Letters of The Mother

Que veut dire le dessin que vous m’avez envoyé sur l’enveloppe?

C’est un agneau qui veut dire “pureté”.

What is the meaning of the drawing you sent me on the envelope?

It is a lamb, which means “purity”.

What is the significance of the picture you sent me?

This boar is the symbol of desires.

Voulez-vous me donner la signification du cheval?

Le cheval signifie les pouvoirs de l’être individuel qui doivent être maîtrisés (tenus en bride).

Please tell me what the horse means.

The horse signifies the powers of the individual being, which must be controlled (bridled).

Le renard de l’enveloppe veut dire habileté.

The fox on the envelope means cleverness.

C’est un lièvre — “prudence”.

It is a hare — “prudence”.

Quelle est la signification du faucon?

Vue perçante.

What is the significance of the falcon?

Keen sight.

Je vous mets le portrait de deux oiseaux à vue perçante pour vous encourager à avoir foi dans la guérison de vos yeux.

Je vais voir ce qui peut-être fait.

I am enclosing a portrait of two birds with keen eyesight to encourage you to have faith that your eyes will be cured.

I shall see what can be done.

Est-il bon de manger des clous de girofle?

Les clous de girofle sont une médicine pour quand on a mal aux dents. Mais il ne faut pas en abuser.

Is it good to eat cloves?

Cloves are a medicine for toothache. But they should not be misused.

Est-ce bien nécessaire de prendre du thé?

Ce n’est pas bon pour la santé.

Is it really necessary to take tea?

It is not good for health.

Sri Aurobindo vous a a écrit [about tea] de continuer jusqu’à ce que vous soyez assez fort pour cesser.

Je pensais que vous étiez assez fort — voilà tout.

Sri Aurobindo has written to you [about tea] that you can continue until you are strong enough to stop.

I thought you were strong enough — that’s all.

Could I get some butter from the Ashram?

You can ask Pavitra if he can give you butter. But be on your guard. There was on N a formation of fear — fear of cold, fear of bad health, etc. — take care that this formation does not jump upon you; you must reject it resolutely.

W told me, “It was a mistake on your part not to inform the Mother about your body which is so thin and weak.” Kindly tell me what to do to improve it.

Do not bother about it and increase your faith in the Divine’s Grace.

Blessings.

In fact I can assure you that the pain in the stomach as well as many other discomforts are due 90% to wrong thinking and wrong imaginations — I mean that the material basis for them is practically negligible.

With love and blessings.

Je suis contente que vous vous soyez ressaisi et j’espère que semblable chose ne se répétera plus.

I am pleased that you have recovered and I hope that nothing similar will happen again.

Je vous enverrai le livre [Prières et Méditations de la Mère] demain; mais il faut bien étudier la grammaire si vous voulez comprendre ce que vous lisez.

I shall send you the book [Prayers and Meditations of the Mother] tomorrow; but you must study grammar well if you want to understand what you read.

Voulez-vous que je dessine quelquefois des oiseaux ou des animaux?

Comme vous voudrez — mais les dessins d’après nature sont les meilleurs pour apprendre.

Would you like me to draw birds or animals sometimes?

As you like — but drawings from nature are best for learning.

J’ai essayé de copier le dessin que vous m’avez envoyé aujourd’hui.

Pour apprendre il vaudrait mieux aggrandir le dessin afin de pouvoir montrer les détails.

I tried to copy the drawing you sent me today.

For learning, it would be better to enlarge the drawing so as to bring out the details.

Ce matin je me suis senti fatigué après cinq minutes de travail. Il s’agit seulement de polir des meubles!

Tout travail manuel fatigue les premières fois qu’on le fait. Mais petit à petit le corps s’habitue et devient fort. Cependant quand vous vous sentez bien fatigué, il faut vous arrêter et vous reposer.

This morning I felt tired after five minutes’ work. It was only polishing furniture!

All manual work is tiring the first few times one does it. But gradually the body gets used to it and becomes strong. However, when you feel really tired, you must stop and rest.

Quand il n’y a pas assez de travail au Bâtiment, puis-je employer ce temps a lire ou à dessiner?

