April 1969

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02. April 1969 – Cured by the New Consciousness

The night after you gave me P.L.’s news, I sent him... (how should I put it?) a “special delegation of the Consciousness” so it may let him speak just what he should, and as he should. It’ll be interesting to know.

It’s wonderful, this Consciousness, it has such a way of seeing things! Really... really unique. I could say that my vision and my understanding of the world, of life, of everything, have completely changed, in a widening... Of course, I had worked constantly to get the widening, but this widening has shown itself to be full of something completely new, completely. And there are two things mingled together: one is this sort of understanding and benevolent Smile, which is CONSTANT, whatever may be there, even the most stupid negations; and at the same time, underneath this benevolence (but “benevolence” is a weak word), there’s such a power! A tremendous power. Tremendous... As if it were swollen with power. An almost concrete power, I don’t know (Mother feels the air)... it’s a light, but a light you could touch, as it were: if it goes through your fingers, it’s so concrete that you feel it go through. A deep golden light.

In the space of a few days, I had two cases of people who behaved like fools and ninnies (that often happens!), but those two realized it, felt it, and wrote to me accusing themselves of the very thing that had been seen in this light. So that’s new. There was one letter yesterday, and another today; one is a Frenchman, the other an American. Both had behaved absolutely like silly fools, but ordinarily they would have excused their behavior with all sorts of good reasons, while both accused themselves: “I’ve behaved like a fool.” That’s new.

(silence)

We could say this: if you compare the consciousness, not of ordinary humanity but the higher consciousness of humanity, the consciousness one has when one is a man and endeavors to come into contact with the higher consciousness (the contact one has with it), if you compare that with this Consciousness, you feel that as soon as the human consciousness tried to contact higher things, to purify lower movements, to widen, it used to become... fluid, transparent, ethereal, whereas this Consciousness, with a vision, a perception INFINITELY SUPERIOR to the other, is solid and concrete. And the impression is... it’s so strong! I said at the beginning that I felt as if surrounded by a protection [the “rampart”], something solid; well, it’s remained like that, with this solidity, and at the same time infinitely vaster, loftier, more understanding... And, yes, this solidity. And in this something I must call “benevolence” for lack of a better word, there’s such an extraordinary Power of Compassion! Something like... almost an intolerance of suffering – of PHYSICAL suffering (it’s not much interested in the moral suffering that stems from a moral distortion, it finds it idiotic), the wholly material suffering that comes from the structure and working of the material world: it finds that unacceptable. I don’t know how to express it, there’s a sort of refusal to accept that... I am observing (we’re still in a phase of observation), and from the experiences I have, it seems to me that this Power can, at least to some extent, transform physical suffering, cancel it. In some cases it’s obvious, but it’s not a constant fact. I don’t know. That’s why, for instance, I was hoping, from what I had seen and what took place, that your nights would get better, but... Naturally, I am an extremely imperfect instrument.

They’re much better.

Yes, but... That’s right, it’s still in the world of relative things.

The two states are like this (Mother puts one hand tightly against the other). As for this body itself, it constantly has the experience of an almost miraculous state, but there still remains (is it the memory or habit, or really a mixture?), there still remains the capacity to suffer physically, materially. So it means a lot remains to be done.

There is (for me, everything is now a question of vibrations), there is a certain vibration, which I find it hard to describe because there are no words, but which has to do, as I said, with compassion (I don’t know what to call it, but it’s very, very intense, those perceptions are very intense), and when it comes, it really has extraordinary power, but... it doesn’t seem to have the possibility (Mother suddenly tips over two fingers) of an abrupt change. In some cases, people have been completely... quite relieved, but not cured.

My mother, you did cure her.

Yes, so-so.

But she was completely cured!

Ah, yes (Mother seems to remember), your mother was cured.

I receive unexpected letters from people with whom I haven’t been in correspondence, and they give news of cures. But I was referring to the very small circle here... For Pavitra, it was a miracle even according to a doctor, though he’s not a believer; it was a miracle, but... it’s not total, that is to say, it’s still there with the possibility of resuming. And yet Pavitra has taken the best attitude.

