The Mother and Her Working

All these who are doing Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga know that it cannot be done except with the Mother’s help. In fact, as the sadhana progresses, one becomes conscious that it is she who is doing the sadhana in him and bearing the burden of his transformation. Truly speaking, to become conscious of the Mother’s working in us is itself a part of the Yoga.

The Mother stands before us as a being at once individual, cosmic and transcendental. It is just this triplicity that creates in our limited human mind a problem. We try in vain for long to solve this riddle — how one in a human frame could contain in herself these three different aspects, and not only contain, but also manifest in action.

The vision of the Mother doing sadhana in us begins to be clear as we get liberated more and more from the ego’s bondage into the cosmic self. Then the Mother appears like an infinite Being holding us in herself like the blood-cells in a body and feeding us with her consciousness, force and bliss and love.

In 1933 Sri Aurobindo explained a little of the Mother’s sadhana in us:

“The Mother has her own experiences in bringing down the things that have to be brought down — but what the sadhaks experience she had long ago. The Divine does the sadhana first for the world and then gives what is brought down to others. — Naturally, the Mother does the sadhana in each sadhaka — only it is conditioned by their zeal and their receptivity.”

The year 1933

We look upon the Mother as divine. Does she carry the full divine Shakti in her?

There is one divine Force which acts in the universe and in the individual and is also beyond the individual and the universe. The Mother stands for all these, but she is working here in the body to bring down something not yet expressed in this material world so as to transform life here — it is so that you should regard her as the Divine Shakti working here for that purpose. She is that in the body, but in her whole consciousness she is also identified with all the other aspects of the Divine Force.

Is it always necessary for us to understand what the Mother’s Force is doing in us for the progress of our Yoga?

Plenty of people progress rapidly without understanding what the Force is doing — they simply observe and describe and say “I leave all to the Mother”. Eventually knowledge and understanding come.

Somebody told me: “Before Sri Aurobindo gave us the Mother as our guru, he never used to teach us anything about the Yoga. He would tell us to follow our own knowledge.” Did you really give this advice?

I am not aware of that. But now also the Mother does not teach, she asks all to open and receive. But she does not tell them and I don’t think I told people to follow their own “knowledge”.

My mind was trying to become conscious of the Mother’s thoughts and to receive them. Is this activity right?

It is not altogether the way — if the mind is active it is more difficult to become aware of what the Mother is bringing. It is not thoughts she brings, but the higher light, force etc.

Today I felt the Mother filling my head with her light. Was I imagining things or did she really do so?

She does it every time, only today you not only received but were consciously receptive.

Is it not true that one who sees the Mother often and talks with her receives more Light by being in her presence?

No. It depends entirely on the condition of the person and his attitude. Especially if they insist on seeing her or on remaining when she wants them to go or are in a bad mood and throw it on her, it is very harmful for them to see her. Each should be content with what the Mother gives them, for she alone feels what they can or cannot receive. Mental constructions of this kind and vital demands are always false.

The Mother does not seem to turn away from people who are not faithful. She often allows them to do what they like.

It is the Mother’s business. She alone can say what is the right way to deal with people. If she were to deal with people only according to their defects, there would be hardly half a dozen people left in the Ashram.

If people constantly have the Mother’s protection around them, I don’t think they will ever have depression and doubt or anything hostile to the Divine.

These things may try to come but they will not be able to enter or stay.

When one works, one aspires for the Mother’s Force to take up one’s activity in due course. What should one aspire for when one is not working?

For the Mother’s power to work and bring down by the proper stages the higher consciousness. Also for the system to be more and more fit — quiet, egoless surrendered.

What is meant precisely by surrender to the Mother?

Surrender means to be entirely in the Mother’s hands, and not to resist in any way by egoism or otherwise her Light, Knowledge, Will, the working of her Force etc.

Last evening when the Mother was walking on the terrace I saw a light on Her body. What was it?

Many see light around the Mother. The light is there always.

When I am too late to see the Mother, do I still receive her Light as in her presence?

You can receive the Light at all times, — even if less concretely than in the physical presence.

This morning I perceived a great beauty in the Mother. It was as if her whole body was glowing with a supernatural light. In fact I felt as if a Supreme Goddess had come down from the heavens above.

It was only that you felt the Divinity with her which is always there.

I would like to know whether it is good or harmful to talk while waiting for the Mother to come out.

If you attach any value to the darshan, it is better to be recueilli. If her coming is only one incident of the day’s routine like taking dinner, then of course it does not matter.

Recueilli means drawn back, quiet and collected in oneself.

If you want the Mother to work through you, you must lay before her your thoughts and desires and reject them.

What is “discipline”?

To act according to a standard of truth or a rule or law of action (dharma) or in obedience to a superior authority or to the highest principles discovered by the reason and intelligent will and not according to one’s own fancy, vital impulses and desires. In Yoga obedience to the Guru or to the Divine and the law of the Truth as declared by the Guru is the foundation of discipline.

Is there really any difference between the Guru, the Divine and the Truth in our Yoga? I have been considering that the Mother and you are not only the Gurus but also the Divine, and that whatever either of you says is the law of the Truth. Why then are you using (in reply to my question on discipline) these three different words?

I wrote the general law of spiritual life and obedience. You have to know that as well as its special application here. Moreover many here are satisfied with saying, “The Mother is divine”, but they do not follow her commands — others do not really regard her as the Divine — they treat her as if she were an ordinary Guru.

The Guru is the Guide in the Yoga. When the Divine is accepted as the Guide, He is accepted as the Guru.

