To a disciple who is identified in the text simply by his initial, R.

Mother,

I have been asked whether Sri Aurobindo’s followers can or cannot worship Rama, Krishna and the other gods, whether they should perform religious ceremonies or stop them. I replied that we do not have any set rules that each one has to follow. Each one should do what he feels from within. I said that if one is sincere and wants to be a servant of the Lord, he can become one even without knowing the name of Mother and Sri Aurobindo, that Mother will respond to him in the form of Radha or the Virgin Mary or Hanuman. It all depends on sincerity and faith. We neither ask someone to perform the ceremony nor stop it. What do you say?

Quite right.
Love and blessings.

23 March 1964

Mother,

Generally when I have to face a violent opposition, I call your peace and the person opposite becomes quiet. Yesterday I tried the same thing with the Punjabi youth.

It seemed to act for a while, but then it had a very violent reaction which made me rather nervous. How should one act in a case like this?

Cut connection, suddenly if possible, to let fall down the aggressive vibrations.

Sometimes when I am sympathetic with a sick person, my body begins to show the symptoms of his illness. Having been a medical student, my imagination also works. When this happens, it does not go in spite of my best effort, but it disappears with a harsh word from you. So I have to bother you again. X’s diabetes is finding friends in my body. If only I could learn not to go out of your protection.

The best way is to call for the Divine Presence of Truth and Harmony, to replace the vibrations of disorder and confusion.
Blessings.

25 March 1964

Mother,

Y’s brother wants to start a business in Bombay. He wants to use Sri Aurobindo’s name in the name of the firm. I have told him that it is not desirable to use this name.

He cannot use Sri Aurobindo’s name.

5 May 1964

Mother,

Now a joke. In “Purodha” I give two columns of extracts from Mother and Sri Aurobindo. I do not mention always the name of the book from which they are taken. Now Z has sent me a note warning me that this is illegal and the authors can sue me in court!! I am eager to know to which court you two will go against me. If the court fines me, the President of Sri Aurobindo Society will surely pay!!

It seems to me that you need not worry! I do not know of such a court and there is no risk of being fined.
Blessings.

23 May 1964

Mother,

X and Y have developed an intimate enmity. I am tired of hearing their complaints. Yesterday Z and W saved the situation; otherwise both the parties would have received good blows in the Dining Room!! I have tried my best, but can’t make out any reason for their quarrel. Please help.

It is the heat! My advice is cold shower.
Blessings.

27 May 1964

Mother,

I would like to give an editorial note about Nehru in the Hindi “Purodha”. I have thought of giving your message,**followed by his Will where he speaks of his body becoming one with the soil of India. I would like to finish it with a message about the future of India. Any suggestions?

It is all right. No suggestion except that the future of India is luminous in spite of its present gloom.

The other day I dreamt that many pigs — big and small — are being kept in the Dining Room for being killed.I wanted to run away. But then I thought, “If Mother wants it, let it be done.” It had a very strong impression upon me.

* The President of the Society was the Mother.

** The Mother’s message, issued upon the passing of Jawaharlal Nehru in May 1964, was: “Nehru leaves his body but his soul is one with the Soul of India that lives for Eternity.”

This dream is a result of your old sanskaras that are still alive in your subconscient. No intention of killing pigs, unless they are the symbol of greed and gluttony.

Blessings.

10 June 1964

Mother,

Sometimes I have personal talks with my students.Some of the good students give so much importance to money that it gives me a shock. They want to be doctors — to earn more!! I am thinking whether I can have a debate in Hindi Sabha on “Whether money is the most important thing in life”. Will it give them a chance to
think seriously? I wonder.

Yes, try — it is very much needed. Money seems to have become the Supreme Lord these days. Truth is receding in the background; as for Love it is quite out of sight!

I mean Divine Love, because what human beings call love is a very good friend of money.
Blessings.

13 June 1964

Mother,

Now one question, if you care to reply. Each time that X or his people get angry with me or with the Dining Room, you find fault with us. Why? It is not so in other cases.

R, for God’s sake, do not be as silly as the others.

I find fault with nobody! and never take sides. But, my way of seeing is somewhat different. For my consciousness the whole life upon earth, including the human life and all its mentality, is a mass of vibrations, mostly vibrations of falsehood, ignorance and disorder, in which are more and more at work vibrations of Truth and Harmony coming from the higher regions and pushing their way through the resistance.

In this vision, the ego-sense and the individual assertion and separateness become quite unreal and illusory.

When some extra confusion is created in the already existing confusion, I direct upon it some special vibrations to restore as much as possible a better harmony. It is not the individuals as such that feel the “blow”, it is their clinging to or siding with the disharmony.

