Two Fires

I see that a sadhak who comes to the Mother for Pranam with the right attitude and not with the object of satisfying any vital demand of desire, does not concentrate on her physical movements like smiling or the putting of her hand on his head, for his attention is directed towards the inner reception; he may not even know if she puts her hand on his head or not or if she smiles at him, for his concentration is turned exclusively to her eyes — those seas of Truth, and it is from there that he hopes to receive something.

Yes, that is quite true.

Who can deny that her single gaze is quite sufficient for him to receive all that he needs?

Why then are some people not content with her one look or a little touch? Is it not because of their time-born ego which keeps them in ignorance and darkness? They do not know or rather refuse to conceive that there is no limitation of time and space with the Divine, that she can create wonders in the fraction of a moment. Thus their minds deny rigidly that she, the Divine Mother, can help them adequately by a mere look or a touch. As they are so limited and narrow they take her also to be such! No doubt such foolishness is not in the true being, but in the outer. But then it must be kept outside and not allowed to become a fact.

All that is very well said. It is the real truth about the matter.

It seems that the Mother has started today a new working in me. In the morning there was a keen and strong pressure on my right temple, and an inner intoxication which kept me merged in her Peace and Silence all through. I noticed that most of the inner and higher parts, which ordinarily remain prominent, withdrew in a deep passivity; the outer being was then left to itself without any dynamic control. When this happened the inertia tried to take advantage by rising up.

If the physical being has felt and assimilated the silence and peace, then inertia ought not to rise up.

Why do I feel today that I should keep myself plunged in this rich and deep intoxication and suspend my post[1] and prayer?

It is better not to suspend the post.

Thou knowest, Lord, that I have been keeping separate from the lower Prakriti for a long time. It is during this period of detachment that the Mother made me realise what I really am and what human nature is. But the Mother knows that a mere separation is not enough. Now I must control that nature and govern it according to her Light; then only can there be a conquest. Let me then apply myself to this new movement for the further change of my outer being. I have become conscious that her cleansing Fire is there, capable of purifying and transforming the darkest material.

The Mother, as the Divine Agni, has done something special to me during Meditation. It is that which has made me write all this, and has shown me what she wishes to do in me in the future.

Already a change within and around is noticed. She has awakened two fires for her great work. But why two? Was not one enough? It is because one fire may not be able to keep pace with her new working which is so tremendous, powerful, fast, and full of Agni.

Thus two fires are indispensable. One is in the heart; it will go on tirelessly putting its pressure upon the unconverted parts, and helping their purification and transformation. The other is in the higher consciousness, the Agni of the self; this will support the psychic fire and keep it alive all the time. For, the psychic fire, being already in the evolution, may get veiled by the lower nature, but the Agni of the self is always above the Creation and so is ever detached and dynamic. It can bring down whatever help and protection is necessary from the Mother.

Yes, the two are necessary for any complete or rapid transformation.

I am aware that for such a powerful action of the Mother I must remain in a fully conscious state of vigilance, intense aspiration, surrender and rejection, not flagging even for a moment. No feeling, thought or action should be allowed unless it is from the Mother or for her work.

It is good. If you remain in a fully conscious state, the cleaning of the nature ought not to be difficult — afterwards the positive work of its transformation into a perfect instrument can be undertaken.

Lord, it will be good if the Mother does something — otherwise I may perhaps have to suspend the outer communications; for, her love in which she is pressing me is so deep and sublime that my poor pen refuses to manifest it through a material thing like paper!

Material things are not to be despised — without them there can be no manifestation in the material world.

The following flowers present themselves repeatedly before me: “Psychic purity” (Jasminum), “Purity in the blood” (Pimpinella major) and “Aspiration in the physical for the supramental light” (Ixora Singaporensis). Are they thus announcing the descent of these things?

The first two perhaps, but the supramental light in the physical cannot come until much else is done to prepare the physical for it.

It is for the great object of transformation that the Divine Mother sends down something from her own self in the form of experiences and realisations.

Remaining in the Mother the sadhak need not remain all passive, doing nothing, when the lower nature becomes active; but remaining in her he must repel everything undivine.

Correct.

If one is vigilant and constantly keeps a watch over all the movements, the feeling of dullness will not come, experiences will not stop, and progress in the sadhana will not be affected. Often a sadhak feels that the experiences have stopped; this is because what he has already received is being consolidated in him. But even then, if he is sufficiently conscious and watchful, he will find that it is only from the surface consciousness that they are withdrawn. The inner being still has them in the deeper regions of the consciousness. For, if he is fully aware of his true self with a ceaseless aspiration, he will not be denied the experiences for a long time. For this he has of course to learn to observe things deep behind the surface layers.

That is all true and I am glad you have realised it.

[1] My writing letters to Sri Aurobindo.