It’s like that, you see, it’s almost wonderful, and then... That’s probably so we don’t swell with pride and satisfaction, so we know how much change still remains to take place. Of course, when it comes to the physical (Mother looks at her hands), there’s no need for any demonstration, it’s obvious! But it’s been said and repeated a hundred times: that’s what will come last. So...

But the inner change is considerable – considerable. It’s considerable: from the point of view of consciousness, it has been the greatest change in my whole existence; I’ve had many of them, I’ve worked a lot, but... nothing in comparison with what has taken place since the 1st of January. To such a point that the body feels like a different person.... But it’s not enough.

We’ll see.

But I want you to be strong and solid.... Act the great sage, it’ll be fun! (Mother laughs)

09. April 1969 – New Consciousness; Bad Habits; The Body knows

“A new consciousness is at work upon earth to prepare the coming of the superhuman being.”

“Open yourselves to this consciousness if you aspire to serve the Divine Work.”

“To come into contact with this new consciousness, the essential condition is no longer to have any desires and to be wholly sincere.”

That’s what they must be told again and again (same hammering gesture).

I am constantly, constantly impelled to repeat it to them.

There are all the time little incidents with this Consciousness, which are quite amusing, showing why desires are... it really feels they’re rubbish. And it shows why; for instance, it shows the body all those little desires it has, and how they prevent the Force from acting. That’s very interesting. The body is beginning to understand. It’s beginning to feel in an extremely precise and clear way that the MOMENT it’s aware of itself – the moment it’s aware of itself and of the rest in relation to itself – it falls into a hole; and the moment it’s aware of the Force acting – the Force acting, the Consciousness acting – then this (Mother touches the skin of her hands) has no more than a wholly relative reality, wholly relative.... It’s like using an instrument for a particular purpose – It’s quite like that – but with the immense advantage of not being separate, of feeling like a sort of condensation of the Consciousness. The body is learning well, it sees, it can see that in tiny details, all the time: as soon as it feels it’s “something” and the Force is “something else,” there’s a pain here, a pain there, this goes wrong, that goes awry.... A world... a complex and thoroughly ugly world. And when it has a movement... (how could I put it?), the opposite of condensation, like a dilation, something like a dilation in the consciousness, then limits grow dim, they fade away, everything becomes supple, and pain goes away... PHYSICALLY.

It’s an experience the body is given day after day, now on one spot, now on another, now for one thing, now for another, and it goes through all that. You know, it’s... absolutely wonderful.

There’s all the old habit, which simply has to be conquered. All the old habit which, as soon as there is a slackening, goes like this (gesture of falling back); it’s like a rubber band that you let go of, and it all starts up again: you have a pain, you... And the moment the body identifies with this Vibration, everything becomes like a... radiant expression of the Consciousness, and then everything is smooth (I don’t know how else to put it), free from clashes or difficulties; then, if you let yourself go like that, it becomes a marvel. It becomes a marvel. Unfortunately, there’s the whole influence of the outer world which makes it difficult for the body to be CONSTANTLY like that and makes it tend to fall back into the ordinary way That’s why it can’t settle in permanently.

The body is becoming conscious as if it had a truth-vision to see all the previous falsehood. All that it did, even when the inner being knew and the consciousness was growing more enlightened and there was a general goodwill... all the silly things done because of that sense of a separate personality, all that is becoming clear, very clear, and with this nascent vision. While it’s in this state where the vision is clear, everything simply becomes wonderful – but it can’t last. It can’t last mostly because of the constant contact... (gesture around Mother). But even without contact, at night, for example, it can remain in that state for an hour, two hours, and suddenly – one doesn’t know what happens – ah! it falls back into the old way, and then... Then you get a pain here, a pain there, a sense of unease... oh, you’re disgusted. Then, simply, when you climb back again and all those divisions disappear, then everything is so clear! So clear, so transparent, and so simple! So simple...

Life could be so marvelously simple and beautiful.... Man has really made it idiotic.

I quite understand it was necessary to churn matter, but... the time has come for this to end, for a way out to be found.

The impression is that the visible form is as much (at least as much) the result of how you are seen by others, at least as much as of how you yourself are.... I don’t know how to explain that. But there is a way of being which results from the true consciousness and is felt quite concretely, but which is... not exactly in contradiction with, but wholly different from the way you see yourself according to others’ vision of yourself.... The eyes are beginning to see in both ways. The old way is partly veiled by the new, and when someone else sees you, you see yourself the way others see you.... It’s hard to explain.