To say the truth, I was confident that you would instinctively side with the Truth and understand that in such cases there is never one side right and one side wrong, but all are to blame in the measure of their adhesion to falsehood and confusion.

15 July 1964

Mother,

There was absolutely no question of your taking sides. The question was not from vexation. I have made utmost effort to be in harmony with X. I have not tried so
much with anybody else continuously and for so long, and it has always failed miserably. I wanted to know about that.

The vital of some people calls always for disharmony, petty quarrels and confusion; they generally have also a kind of mania of persecution and believe that everybody is against them. To cure that is most difficult and requires a radical transformation of the nature.

The best, when dealing with them, is not to mind the reactions and to go on doing what one has to do with simplicity and sincerity. In this case, X has had from me the biggest scolding I ever gave him; perhaps it will have an effect.

Blessings.

15 July 1964

Mother,

A student has asked me why time seems to pass so fast. I think it has something to do with the inherent touch of eternity in us. I am not clear.

When one lives in contact with the universal harmony, time passes without leaving any trace.

Some of the best poets of Sanskrit and other Indian languages have sung of Radha and Krishna in such a way that it seems they speak of carnal desire and sexual cravings. There is something that says that it is not mere sex mania. Perhaps they could not get any other language to depict the contact with the Divine on the vital and physical planes and the total surrender of the emotions and the body. This question comes up often.

I always considered it as an incapacity of finding the true words and the correct language.

17 July 1964

(In mid-1964 there was a severe shortage of milk in the Ashram because many cows had contracted hoof-and-mouth disease. To supplement the diminished milk supply, powdered milk was given, with the Mother’s permission, but the result was vehement objection from many persons. In general it was a time of material difficulty, with much rumour and gloomy foreboding about the Ashram’s future. The disciple referred to these things in his letter to the Mother.)

Yes, all these false and idiotic rumours have come to me after turning round the Ashram. I attached no importance to them. I hope that those who are faithful and have common sense will not lose their time listening to all that.

All what you say about the food business was known to me — but you will admit that there is always a way of improving one’s action and make it more luminous and comprehensive.

For the powdered milk, for once I see things like Y. The taste is detestable and the effect on the body still worse; I have witnessed many cases of poisoning through powdered milk and am not ready to risk that.

When money is missing it must be replaced by an immense effort of goodwill and organisation. It is that effort that I am asking for, a triumph over tamas and lazy indifference.

I do not want anybody to give up but I want everyone to surpass himself.
With love and blessings.

18 July 1964

(The disciple explained several problems concerning his work, and ended:)

Please give us whatever we need to carry on the work smoothly in these difficult days.

A watchful faith will save the situation. With love and blessings.

6 August 1964

Mother,

X tells me that Y and Z of his department are completely neglecting their work. The machine in the latter’s charge is covered with dust. Younger W is teaching him all sorts of bad habits. I do not know what to do.

The bad service comes always when the proper consciousness is lacking at the head.

A clear and precise vision of what is to be done and a steady, calm and firm will to have it done are the essential conditions for an organisation to be run properly. And as a general rule never ask from others the virtues you do not possess yourself.

I have a strong feeling that in that department the supervision is not what it ought to be.

25 August 1964

Mother,

Just for myself I would like to know why X’s stay is inadvisable. In February she worked with us for 10 days for about 12 hours a day; for the last 6 weeks she is doing about 10 hours a day and yet something prevents me from recommending the case.

Your impression comes probably from the fact that she has used all sorts of ways (some not quite straight) to remain or come back, or stay here after having been told clearly that I wanted her to go. Because of that one cannot say what she will be and do if once she were admitted permanently here.

Blessings.

26 August 1964

(The disciple wrote about a woman who continued to live in the Ashram even though the Mother had asked her to leave. No one in authority would insist that she go. The letter ends:)

I do not know who is to look after all this or perhaps this is a period of anarchy. X, Y and Z, all the three know about her case, but are doing nothing.

Well, the best is to take it with a smile! as it seems unavoidable

— at least for the moment. It is when things are going wrong that it is the best opportunity to show one’s goodwill and spirit of true collaboration.
Love and blessings.

31 August 1964

Mother,

You had proposed that X’s son could be asked to help him, but he is doing his own business with Y. He no longer works for the Ashram. Like so many others, he lives in the Ashram and works for himself.

It is just that that is leading the Ashram to financial ruin.

14 September 1964

Mother,
A childish question: Do animals and birds get the taste of the food as we do?

