |
O
our Mother, O Soul of India, Mother who hast never forsaken thy children even
in the days of darkest depression, even when they turned away from thy voice,
served other masters and denied thee, now when they have arisen and the light
is on thy face in this dawn of thy liberation, in this great hour we salute
thee. Guide us so that the horizon of freedom opening before us may be also a
horizon of true greatness and of thy true life in the community of the
nations. Guide us so that we may be always on the side of great ideals and
show to men thy true visage, as a leader in the ways of the spirit and a
friend and helper of all the peoples. |
October 1948 – India |
(About
“the Mother’s flag”, which contains her symbol in gold
centred on a silver-blue background) It
is the flag of India’s spiritual mission. And in the accomplishment of
this mission will India’s unity be accomplished. It
is by being sincere, courageous, enduring and honest that you can best serve
your country, make it one and great in the world. |
23. August 1951 – India |
Let
the splendour of Bharat’s past be reborn in the realisation of her
imminent future with the help and blessings of her living soul. |
February 1954 – India |
India
must be saved for the good of the world since India alone can lead the world
to peace and a new world order. |
February 1954 – India |
Divine
Power alone can help India. If you can build faith and cohesion in the
country it is much more powerful than any man-made power. |
February 1954 – India |
There
must be a group forming a strong body of cohesive will with the spiritual
knowledge to save India and the world. It is India that can bring Truth in
the world. By manifestation of the Divine Will and Power alone, India can
preach her message to the world and not by imitating the materialism of the
West. By following the Divine Will India shall shine at the top of the
spiritual mountain and show the way of Truth and organise world unity. |
February 1954 – India |
The
future of India is very clear. India is the Guru of the world. The future
structure of the world depends on India. India is the living soul. India is
incarnating the spiritual knowledge in the world. The Government of India
ought to recognise the significance of India in this sphere and plan their
action accordingly. |
17. April 1954 – India |
When
India, emerging victorious from a deadly combat, regains her territorial
integrity; when, emerging triumphant from a moral crisis that is more deadly
still ― since instead of killing the body it destroys the soul-contact,
a much greater tragedy ― India resumes her true place and mission in
the world, these petty quarrels over governmental and political rivalries,
which consist entirely of personal interests and ambitions, will be
automatically resolved in a just and enlightened accord. |
01. November 1954 – India |
For
us the 1st November has a deep significance. We have a flag which Sri
Aurobindo called the Spiritual Flag of United India. Its square form, its
colour and every detail of its design have a symbolic meaning. It was hoisted
on the 15th August 1947 when India became free. It will now be hoisted on the
1st November 1954 when these settlements get united with India and it will be
hoisted in the future whenever India recovers other parts of herself. United
India has a special mission to fulfil in the world. Sri Aurobindo laid down
his life for it and we are prepared to do the same. |
15. November 1955 – India |
India
must rise to the height of her mission and proclaim the Truth to the world. |
1955 – India |
I
pray to you to save India from the Indians. Yes,
it seems rather necessary. |
1957 – India |
The
future of India is luminous in spite of its present gloom. |
24. October 1962 – India |
(On
20 October 1962 China invaded India on her north-eastern and north-western
borders. Between 20 and 28 October Chinese troops captured several military
posts and forced Indian troops to retreat. During this time Mother made the
following four statements.) Sometimes
I have the impression that our leaders do not seem to have backbone to the
same extent as Kennedy with his decision about Cuba. This
kind of thinking is quite out of place at this moment. One should never
criticise someone if one has not proved indisputably that, in the same
circumstances, one can do better than he. Do
you feel yourself capable of being an unequalled Prime Minister of India? I
reply: certainly not, and advise you to keep silent and to remain quiet. |
27. October 1962 – India |
Patriotic
sentiments are not incompatible with our yoga — far from it — to
will for the strength and the integrity of one’s Motherland is a quite
legitimate sentiment, the will that she may make progress and that more and
more she may manifest, in full freedom, the truth of her being, is a fine and
noble will which cannot be harmful for our yoga. But
one must not get excited, one must not plunge prematurely into action. One
can and should pray, aspire and will for the victory of the truth and, at the
same time, continue to discharge one’s daily duties and wait quietly
for the unmistakable sign to come, indicating the action to be done. With
my blessings. |
28. October 1962 – India (Silence) |
Silence!