That’s why something must be found for it to be independent of everybody’s influence.

At night, for instance, the body is taller, and it’s active, it does things (it’s this subtle body that does things, is active and has an existence of which it is wholly conscious), and it’s different from this (Mother touches the skin of her hands), but in the subtle physical it’s a PHYSICAL body, and it’s already something permanent, in the sense that you REMAIN the same, you find things again as you left them (they exist permanently, though they aren’t visible with the ordinary vision, but they have a logical and continuous existence). So, there, the form is the true expression – the true expression of the state of consciousness; while here, the form is the result of... (Mother laughs) we could say of all the falsehood spread about in the consciousness.

People who see me at night (those who have this vision in the subtle world) don’t see me like this (Mother points to her body): they see me as I am, and they tell me-they say, “Oh, but you are like this, like that....”

But for the one to take the place of the other...?

And this Consciousness can explain wonderfully (not with words: by making you have experiences one side by side with the other). For example, many people say they can’t realize the difference between an aspiration, a spiritual effort, and a desire; for them the two are hard to tell apart in the sensation; this Consciousness explains it, and shows you, gives you the one and the other, and the difference – wonderful! Wonderfully exact. Now the body KNOWS, it knows perfectly well the difference – and it’s a huge difference between aspiration or effort, the vibration that makes you become a thing or obtain a thing, and desire. Now the body knows. It knows. It has had such a demonstration in every detail with food.... For a very long time the body has been quite indifferent to food (that’s probably the reason), but it has been given a demonstration with one thing, the relationship with that thing; it has been shown how desire is and how the harmony is that makes the thing beneficent. So as to understand clearly, it has also been shown how total indifference isn’t good either – it’s not like that, neither desire nor total indifference, neither this nor that, but like this (Mother seems to follow a tiny vibration with her fingertip): in a certain way, with a certain vibration, the thing you take is neutral (that is, it can’t harm you, it’s neutral); if you take the same thing with a certain vibration, it’s beneficent; and then, the body is shown how vibrations of desire are disastrous – all of it in detail. Tiny little things, but so clear, so precise!... It takes place while you’re eating, so it’s perfectly concrete.

All that goes on in people, their reactions, their movements... And it’s in contact with birds, in contact with flowers – they respond, birds respond very well.... It’s really interesting, one could write very interesting things, but there are too many of them!

09. April 1969 – Subtle Body is taller

At night the body is taller, and it’s active, it does things (it’s this subtle body that does things, is active and has an existence of which it is wholly conscious, but in the subtle physical it’s a Physical Body, and it’s already something permanent.

12. April 1969 – This Consciousness acts in silence

This Consciousness is at present showing this body, making it... not understand, but feel (Mother feels the air)... it’s neither feel nor understand, it’s becoming conscious of the vibrations that belong (how could I put it?) to destruction, I might say, the vibrations that belong to the process of destruction in the world, and the vibrations that belong to the process of progress without destruction.

Those experiences last for several hours every day, and they make you feel the two sides like that, with a clear distinction, very clear, in what people do, in what they say, in the relationship with events, and also the different states of consciousness (everything takes place in the consciousness, of course, it’s not at all – a thought, it’s not formulated, I don’t know how to explain). And this Consciousness also teaches action in silence – at a distance as well as in the presence. All kinds of things, it’s constantly, constantly teaching one thing or another. And not formulated: there are no formulas, it’s not thoughts, but states of consciousness. And the relationship between the various states of consciousness: how they dovetail with one another, how they mix with one another, how they can be separated, how... It can’t be explained: it can be lived (the body is being taught how to live), but it can’t be explained. For everything – everything, all activities.

As soon as you try to formulate it, there comes in that mental element. It’s no longer that.

Very, very active. A constant activity of demonstration, of teaching – in action, in life (not mental, not in thought). And as soon as speech, for instance, comes, it takes away the truth of the thing, I don’t know...

It turns it into literature, as it were.

One can’t say anything.