Votre travail est votre sadhana et c’est en faisant votre travail avec un esprit de consécration que vous pourrez le mieux progresser.

Je crois qu’il vaut mieux ne pas trop se fatiguer à lire ou à dessiner.

When there is not enough work in “Building”, can I spend my time reading or drawing?

Your work is your sadhana, and it is by doing your work in a spirit of consecration that you can make most progress.

I think it would be better not to tire yourself too much by reading or drawing.

Je voudrais bien savoir s’il n’y a pas aussi la même sadhana dans la lecture et le dessin?

Tout peut être fait un moyen de trouver le Divin. Ce qui importe c’est l’esprit dans lequel les choses sont faites.

I would like to know, isn’t there also the same sadhana in reading and drawing?

Everything can be made into a means of finding the Divine. What matters is the spirit in which things are done.

Quelle est la signification de la fleur [Gomphrena globosa] que vous m’avez donnée ce matin?

C’est la conscience de l’Immortalité.

What is the meaning of the flower [Gomphrena globosa] you have given me this morning?

It is the consciousness of the Immortality.

Puis-je savoir la signification de la fleur (Zinnia) que vous m’avez envoyée ce matin?

Endurance.

May I know the meaning of the flower (Zinnia) you sent me this morning?

Endurance.

Je veux seulement ce que vous trouvez le mieux.

Quand on me propose deux choses et qu’on me demande laquelle faire, je réponds “comme vous voudrez”, quand l’une n’est pas mieux que l’autre.

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.

My mind is so entirely clouded by doubts and other lower influences that I feel if my body passed away just now, it would be so much for the better! In spite of all that, as a Purusha I am indifferent to any such absurd movements.

Yes they are absurd — shake it off.

With my blessings.

At present I am much disturbed by sex difficulty. My rejection is not of much value, and I feel confused.

You have to persevere until it is valid.

Une partie de mon être a contracté la mauvaise habitude de devenir misérable après le Pranam. Elle devient jalouse de certaines personnes, ne pensez-vous pas que je dois avoir la puissance de rejeter cet obstacle?

Certainement — mais alors il faut le faire en toute sincérité et n’admettre d’aucune façon les mouvements de jalousie.

A part of my being has developed the bad habit of feeling miserable after Pranam. It gets jealous of certain people. Don’t you think I should have the strength to reject this obstacle?

Certainly — but then you must do it in all sincerity and not accept these movements of jealousy in any way.

Je ne comprends pas pourquoi mon vital est toujours jaloux de X? Apparemment il n’y a aucune raison valable.

La jalousie n’a jamais de raison. C’est un mouvement très bas et ignorant.

I do not understand why my vital is always jealous of X. Apparently there is no valid reason.

There is never any reason for jealousy. It is a very low and ignorant movement.

Est-ce que ces impulsions ont un sens?

En effet, cela n’avait aucun sens véritable — je suis heureuse de voir que vous le reconnaissez vous-même.

Do these wrong impulses have any meaning?

No, that had no real meaning — I am happy to see that you recognise this yourself.

Quelles sont ces suggestions qui m’envahissent quelquefois? Ne viennent-elles pas du dehors?

Elles viennent, en effet, du dehors, de quelque entité vitale qui s’amuse à vous les envoyer pour voir comment vous allez les recevoir. Je l’aie vue passer (la suggestion) au moment où je vous ai donné la fleur. Je n’y ai pas attaché d’importance parce que c’était une sottise — mais je vois que vous l’avez reçue.

What are these suggestions that sometimes invade me? Are they not coming from outside?

They do come from outside, from some vital entity that is amusing itself by sending them to you to see how you will receive them. I saw the suggestion passing when I gave you the flower. I did not attach any importance to it because it was just foolishness — but I see that you received it.

A mistake recognised is a mistake pardoned. My blessings.

When P, a dancer, came here to see you, many sadhaks flocked around him. They insisted on his performing some dances. But he said he has come here without any dance-dresses. He did not appreciate people’s desires for dances. He secretly told me that if he ever came here he would take particular care not to bring the dance-costumes. For he would come not for showing himself off but for the Yoga!

He is quite right. Too many people in the Ashram forget that they are here for yoga.