Yes, but they do not think about it as we do.
Blessings.

22 September 1964

Mother,

The idea is to start a primary school in Ludhiana on behalf of the Sri Aurobindo Society. The local people want to start it as a high school. They can finance it. The main difficulty would be about teachers — whether they can take such a big step and keep the school under your influence. What do you say?

The teachers must be found first and the school opened afterwards.
Blessings.

23 October 1964

Mother,

An Oriya sannyasi named Z came here to stay. In a few months he left his sannyas and became a human being. He is very fond of meditation. His body shivers and shakes when he closes his eyes. He feels joy etc., but sometimes he sees snakes around him and upon him; sometimes he is among the wild animals. On the 4th or 5th he made a regular scene in the meditation hall. I have advised him not to meditate till I get some answer from you.

It must have been a fear (perhaps subconscient) of the consequences of having rejected the sannyasi robe and this fear translates by the attacks of snakes, etc. You can tell him not to fear, that I am informed and nobody will hurt him.

Let him try again to meditate with the confidence that he is protected. But he must not try in public first. If his meditations become quiet, then he can once more meditate with the others.

Blessings.

7 December 1964

(The disciple recounted his discussion with somebody on the subject of work. The letter ends:)

For us the one certainty was, “Whatever Mother accepts as work is work.” I am not in despair; I am amused and I have to continue to do what I do not regard as even the A-B-C of work!!, because your compassion accepts it!

R, you are becoming very wise and approaching the realisation that we are nothing, we know nothing and we can do nothing. Only the Supreme Divine knows, does and is.

Love.

1964

Mother,
Some Kitchen workers would like to use a little soda from time to time. Do you allow it?

Not very good for the stomach!

And tamarind?

All right.
Blessings.

1964

Mother,

A personal question. You have now allowed the use of tamarind. But some 20 years back you gave me a very good scolding because I prepared a tamarind drink for someone. You told me that it was bad for health and it was one of the things responsible for the lethargy of Indians. It was almost the same thing that our ancient sages have said. Now I want to know whether the values have changed or whether you are giving a concession to human desires.

I have heard so many contradictory reports on the effects of food, spices, etc., that logically I have come to the conclusion that it must be — like all the rest — a personal affair and consequently no general rule can be made and, still less, enforced.
This is the cause of my leniency.
Blessings.

1964

Mother,

X (see photo) has been working with me. He is full of fear that he is becoming weaker and weaker. He can not digest tomato, butter, bread and vegetables. He has filaria and gas trouble. He wants me to change his work;he admits that his work is neither heavy nor much, but he says that even this is too much for his health. If I tell him something, he thinks I simply want to extract work from him and do not care for his body. He wants to do only desk work.

Vital force is very poor and mental suggestions rather strong. Do what he asks for a time. He may find out that it is all imagination, for it is his imagination that makes him sick or rather gives him the impression of sickness.

1964

(The disciple wrote about difficulties in the Ashram, then concluded:)

An old and very weak father of a friend of Y has enlarged prostate. The condition is serious. The doctor has advised operation. He seeks your guidance and blessings.

Most probably the end is approaching. All depends on his nature and will. If he prefers to go away quietly and without struggle, let him be quiet and pull on as long as he can. If he likes the fight, let him be operated and see what happens. My blessings, in any case, are with him.

As for the condition in the Ashram, it is as you say and probably worse. I shall say like Sri Aurobindo: unless the consciousness changes nothing can really be done.

You will interfere — and it is good as an example and a demonstration — but the next day it will become worse.

We cannot even call down the Truth to manifest. The falsehood is so widely and deeply spread that the result would be a wholesale destruction.

Yet, the Grace is infinite — it may find out a way!

Blessings.

1964

Mother,

I am very sorry to say that a great discontent has spread amongst the workers of the Lake Estate. But if I speak to Z on the subject, he flares up: “Magnificent work is going on there, etc., etc.”

People are here to change their consciousness. Unless they become, all of them,true to their aim, nothing true can be done.

1964

Mother,

X is going north on the 1st. Most of his business dealings are in West Bengal, Assam and Sikkim. He has good sales there, but he has to give on credit. He wants to know whether he can continue.

Honest business is getting more and more risky.

There is one Y who was given work at the Comfort Boarding, but due to illness she had to stop. She is having a lot of trouble with her stomach and trachoma in her eyes. She came here in frustration. When she works she works well, but most of the time she is bedridden. Now she wants to die.

People who feel miserable here and find that they have not the comfort they require ought not to stay. We are not in a position to do more than we do, and, after all, our aim is not to give to people a comfortable life but to prepare them for a Divine Life which is quite a different affair.