Oh, this morning it was so interesting, so interesting! The difference between the vibrations that bring about progress without necessitating dissolution, and the vibrations that belong to the old method of dissolution. And constantly, constantly, for each and every thing – constantly. And how they dovetail, how they can be separated... quite interesting.

As soon as it’s explained, it’s finished, it’s no longer that – no longer that, the very essence of the thing is lost.

It’s nothing but movements of consciousness.

16. April – No Shadow in the Light of the Supreme Consciousness

They reject the ordinary control, absolutely, and some are fully in the pleasure of upsetting everything, but now and then you feel something... (gesture of piercing through): “Oh, I’d like... I’d like something else.” And that will be ready to receive the new consciousness.

This boy is nice, he has stuff.

It seems he met Y and was captivated by her “ideas” (!) R. was alarmed. So I told him, “It doesn’t matter!” That’s why I’ve encouraged him to go to Bombay, so he would free himself from that [i.e., from YJ. He was constantly talking about Equals One, Equals One... Mentally, they’re defenseless.

One day, I received someone here (it was R., in fact), and the body asked this Consciousness, like that, it asked, “How, how to make sure there is no mixture of all the lower movements with this light?” Then (I was sitting here), there came down a sort of column wide like this (gesture of about five feet), here (gesture in front of Mother), like a column of light. But it came down IN THE ROOM, mon petit! It wasn’t “elsewhere” – it was here. To such a point that I saw it with my own eyes. A light... indefinable, dazzling, but... I don’t know, so tranquil! I can’t say, I don’t know how to explain... so steady, so tranquil. Dazzling. And without any vibrations. And its color... indefinable, in the sense that it was neither white nor golden nor... It was... as if EVERYTHING were there. It can’t be described. Wonderful. Then this Consciousness took my consciousness and went like this (gesture in a circle starting from Mother on her left, going through the column of light, then returning to Mother on her right).... I felt it [the column of light, when Mother’s consciousness went through it]. I felt it, but I didn’t see anything [i.e., no shadow]. I didn’t see anything, I only saw a slight movement, but... It was like a slight movement, but it was the same light. Then it went through the column, and came back [into Mother]. And then it took RA consciousness (same gesture in a circle starting from R., taking her consciousness through the column, and coming back to R.), it went through, and there was an outline [while crossing through the column of light], an outline, and in the place of the head, it was blue, it had become blue [i.e., a shadow in the light]. That was R.’s effect: an outline. Then it said something to me (wordlessly, but it was instantly translated into words, in English):

And with that experience, it was so real and intense!... It said, “That’s the condition – the condition.” Then, half an hour later, it said it to me in French; it was translated into French.

I gave the text to the person. It can’t be published as it is, because it requires a whole explanation (and I think it’s better not to publish it, I don’t know). It requires a whole explanation. Or else, we could put:

Then the text:

“...One must be able to stand in the light of the Supreme Consciousness without casting a shadow.”

Words... if one hasn’t had the experience, words are... They don’t have what the experience gave – that power. It was so intense, you know! Since then, the body has been constantly “thinking”

Of that: “Don’t cast a shadow, don’t cast a shadow....” And the transformation of the body’s consciousness is taking place at a tremendous speed.

But my eyes were open, I wasn’t in trance, I was talking with R. I saw it like that: it took my consciousness... (same gesture in a circle).

No: it [the column of light] was in front of me, like that, between me and R. In front of me, like a layer. Between me and the window. And then, my consciousness was as if seized and taken through it (same gesture). I looked and didn’t see anything [i.e. any shadow or trace], but I felt. I felt: there was a slight quiver [while going through]. Then, to give a demonstration, it took R.’s consciousness inside the column, and there was an outline of the head: the outline was seen, just an outline; overall it had become somewhat gray, but not dark at all. And at the place of the head, it was more blue; it was blue, opaque: the head, the shape of a head, like that – an outline. So I wholly understood what it meant:

It was an experience given TO THE BODY – L tell you, my eyes were open. I felt the consciousness... (same gesture in a circle). It can’t be described, can’t be expressed.

Since then, the body has been full of an intensity of vibration, of aspiration, of... And a tremendous will to get rid of all possible falsehood, all of it.