Silence! This
is a time for gathering energies, and not for wasting them away in useless
and meaningless words. Anyone
who proclaims loudly his opinions on the present situation of the country,
must understand that his opinions are of no value and cannot, in the least,
help Mother India to come out of her difficulties. If you want to be useful,
first control yourself and keep silent. Silence!
Silence! Silence! It
is only in silence that anything great can be done. |
31. October 1962 – India |
It
is all right. I accept. I take this occasion to tell you that I have just
sent directly to Delhi the offering of the Ashram for the defence of India. With
my blessings. |
26. January 1963 – India |
True
spirituality is not to renounce life, but to make life perfect with the
Divine Perfection. This
is what India must show to the world now. |
03. February 1963 – India |
Overgrow
your small egoistic personality and become a worthy child of our Mother
India, fulfil your duties with honesty and rectitude, and always keep
cheerful and confident, with a steady trust in the Divine’s Grace. |
26. January 1964 – India (Published) |
1)
If you were asked to sum up, just in one sentence, your vision of India, what
would be your answer? India’s
true destiny is to be the Guru of the world. 2)
Similarly, if you were asked to comment on the reality as you see it, how
would you do so in one sentence? The
present reality is a big falsehood ― hiding an eternal truth. 3)
What, according to you, are the three main barriers that stand between the
vision and the reality? (a)
Ignorance; (b) fear; (c) falsehood. 4)
Are you satisfied with the over-all progress India has made since
Independence? No. 5)
What is our most outstanding achievement in recent times? Why do you consider
it so important? Waking
up of the yearning for Truth. Because without Truth there is no reality. 6)
Likewise, can you name our saddest failure? On what grounds do you regard it
as so tragic? Insincerity.
Because insincerity leads to ruin. |
31. January 1964 – India |
My
dear child, I
did not say anything against Bengal in particular. I said that all the events
that are taking place are due to the lack of receptivity in human beings, who
still seem to be in the same state of consciousness that was natural and
general three or four hundred years ago. Obviously,
one could have hoped that the Bengalis, because of their faith, would have
given the example of a greater receptivity and refused to yield to these
movements of unconscious violence. But as you very rightly say, each one can
find the answer within himself and sincerely ask himself how much he has
taken advantage of his stay here! If even here the result is slight and
mediocre, what can one expect from those who are not under the direct and
immediate influence? The
only remedy: “Awake and collaborate!” |
27. May 1964 – India (Nehru) |
Nehru
leaves his body but his soul is one with the Soul of India that lives for
Eternity. |
29. July 1964 – India |
The
map was made after the partition. It
is the map of the true India in spite of all passing appearances, and it will
always remain the map of the true India, whatever people may think about it. |
26. July 1965 – India |
Our
aim is not a national system of education for India, but an education for the
world at large. India
has or rather had the knowledge of the Spirit, but she neglected matter and
suffered for it. The
West has the knowledge of matter but rejected the Spirit and suffers badly
for it. An
integral education which could, with some variations, be adapted to all the
nations of the world, must bring back the legitimate authority of the Spirit
over a matter fully developed and utilised. This
is in short what I wanted to say. With
blessings. |
08. September 1965 – India |
I
would like them (the Government) to recognise Yoga as education, not so much
for ourselves, but it will be good for the country. Matter
will be transformed, that will be a solid base. Life will be divinised. Let
India take the lead. No
real peace can be till the heart of man deserves peace; the law of Vishnu
cannot prevail till the debt to Rudra is paid. To turn aside then and preach
to a still unevolved mankind the law of love and oneness? Teachers of the law
of love and oneness there must be, for by that way must come the ultimate
salvation. But not till the Time-Spirit in man is ready, can the inner and
ultimate prevail over the outer and immediate reality. Christ and Buddha have
come and gone, but it is Rudra who still holds the world in the hollow of his
hand. And meanwhile the fierce forward labour of mankind tormented and
oppressed by the powers that are profiteers of egoistic force and their