I must increase my knowledge about the Mother so that I may be able to understand Her more and more. What is the meaning of “Radha”?

Radha is Divine Love and Ananda (the word means adoration and also delight).

You often speak of “the Mother’s Force”. What is it?

The Mother’s force is the manifestation of the Mother herself.

It is the Divine Force which works to remove the ignorance and change the nature into the divine nature.

Sometimes, if not often, the Mother’s Force comes down, finishes its work and disappears. When once it has descended why has it to return at all?

So long as you cannot contain its action, there is no other way.

In that case, generally speaking, is not every Sadhaka ready to receive and contain the Mother’s force at any time and in any circumstances? Who on earth would not like to hold its constant action.

It is not a question of mental wish but of capacity and whether all the parts of the being are ready and can retain it. If everybody were containing the constant action of the Mother’s force, the sadhana would be finished by now and the siddhi complete.

If one gives full and constant assent to the Mother’s working, how does the attempt of other forces to enter into him succeed?

It is not always an attempt. One receives the thoughts and feelings of the others without any attempt or intention of theirs, because they are in the atmosphere.

You wrote: “Ask for the consciousness of Her force.” Does it mean that I should aspire to the Mother to know about Her force and how and where are its workings in me?

Yes — not know with the mind only, but to feel them and see them with the inner experience.

The year 1934

I do not attempt anything and yet wrong suggestions, ideas, etc., are failing away. Even my receptivity seems to be on the increase. How do such changes come about?

By turning to the Mother and getting her contact, that result naturally begins to come.

If you want the Mothers contact always, you must get rid of depression and the mental imaginations that bring it. Nothing comes more in the way than that.

Kindly tell me what I should aspire for at present when I am quiet?

For the Mother’s power to work and bring down by the proper stages the higher consciousness. Also for the system to be more and more fit, quiet, egoless, surrendered.

You often speak of the Mother’s Force. What is it really?

When I speak of the Mother’s Force I do not speak of the force of the Prakriti which carries on things of the Ignorance but of the higher Force of the Divine that descends from above to transform the nature …The Mother’s Force is the manifestation of the Mother herself.

How can we progress quickly without understanding what the Mother does in us?

Plenty of people progress rapidly without understanding what the Force is doing — they simply observe and describe and say “I leave all to the Mother”. Eventually the knowledge and understanding come.

You wrote to me: “You must learn to take the unspoken help.” How to do it?

I meant to receive help inwardly without having to rely on written answers to your questions etc. The outward help cannot always be there, the inward can, if you get into the habit of receiving it whenever you need.

How to develop “the habit of receiving the unspoken help”?

By aspiration and opening.

Tajdar says that while giving us flowers the Mother always tells us something; as for example, our future difficulty, danger, fall, etc. Is it true?

Mother never thinks of future difficulties, falls or dangers. Her concentration is always on help and uplift, not on difficulty and downfall.

In the morning, I experience the effect of the Mother’s light dynamically. It penetrates the inner as well as the outer being in an intense way. In the evening I feel nothing of the kind. There is only silence. Why so?

In the evening the Mother brings down silence, but not the silence only — also the power for transformation. But as calm and silence are the first requisite for transformation, you feel that.

Is it true that when the Mother plays on the organ she calls down the Gods of the higher worlds in order to help us?

Not consciously.

Does your answer mean that the Gods are attracted to her music and so they come down just to listen to it?

They may be.

When the Mother plays on the organ something new enters my consciousness. Does she really bring down something?

If she does not bring down something why should she play at all?

The Mother’s music has often been recognised by V… as Indian of this or that raga. The Mother plays whatever comes through her — she does not usually play any precisely composed music whether European or Indian — the latter in fact she has never learnt.

During the general Evening Meditation, my mind tries in vain to become conscious of the thoughts the Mother brings down. Is it its right activity?

It is not altogether the way — if the mind is active it is more difficult to become aware of what the Mother is bringing. It is not thoughts she brings, but the higher light, force etc.

Does the Mother’s Light always remain in the inner being even when due to engrossment in the external activities we do not feel it?

It is always there in the inner Purusha consciousness — but identification with the mental, vital and physical movements prevents it from being effective.

During the Terrace Darshan, the Mother filled my whole head with her Light.

She does so every time, only today you not only received but were consciously receptive.

You can receive the Light at all times even if less concretely than in the physical presence.

You said, “H has got a communicating power if one is at all receptive.” Here, what communicating power did you mean?

The Mother’s influence — faith, joy, peace.

Has the Mother really encircled us all, as the poet H feels, “A radiant circle around each of us”?

Those who allow her to encircle them.

Sadhaks would not deny her encircling them. Why should they? But perhaps you meant that certain conditions have to be fulfilled before she can fully do it.

There are very few who allow it. There is a general protection around all, but most go out of it by their attitude, thoughts or actions or open the way to other forces. But what H speaks of must be something different from the general protection.

A thrill comes from above and passes through my whole body making the “adhar” still for a time. What is this thrill?

Of course it is the thrill of the Mother’s touch coming from above and felt by the psychic and vital together.

During today’s Pranam, I perceived the Mother in a majestic form, seated very high. Of course she is always that inwardly. But what I experienced this morning was something on the physical plane and seen by my human eyes. Her grandeur showed as if she had already conquered the whole universe!

Yes, the power was there in the body. Both your perception and reaction are right — which shows that you have progressed immensely.

The Mother appears to me more luminous now than ever before. What is this due to?

Probably to your inner sight being more open.