(silence)

It remained for a long time. It remained for at least a quarter of an hour – a long time. And I felt like doing this (Mother rubs her eyes as if in disbelief). It’s the first time the physical body has had an experience of that sort, with the eyes wide open. I saw it come down, come down like that, settle down and stay there. And all the cells seemed to be thirsting and thirsting for that – it was wonderful! Inexpressible.

No shadow, that is, no ego.

Yes, it’s precisely that. It means no ego.

And I understood. I understood to what extent it was a grace – truly a wonderful grace – to have taken away my mind and vital. Naturally, it could be done only because the psychic was in full possession of the body, otherwise... (Mother laughs, showing that otherwise she would have disconnected from her body). Which means the process isn’t to be recommended: it was quite radical. But it was wonderful. And I found something in Savitri... something in the fifth Canto (I translated it yesterday and kept it to show you)....

16. April 1969 – The Abolition of the Mind

This knowledge first he had of time-born men,

Admitted through a curtain of bright mind

That hangs between our thought and absolute sight,

He found the occult cave, the mystic door

Near to the well of vision in the soul,

And entered where the Wings of Glory brood

In the sunlit space where all is for ever known.

He shore the cord of mind that ties the earth-heart

And cast away the yoke of Matter’s law.

The body’s rules bound not the spirit’s powers....

(Savitri, I.V.74)

When life had stopped its beats, death broke not in.... That’s it! And he says that the mind also stops.

He dared to live when breath and thought were still. That’s it.

Thus could he step into that magic place

Which few can even glimpse with hurried glance....

When I read it, I didn’t know he had spoken of that experience of the abolition of the mind – he did speak of it, and he says the heartbeats have stopped, but that one isn’t dead. That’s it.

I don’t know, when I read it, I suddenly felt he was describing the transition from ordinary life to a supramental life.

I don’t know why, but I very strongly said to myself that I absolutely had to show you this.

(Satprem reads out the translation)

I don’t know if the translation is very great, but it’s the best I could do. (I am slowly translating the whole of Savitri – it’ll take ten years!) You remember, we had translated a good deal of it, but it was the end of Savitri; this is the beginning.

No, I don’t think it should be done. I think what’s necessary is this absolute tranquillity so That may go through without being distorted. The abolition [in Mother] was done because the body wanted to attempt the process of transformation of the cells, and it was already quite old, you see, so things had to go fast. It was for the movement to be swift. But of course, I can see it’s risky...

This experience [of the column of light] came so spontaneously, effortlessly, without concentration or anything; and to the very body it was visible like this (gesture, eyes wide open). I couldn’t see the window anymore, that table there I couldn’t see anymore; I couldn’t see: it was here, like this, here (gesture between Mother and the window). As if it were PHYSICALLY here, you understand.

The body is learning very, very small details, very small things, all the time, all the time, night and day.

But just a year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to listen to that music. Now... (Mother smiles, amused)... It’s strange.

And I didn’t just hear: I saw the people, the things, the future, where it was headed – all, all of it together, just like this (gesture of looking): I was only slightly attentive.

But it’s strangely fragile at the same time, that’s the curious thing. There’s a sense of having gone out of all ordinary laws, and... it’s hanging in suspense, like that. Something which is seeking to be established.

And extremely sensitive to what comes (the two things at the same time), extremely sensitive to what comes from others, and at the same time, with a sort of extraordinary power to enter into them and work there. As if a whole kind of limits were... (Mother slips the fingers of one hand through the fingers of the other) done away with.

It’s strange.

Oh! (Mother looks at the clock) It’s very late and we haven’t done anything.... Did you have something? No. How are you?

It’s changing things. Strangely, they seem to be just the same, and they become very different. In Canada, lots of people have made contact with this Consciousness. I receive surprising letters.

I’m not giving you anything to eat – that’s disgusting!

19. April 1969 – India: the place of Earth's fate!

America is extremely interested in Auroville. Russia is extremely interested in Auroville. The Chinese... nothing, absolutely nothing, no response.

They are... I don’t know how to... The impression is of something stone-like. It doesn’t respond.

For... for years, even from the time Sri Aurobindo was here, there had been the vision – an inner vision – that India is the place where the fate of the earth will be decided. So the two opposite possibilities are there. As if it were said that if there were war, it would be over India; that the world conflict... (how can I put it?), the ISSUE would be played out over India. But will the Force of Peace be sufficient to prevent war? There’s the whole question. But the whirl of forces is here, over India.