servants cries for the sword of the Hero of the struggle and the word of its
prophet. |
16. September 1965 – India |
It
is for the sake and triumph of Truth that India is fighting and must fight
until India and Pakistan have once more become One because that is the truth
of their being. |
13. October 1965 – India |
It
is both at the same time. It is a chaotic means of preparation. India should
be the spiritual guide explaining what is happening and helping to shorten
the movement. But, unfortunately, in her blind ambition to imitate the West,
she has become materialistic and neglectful of her soul. |
14. September 1966 – India |
It
is the pressure upon the entire earth of the force of Truth which causes
disorder, confusion and falsehood to spring up everywhere in a refusal to be
transformed. The
way of the Truth is certain, but it is difficult to say when and how it will
come about. |
08. June 1967 – India |
India
ought to be the spiritual leader of the world. Inside she has the capacity,
but outside… for the moment there is still much to do for her to become
actually the spiritual leader of the world. There
is such a wonderful opportunity just now! but… |
20. June 1967 – India |
For
the Government of India, one thing is to be known ― does it want to
live for the future, or does it desperately stick to the past? |
23. September 1967 – India |
O
India, land of light and spiritual knowledge! Wake
up to your true mission in the world, show the way to union and harmony. |
07. July 1968 – India |
India
has become the symbolic representation of all the difficulties of modern
mankind. India
will be the land of its resurrection ― the resurrection to a higher and
truer life. In
the whole creation the earth has a place of distinction, because unlike any
other planet it is evolutionary with a psychic entity at its centre. In it,
India, in particular, is a divinely chosen country. It
is only India’s soul who can unify the country. Externally
the provinces of India are very different in character, tendencies, culture,
as well as in language, and any attempt to unify them artificially could only
have disastrous results. But
her soul is one, intense in her aspiration towards the spiritual truth, the
essential unity of the creation and the divine origin of life, and by uniting
with this aspiration the whole country can recover a unity that has never
ceased to exist for the superior mentality. |
14. September 1969 – India |
Let
us all work for the greatness of India. |
06. October 1969 – India |
Let
India work for the future and set the example. Thus she will recover her true
place in the world. Since
long it was the habit to govern through division and opposition. The
time has come to govern through union, mutual understanding and
collaboration. To
choose a collaborator, the value of the man is more important than the party
to which he belongs. The
greatness of a country does not depend on the victory of a party but on the
union of all the parties. |
15. June 1970 – India |
India
must find back and manifest her soul. Become
conscious of your psychic being. Let your psychic being become intensely
interested in India’s Soul and aspire towards it, with an attitude of
service; and if you are sincere you will succeed. |
02. August 1970 – India |
India
is the country where the psychic law can and must rule and the time has come
for that here. Besides, it is the only possible salvation for this country
whose consciousness has unfortunately been distorted by the influence and
domination of a foreign nation, but which, in spite of everything, possesses
a unique spiritual heritage. |
05. November 1970 – India |
We
want to be messengers of light and truth. At
once a future of harmony offers itself to be proclaimed to the world. The
time has come for the old habit of governing by fear to be replaced by the
government of love. |
13. February 1971 – India |
True
liberty is an ascending movement, not yielding to the lower instincts. True
liberty is a divine manifestation. We
want the true liberty for India so that she may be the right example for the
world as the demonstration of what humanity must become. |
30. April 1971 – India |
(During
the Bangladesh crisis, Mother made the following four statements.) The
situation is serious. It is only a strong and enlightened action that can
pull the country out of it. Blessings. |
June 1971 – India |
Supreme
Lord, Eternal Truth Let
us obey Thee alone and live according to Truth. |
July 1971 – India |
This
is because the whole world is steeped in falsehood ― so all actions
that arise will be false, and this situation may continue for a long time and
will bring much suffering to the people and the country. The
