Questions and Answers 1956
The true spiritual life begins when one is in communion with the
Divine in the psychic, when one is conscious of the divine Presence
in the psychic and in constant communion with the psychic.
Then the spiritual life begins, not before. The true spiritual life.
When one is united with one’s psychic being and conscious
of the divine Presence, and receives the impulses for one’s action
from this divine Presence, and when the will has become a conscious
collaborator with the divine Will—that is the starting point.
Before that, one may be an aspirant to the spiritual life, but
one doesn’t have a spiritual life.
That means that it is the Spirit, the spiritual consciousness and
the divine Presence which give to life all its value, that without
this spiritual consciousness and divine Presence life has no value.
The same holds true for the individual, whatever his material
capacities and the material conditions in which he lives,
his only worth is that of the divine Presence and the spiritual
consciousness in him.
And so from the point of view of the truth of things, a man
who has no material possessions and no remarkable capacities
or possibilities, but who is conscious of his psychic being and
united with the Divine in him, is infinitely greater than a ruler
upon earth or a millionaire who possesses considerable material
power but is unconscious of his psychic being. From the point of
view of the truth, it is like that. This is
what Sri Aurobindo means: no apparent and outer things have
any true value. The only thing which is valuable is the divine
consciousness and union with the Spirit.
Mother, according to what you said last time, there is
still the question of those who are not consciously open
to the new Force. Then how will they be influenced?Will
it be by the spiritual force but not by the supramental?
What, what, what?
What difference do you make between the spiritual force
and the supramental?
No. But you said that those who have done nothing
or have not given themselves, how can they hope to
be influenced or to profit by this Force? Those who are
here but are not consciously open, will they be influenced
also?
Influenced, yes.
They will also be helped?
But if they don’t care to be helped! You want to help them
despite themselves?
If one aspires, wants the help, even if the opening is very
small, still there is necessarily some opening. But if one doesn’t
want to be helped... Or rather, I could say there are people who
are sure they don’t need to be helped, they feel that they can
help themselves quite well, that they need no help, that it is they
who do the work, they who make the progress, they who do
everything. So they don’t want help, they feel no need for it.
Why do you want them to be helped when they don’t care for
it?
But you said that even the blind will be obliged to realise
it.
I said that it will be visible even to those who are ill-willed—
is that what you mean? But that’s quite different. When you
receive a punch on the nose, you have to recognise something
even though it hasn’t helped you!
No. When one recognises this Force...
Yes.
One is bound to be open...
Yes.
So even one who didn’t want to be helped so far, will
want it.
Recognise this Force?—Oh! when he has received the punch!
(Laughter)
Perhaps. It may happen. Anything can happen.
So, even one who is now unconscious will open under
the blow.
And then? What is your conclusion? What do you expect to
happen?
That is to say, he will see that it is a miracle.
That he’s been punched? (Laughter)
He won’t call that a miracle, he will call it a bad deed.
He will say, “That’s bad luck, it’s my unfortunate fate, it is an
injustice”, he will say anything at all, as people are in the habit
of saying. But what I have not yet caught is the point of your question.
What are you driving at? You mean the whole world whether it
wants it or not, whether it aspires or not, whether it recognises
it or not, will sooner or later come under the influence of the
supramental presence on earth—is that what you mean?
No.
Ah! what a pity, for that had some meaning. (Laughter) And
I would have answered, “Yes”—and then it would have been
over!
No. Those who are half open...
They will receive half more than those who are not open at all!
(Laughter)
This manifestation will make them aspire more?
Ah! that I don’t know. It must depend on the case. For each one
it will be different.
Is it for yourself you are pleading?
Yes.
Oh! Oh! You want to know what will happen to you?
Set your mind at rest, it will be quite all right. I could almost
say as for the banner of Joan of Arc: “You have shared
in the labour, you will share in the Glory.” There then, are you
satisfied?
Yes.
Open to Sri Aurobindo's consciousness and let it transform your life.
- The Mother (26 September 1971)