And since this Consciousness came, things have been accelerating.

It has given a great rapidity of movement to circumstances. But then, it’s becoming urgent. And... oh, falsehood, duplicity... oh, everything seems to be rising to the surface – it’s hideous. Will the... the Force of Harmony and Peace be strong enough to... to digest all that? I don’t know.

I thought (there were all kinds of things going on, like pictures of possibilities), I thought it was in the body’s makeup, that it was coming out in order to be purified. Now I realize it may have been partly that, but that all those pictures correspond to things taking place at present [in the world]. And if they are true... the things to come are rather catastrophic.

There is always this inner will to... (gesture of pressure to establish peace). As if it were, I can’t say a last conflict, but it’s becoming... it’s becoming immediate.

It’s like a conflict between the forces that want to destroy the earth and the terrestrial transformation. if those forces can be checked, can be mastered or rendered powerless, then the earth’s progress and transformation will go on soaring up – magnificent! But now... monsters seem to be coming up from every side to prevent that.

(silence)

It’s exactly as if we were sitting on top of a volcano: either the volcano must fall extinct, or everything is going to blow up. That’s how it is.

23. April 1969 – Completely new for the body!

Yes, it was someone who wrote to me... I don’t remember, it was about “consecration.” But I remember that when I answered, I looked, and I saw... (what should I call it?) the curve, but it’s not exactly a curve... You understand, consecration, self-giving, surrender (not “submission”), all that still implies a separate self giving itself. And I saw – in fact, I saw in the body’s experience – that the body is on the verge of... it’s just in an intermediary state, because all the parts haven’t exactly reached the same stage (I don’t know why, but that’s how it is). So I might say (but this is a simplification), I could say that overall, the body’s self-giving is total, the consecration almost total in the sense that there’s everywhere an active collaboration, but with an intense aspiration, and at times a moment when it goes like this (gesture expressing a swelling in the cells). I don’t know what happens, it’s something going on in the cells, and then... there’s no self-giving anymore or anything... neither a “consecration” nor “listening to the command”: it’s a state, a state of intense vibration, with at the same time a sense of all- powerfulness, even in here (Mother pinches the skin of her hands), in this old thing, and... a luminous all-powerfulness, always with this... something in the line of goodness, of benevolence, but much above that (those things look like ridiculous distortions). It goes like this (same gesture of swelling), and static, that is, with the sense of eternity in the cells.

It doesn’t last-it lasts for a few minutes at the most; yes, a few minutes, but it comes back. It comes back. it’s something COMPLETELY new for the body.

All the time-constantly, all the time – there is the warmth, the sweetness and happiness of a complete self-giving, with an aspiration: “To BE, to be You, not to exist anymore.” But there’s still a sense of... it’s the joy of giving oneself. It’s like that, constant. And when the consciousness isn’t active, that is, when I don’t speak or don’t listen or... automatically the body repeats the mantra like that, constantly like that; that’s the constant state, day and night, continually. But now and then – now and then-there’s a sort of fusion (I don’t know what happens), and even that whole joyful aspiration, that whole fervor is transformed into a state... which is, or seems, perfectly still, because... I don’t know what it is: it’s not stillness, not eternity... I don’t know, it’s something, a “something” that is... Power, Light, and really a Love which doesn’t “give” itself and does not “receive”; a Love which... something (I use this word for lack of others), something like that, but it’s That, it’s a vibration which is That, a vibration of Power, Light and Love (those are the three words I must use to translate), which is IN this, in the body, everywhere. Everywhere. To such a point that when you leave that state, you wonder (laughing) if you still have the same shape! That’s how it is, you understand.

It’s new – it began two days ago.

It’s not constant. It comes when I am left in peace ([laughing] which doesn’t happen often!), when I can melt into the joy of belonging to the Divine (something like that). There isn’t even the idea of “being the Divine,” it’s not that! That seems so silly! The first time I read that, to me it was the height of egoism: You are the Divine! (Laughing) It’s not the Divine who contains you, it’s you who contain the Divine, don’t forget!... But there is the joy of wholly belonging to the Divine, and suddenly (gesture of breaking away) something takes place... (Mother shows the absence of any more separation, of a “giving” and of a “someone” to give oneself to).

