My child, I did not call you yesterday as I would be seeing you today. You understand?
Yes, Mother.
I am seeing you now, that is why I did not call you.
It is all right, Mother.
Give me your notebook.
Today it is this, Mother, the prayers. (I give the calendar with the prayers to the Mother)
Oh… (Mother reads the first prayer for January) And this, what is it? (Mother points to the painting of a flower) Ah, I know, it is the ‘Promise of Realisation’.
Yes, Mother.
It is good. Hmm.
(Mother concentrates and then writes)
Have I signed the last one?
Yes, Mother. And You have forgotten to put the date.
Shall I put the date also?
Yes, Mother.
Is that all?
Yes, Mother. Mother, these are the photos that you had sent me.
But I have already sent the photos. You did not receive them?
Yes, Mother, these are the ones that You had sent me.
Ah, it is all right.
Mother, You forgot to sign them.
‘The Gaze of the Divine Consciousness’
[Widen my consciousness and purify it so that it
may reflect the Divine Consciousness without
deforming it.]
Hmm. (Mother concentrates on a photo) Tell me, what did you feel when you looked at this photo? When you received these photos you looked at them, didn’t you?
Yes, Mother.
What did you feel? It did not evoke something in you? Like this, when you concentrated on this photo, what was the impression you had? Did you not feel anything?
Yes, Mother, in this photo it seems to me that You are looking deep within me, there, in the psychic. It is a look that penetrates…. But, …it is not a tangible experience.
No, but each time I look at this photo, it gives me a marvellous and concrete feeling. Naturally, I know what it means, but still, each time that I look at this photo, I feel first of all that this is not an ordinary look: it is not I who am looking but it is the gaze in identification with the Divine Consciousness. It is the gaze of the Divine Consciousness which penetrates deep inside, there, in the psychic, and from there it radiates in the whole body, like this, everywhere. It is a gaze that penetrates; when one looks one feels that it touches the psychic and from there radiates in the whole body. It is so living a gaze. Me too, when I look, I feel as if seized by the Divine Consciousness which goes directly into the psychic. Everyone who has even a slightly developed consciousness can feel it. It is an extraordinary gaze, full of power because it is the gaze of the Divine Consciousness. Me, I know what it is, but when I concentrate on the photo, this look penetrates the psychic. It touches the psychic, and you know, the psychic is a portion of Him, and from there it radiates all around. This force which penetrates spreads like this in the body. And those who have a developed consciousness can feel this very easily because it is a direct gaze which penetrates into the psychic being. You understand?
Yes, Mother.
Now, don’t tell me that you also, you felt a similar thing, cunning boy.
But, Mother, I had already told You what I felt. I only said that it is a look which penetrates deep inside.
Yes, yes, it is all right. I was teasing you.
But now I know what it is, after You explained it to me. Truly, it is something.
Yes, it evokes a profound sentiment, it touches there (gesture) and awakes the consciousness which spreads everywhere. It rises from the psychic.
Mother, and the other one? (photo of the Mother at the Balcony)
The other one? I have the impression that it is… you tell me, what does it tell you?
Mother, it seems to me it is Your own form which appears behind You.
Yes, truly it is that. It is not me. It is someone whom I know very well. I met her in another world. She was there. It is not me. It has come out well, it has been caught well in the photo. It is this vague impression of another world which is trying to establish its influence little by little. It is exactly this, because I know her very well. I have often met her. In fact, I have explained all this, in detail, in the Bulletin[1] which is going to come out.
Yes, Mother.
Terrace Darshan — November 24, 1967
How do you know about it? Have you read it already?
Mother, it is because I too saw You in two forms at the Balcony. I had told You this and You had explained it to me.
Ah, yes, yes, I remember. There are, like you, some people who saw me in two or three forms. It is exactly what you had told me, I remember now. She visited me at the Balcony. It is a form, a state of consciousness. It has come out well. It is this that I have explained in the Bulletin. You will see. But this, what you have said, is right.
Mother, will You write on this paper: “The gaze of the Divine Consciousness?” I will paste it below this photo. (showing Her the first photo)
Again, you are going to do some publicity?
No, Mother, never.
No, I do not want you to show this to everyone. I want them to feel for themselves, what it means, you understand?
Yes, Mother, it will be only for myself.
But I should not write all this…. Well, give me.
(Mother writes:)
[The gaze of the Divine Consciousness]
Yes, it is truly the gaze which goes till there (the psychic). Is it all right?
Yes, Mother. …Mother, I have brought some more photos. Will You sign them?
But what is all this? Where did you get them?
Mother, I do not have a photo of Sri Aurobindo, that is why…
But look, you have them now.
Yes, Mother. Will you… ?
Who has given you all these photos?
As I do not have photos of Sri Aurobindo. I have brought…
But look, you have them.
Will You sign them, Mother?
No, I do not sign on Sri Aurobindo’s photo.
No, Mother?
No.
At least You can put the date, Mother.
No, He is not bound by dates. He is above all that. No, I do not put anything. But here, on my photo, I can sign.
This one has already been signed, Mother. But the other set, You could sign here. (I give her one of Sri Aurobindo’s photos)
This one, no.
But Mother, why? Moreover You and Sri Aurobindo are the same, so, You can always sign, isn’t it?
Yes, but…
But, Mother, when one sees the photos, one sees You being united with Sri Aurobindo. Then is this not true?
Yes, He becomes one with me. Sometimes He is in me, sometimes He is outside me. From time to time, He is here, and again He is not here, or else He is in ten places simultaneously. At the same time, He is in many places. Like this, He is in me also.
Then it is the same thing. Therefore You can sign, Mother, because for me You and Sri Aurobindo are the same.
My child, there are things which one cannot say, which one cannot pronounce, leave aside write. That is why, I cannot sign. Because it is not done. Materially, it is not possible. In some other plane of consciousness it could be done but not materially. You understand, I cannot.
4.2.68
‘The Example to be followed’[2]
[1] Bulletin of Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, February 1968, also Collected Works of the Mother, Vol. 11, pp. 102-05.
[2] There is no record of what the Mother said about the photo.