only thing to do is to pray ― from the heart ― for the Divine
intervention as that is the only thing that can save us. And all people who
can become conscious of this must decide very firmly to stand only on the
Truth and to act only in the Truth. There should be no compromise. This is
very essential. It is the only way. Even
if things seem to go wrong and badly for us, as indeed they will, because of
the present prevailing falsehood ― we should not be deterred from our
own determination to stand on the Truth. This
is the only way. |
24. April 1972 – India |
India
shall take her true place in the world only when she will become integrally
the messenger of the Divine Life. |
No Date – India |
India
is not the earth, rivers and mountains of this land, neither is it a
collective name for the inhabitants of this country. India is a living being,
as much living as, say, Shiva. India is a goddess as Shiva is a god. If she
likes, she can manifest in human form. |
11. September 1920 – India |
It
is one of the greatest weapons of the Asura at work when you are taught to
shun beauty. It has been the ruin of India. The Divine manifests in the
psychic as love, in the mind as knowledge, in the vital as power and in the
physical as beauty. If you discard beauty it means that you are depriving the
Divine of this manifestation in the material and you hand over that part to
the Asura. From
time immemorial (some scholars say 8000 years before the Christian era) India
has been the land of spiritual knowledge and practice, of the discovery of
the Supreme Reality and union with it. It is the country that has practised
concentration most and best. The methods, called Yoga in Sanskrit, that are
taught and used in this country are countless. Some are merely material,
others purely intellectual, others religious and devotional; lastly, some of
them combine these various processes in order to achieve a more integral
result. |
11. September 1928 – India |
Blinded
by false appearances, deceived by calumnies, held back by fear and prejudice,
he has passed by the side of the god whose intervention he implores and saw
him not; he has walked near to the forces which will accomplish the miracle
he demands and had no will to recognise them. Thus has he lost the greatest
opportunity of his life ― a unique opportunity of entering into contact
with the mysteries and marvels whose existence his brain has divined and to
which his heart obscurely aspires. In
all times the aspirant, before receiving initiation, had to pass through
tests. In the schools of antiquity these tests were artificial and by that
they lost the greater part of their value. But it is no longer so now. The
test hides behind some very ordinary every-day circumstance and wears an
innocent air of coincidence and chance which makes it still more difficult
and dangerous. It
is only to those who can conquer the mind’s preferences and prejudices
of race and education that India reveals the mystery of her treasures. Others
depart disappointed, failing to find what they seek; for they have sought it
in the wrong way and would not agree to pay the price of the Divine
Discovery. |
1954 – India |
The
new State of Pondicherry is here represented by a small country craft
carrying a pavilion. The four principal pillars of this pavilion are the four
Continents of Asia, Europe, Africa and America. Asia is represented by the
Buddha, Europe by Pallas Athene, Africa by Isis and America by the Statue of
Liberty. The spiritual supports upbear the globe of the world on which the
Dove of Peace descends from on high. On either side of the globe stand an
Indian lady with a welcoming leaf of palm and a French lady with an
auspicious olive branch. This amity between the Orient and the Occident
augurs well for an enduring peace and concord among nations. The
open spaces between the four pillars of the pavilion are covered by entwining
creepers with alternating red and white lotuses. The red and the white
lotuses represent the twin spiritual Consciousness guiding the terrestrial
evolution. At
the four corners of the pavilion stand four guarding lions symbolising
spiritual Powers. It
is hoped that the State of Pondicherry will materialise this spiritual vision
and become a meeting place of all the cultures of the world with the full
consciousness of the fundamental Unity that binds the peoples of the world
together. |
19. April 1971 – India |
I
have the deepest respect for Indian languages and continue to study Sanskrit
when I have time. The
Sanskrit ought to be the national language of India. Blessings. |
04. October 1971 – India |
Hindi
is good only for those who belong to a Hindi-speaking province. Sanskrit is