1964

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The Mother

Homage to Sri Aurobindo SavitriAuroMusicUttarpara Speech

I am Thine for eternity. - The Mother

Integral Yoga 5 Dec - 9 Dec 1950 Bhawani Mandir Because he is there...

To a disciple who is identified in the text simply by his initial, R.

Mother,

Mother,

Generally when I have to face a violent opposition, I call your peace and the person opposite becomes quiet. Yesterday I tried the same thing with the Punjabi youth.

It seemed to act for a while, but then it had a very violent reaction which made me rather nervous. How should one act in a case like this?

Mother,

Y’s brother wants to start a business in Bombay. He wants to use Sri Aurobindo’s name in the name of the firm. I have told him that it is not desirable to use this name.

Mother,

Mother,

X and Y have developed an intimate enmity. I am tired of hearing their complaints. Yesterday Z and W saved the situation; otherwise both the parties would have received good blows in the Dining Room!! I have tried my best, but can’t make out any reason for their quarrel. Please help.

Mother,

I would like to give an editorial note about Nehru in the Hindi “Purodha”. I have thought of giving your message,**followed by his Will where he speaks of his body becoming one with the soil of India. I would like to finish it with a message about the future of India. Any suggestions?

Mother,

Mother,

Now one question, if you care to reply. Each time that X or his people get angry with me or with the Dining Room, you find fault with us. Why? It is not so in other cases.

Mother,

There was absolutely no question of your taking sides. The question was not from vexation. I have made utmost effort to be in harmony with X. I have not tried so much with anybody else continuously and for so long, and it has always failed miserably. I wanted to know about that.

The vital of some people calls always for disharmony, petty quarrels and confusion; they generally have also a kind of mania of persecution and believe that everybody is against them. To cure that is most difficult and requires a radical transformation of the nature.

Mother,

A student has asked me why time seems to pass so fast. I think it has something to do with the inherent touch of eternity in us. I am not clear.

Please give us whatever we need to carry on the work smoothly in these difficult days.

Mother,

X tells me that Y and Z of his department are completely neglecting their work. The machine in the latter’s charge is covered with dust. Younger W is teaching him all sorts of bad habits. I do not know what to do.

Mother,

Just for myself I would like to know why X’s stay is inadvisable. In February she worked with us for 10 days for about 12 hours a day; for the last 6 weeks she is doing about 10 hours a day and yet something prevents me from recommending the case.

I do not know who is to look after all this or perhaps this is a period of anarchy. X, Y and Z, all the three know about her case, but are doing nothing.

Mother,

You had proposed that X’s son could be asked to help him, but he is doing his own business with Y. He no longer works for the Ashram. Like so many others, he lives in the Ashram and works for himself.

Mother, A childish question: Do animals and birds get the taste of the food as we do?

Mother,

Mother,

For us the one certainty was, “Whatever Mother accepts as work is work.” I am not in despair; I am amused and I have to continue to do what I do not regard as even the A-B-C of work!!, because your compassion accepts it!

Mother, Some Kitchen workers would like to use a little soda from time to time. Do you allow it?

And tamarind?

Mother,

Mother,

An old and very weak father of a friend of Y has enlarged prostate. The condition is serious. The doctor has advised operation. He seeks your guidance and blessings.

Mother,

I am very sorry to say that a great discontent has spread amongst the workers of the Lake Estate. But if I speak to Z on the subject, he flares up: “Magnificent work is going on there, etc., etc.”

Mother,

X is going north on the 1st. Most of his business dealings are in West Bengal, Assam and Sikkim. He has good sales there, but he has to give on credit. He wants to know whether he can continue.

Honest business is getting more and more risky.

There is one Y who was given work at the Comfort Boarding, but due to illness she had to stop. She is having a lot of trouble with her stomach and trachoma in her eyes. She came here in frustration. When she works she works well, but most of the time she is bedridden. Now she wants to die.

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An offering by www.searchforlight.org at The Lotus Feet of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo

Homage to Sri Aurobindo

Savitri
AuroMusic
Uttarpara Speech

Integral Yoga

5 Dec - 9 Dec 1950

Bhawani Mandir

Because he is there...

There was absolutely no question of your taking sides. The question was not from vexation. I have made utmost effort to be in harmony with X. I have not tried so
much with anybody else continuously and for so long, and it has always failed miserably. I wanted to know about that.

Mother,
A childish question: Do animals and birds get the taste of the food as we do?

Mother,
Some Kitchen workers would like to use a little soda from time to time. Do you allow it?