Strangely, as soon as there’s the slightest slackening in the attitude, for instance, a second of forgetfulness (what I might call “forgetfulness,” that is, the former old habit, the old terrestrial habit of being), the body instantly feels about to be dissolved. And that, strangely, is something... The body is now aware that it can hold together, exist together ONLY through the Lord’s Power, not through any natural law – that it knows – and so, at such times, brr! there can come two or three seconds like that: you feel everything, but everything is about to be dissolved.

Strange.

With people, unless (this is rare), unless they are quite unbearable (but that’s very rare), with people, this [body] no longer exists: what’s there is the Divine Consciousness at work, observing, working, answering, and (laughing) sometimes full of mischief! A mischief so full of goodness, but quite mischievous. And an extraordinary sense of humor.

Well, there you are. So it’s all right. In a way, it’s all right. I feel it’s still... Let’s see, let me try to mentalize a bit: the impression is as if the supreme Consciousness had undertaken the work of transformation of the body and were doing it thoroughly, but also without hesitation, without compromise or anything of the sort, and... the question is whether the body will hold out. That’s how it is. The body knows it – it knows and doesn’t have a shadow of fear, I must say – it’s all the same to it: “What You want will be fine.” At times it feels a little suffering for one thing or another, a little friction (a pain here or there... some pains aren’t too pleasant), and at such times it always says (Mother opens her hands): “As You will, Lord.” And within a few minutes at the most, the thing calms down. But it has stopped wondering whether or not it will last, whether or not it will succeed – all that is over, gone: “It’s as You will, as You will.” It uses those words because we can use only one language, which is quite incapable of expressing things; we don’t know anything else, so we use that language. When it says, “As You will,” there’s this movement of... (gesture of dilation and expansion) what should I call it?... It’s like an easing in all the cells – they ease up. They ease up in the supreme Light, in the the skin of her hands) it must be the consciousness contained in the cells [that spreads about]; I don’t think it’s the substance, because (Mother looks at the skin of her hands) so far it has remained as it is! But that [easing] stays there for a rather long time.

But there are no words to express that, because I think... (I don’t know whether some people felt it, but if they did, they didn’t know what it was because they didn’t express it), I think it’s new. It’s new for the body. It’s new. A sort of... as if one were tense, and the tension were easing, easing up... (same gesture of expansion and diffusion). Yes, it’s quite like that, as when one is tense, like someone full of tension, and it eases up. Now it’s like that for all the cells.

26. April 1969 – Religion and Yoga

A benevolent goodwill towards all worshippers.

An enlightened indifference towards all religions.

All religions are partial approaches to the one simple Truth that is far above them.

Then replies to questions from the New Age Association:

In what sense is our Yoga an adventure?

We may say it is an adventure because it is the first time that the yoga aims at the transformation and divinization of physical life, instead of aiming at escaping from it.

26. April 1969 – Extraordinary Power

In this Consciousness there’s really an extraordinary power. And it encourages to act – it encourages. Previously, when I was told that someone was ill or there had been an accident, something of the sort, I would merely do this (gesture of offering, both hands open Upward): I would present it to the supreme Lord, and that was all, I would remain like that (immobile, passive gesture). Now this Force encourages me to take... (laughing) to take the supreme Lord and put him like this (swordlike gesture) on the event. You understand, instead of being like that (gesture of passive offering), it’s like this (swordlike gesture). It responds. Strange.

30. April 1969 – This Consciousness is truly extraordinary...

This Consciousness is truly extraordinary, and with such a sense of humor, you know!... It’s educating this body, beginning with sweeping away all moral notions. The body is spontaneously in a sort of adoration, and all of a sudden this Consciousness showed it a big, huge serpent, with two formidable fangs, which was like this (gesture erect in front of Mother). And at the same time it gave the explanation: “The poisoned fangs... It’s the Supreme Goodness that invented them, of course....” You know, it was so... It’s irresistible. And this poor body remained like that, a little flabbergasted.... It realized it had never thought of that! It had taken things as they are, the world as it is, it had never thought about that: “How can this exist? How can it?...” (Laughing) It needed a good fifteen minutes to find its poise again.