good for all Indians. |
04. August 1949 – Nations Other than India |
MESSAGE
FOR AMERICA Stop
thinking that you are of the West and others of the East. All
human beings are of the same divine origin and meant to manifest upon earth
the unity of this origin. |
04. April 1955 – Nations Other than India |
MESSAGE
FOR THE INAUGURATION OF A FRENCH INSTITUTE AT PONDICHERRY In
any country the best education that can be given to children consists in
teaching them what the true nature of their country is and its own qualities,
the mission their nation has to fulfil in the world and its true place in the
terrestrial concert. To that should be added a wide understanding of the role
of other nations, but without the spirit of imitation and without ever losing
sight of the genius of one’s own country. France meant generosity of
sentiment, newness and boldness of ideas and chivalry in action. It was that
France which commanded the respect and admiration of all: it is by these
virtues that she dominated the world. A
utilitarian, calculating, mercantile France is France no longer. These things
do not agree with her true nature and in practising them she loses the
nobility of her world position. This
is what the children of today must be made to know. |
October 1961 – Nations Other than India |
It
is France that can connect Europe with India. There are great spiritual
possibilities for France. She will play a big part in spite of her present
bad condition. It is through France that the spiritual message will reach
Europe. That is why I chose France for my birth, although I am not French. The
true freedom is to be free from desire. The
true independence is to be independent from passion. The
true mastery is to be master of oneself. That
alone is the key to happiness; all the rest is passing illusion. It
is not in division but in unity that can be found the solution of human
problems and the remedy to human miseries. |
08. June 1967 – Nations Other than India |
Those
who serve the Truth cannot take one side or another. Truth
is above conflict and opposition. In
Truth, all countries unite in a common effort towards progress and
realisation. |
12. June 1967 – Nations Other than India |
Israel
as a nation has the same right to exist as all the other nations. |
13. June 1967 – Nations Other than India |
How
can you believe that the Grace works for one nation or against another? The
Grace works for Truth and in the present conditions of the world, Truth and
falsehood are both present everywhere, in all nations. It is the human mind
which thinks: this one is right and that one is wrong ― right and wrong
are present everywhere. The
Truth is above all conflicts and all oppositions. |
14. June 1967 – Nations Other than India |
You
are mixing up two things, the working of the Grace and the result which is
the inevitable consequence of the triumph of the Truth: they are quite
different things on a different level. The
progressive victory of the Truth brings automatically certain results complex
and often unexpected by the human mind which always wants clean cuts. It is
only a total vision both in time and space that can understand. |
June 1967 – Nations Other than India |
Violence
and enmity… when brothers hate, they hate much more than others. Sri
Aurobindo has said: “Hate is the indication of the possibility of a
much greater love.” It
is not this conflict that will decide the future of our civilisation. The
Mussulmans and the Israelites represent the two religions where the faith in
God is the most extreme. Only, the faith of the Israelites is a faith in an
impersonal God and the faith of the Mussulmans is a faith in a personal God. The
Arabs have passionate natures. They live almost exclusively in the vital,
with its passions, its desires, while the Israelites live chiefly in the mind
with a greater power of organisation and of realisation, which is quite
exceptional. The Israelites are intellectuals with a remarkable will. They
are not sentimental, that is to say they do not like weakness. The
Mussulmans are impulsive, the Israelites are rational. |
16. October 1972 – Nations Other than India |
Japan
was in the physical world the teacher of beauty. She
must not renounce her privilege. Blessings. |
No Date – Nations Other than India |
All
countries are equal and essentially “one”. Each
of them represents an aspect of the One Supreme. In
the terrestrial manifestation they all have the same right to a free
expression of themselves. From
the spiritual point of view, the importance of a country does not depend on
its size or its power or its authority over other countries, but on its
response to Truth and on the degree of Truth it is capable of manifesting. |
|