It’s constantly like that. It’s a relentless struggle against ALL possible conventions. At the same time, this consciousness seems to inculcate the sense of an irresistible power. Which isn’t a personal power, not at all, it has nothing to do with the person; only one must be in accord with the Consciousness that rules the world, and this Consciousness has irresistible power. But it sweeps away all notions – ALL notions – and makes you see the stupidity of the notions you hold together [within the same consciousness], naturally in contradiction with one another. All that. And then, as soon as you are tranquil (after an experience like that serpent: it lasts for one minute, or two, or ten minutes, five minutes – it depends on the case), but once you remain like that, peaceful, there comes a sort of sense of limitless immensity, of... in English they say ease, that is, something extremely peaceful, and at the same time vibrant, in which you feel that everything, but everything, is harmonious, like that – everything. And it’s like that in a great intensity of light which tends to be golden (it’s not golden, I don’t know what that color is, but it tends to be like that), a light like that. Then, if you remain there, everything is fine – EVERYTHING is fine: the body is fine, everything is fine. And as soon as you go out of that state and get into other movements, you see that all, but all is... a world of contradictions, everything is a contradiction: chaos and contradiction. But there, everything is perfectly harmonious.

This poor body, it takes its lessons like that.

So it no longer tries to understand anything. it has understood that it cannot understand; it says, “Very well, let That use me as it likes.”

That serpent, you know... Why this vision suddenly? I don’t know.... I was in a state in which I was trying to establish a general harmony – probably it was too limited or incomplete or... And then that serpent came. You understand, the universe is the Lord manifested, and so for this body, anyhow, it’s perfection, but of course it’s unable to understand; and all of a sudden this serpent came, and came in such a way that the body said to itself, “Well! I’d never thought of that” (which isn’t true, of course). There are all the theories that explain evil as the action of adverse forces in the universe, but that seems quite childish. And as always it showed something VERY subtle in the play of forces (and how, to try and make it [evil] understood, the notion was born of a “succession in time,” which is absurd – in other words, successive creations). And there was something very subtle to show that those poisoned fangs are a defense, not an attack; this consciousness gave proof that the poisoned fangs are a defense, because they existed AFTER the attack – but how to explain that I don’t know.

30. April 1969 – Turning point of this body's development

At any rate, it was one more decisive turning point in this body’s development. It once again felt that all it knew, all it thought it knew, all that was... rubbish, as they say in English, and that unless you are in this absolutely luminous and tranquil and all containing Consciousness... [you cannot understand]. “Containing” still gives the impression of a limit; it’s not “all-containing,” it’s vaster than anything existing. This Consciousness is vaster than the manifested world; there’s almost a sort of sensation that there’s a vaster Consciousness: the manifested world takes up a certain “place” in this Consciousness (how can I explain?), it’s not the WHOLE Consciousness.... (That’s probably the body’s difficulty in being completely receptive, yet it’s for IT to understand....) And that seems to be the attitude to be kept. Is it an attitude?... – It’s a way of being. A way of being. First, there are no limits (but that’s an old experience the body has had for a long time), no limits: there’s a sort of capacity to identify with things; but that’s a consequence, as it were, of the impelling Will (this “central” Will, if I may say so, which impels to action).

And the body is like that... (outspread gesture). It’s become so acute, this impression of... The two things (two absolutely contradictory things) have become so intense: one is an absolute incapacity to understand anything about anything, the realization that the thing anyhow eludes understanding; and at the same time, the experience that the limits of power are progressively lessening, fading, receding. This Power... it has become fantastic! Fantastic, this Power.

At the same time, it showed (oh, it’s constantly, constantly teaching something), it showed how with people who still have the sense of ego, when they receive a little bit of this Power (that is, when this Power uses them), that causes a sort of panic, and it showed why: the ego becomes tremendous. And that was to show, to make the body clearly understand the necessity of its present state: it has almost no more sense of its existence, as little as possible; that mostly comes back with things that still grate quite materially. But if, at such times, the body can, or has the time to, or knows how to go into this state of... then the difficulty vanishes as if by miracle, in a trice. There was even something to show how, this way (Mother presses her two index fingers together, then slightly lowers the index finger of her right hand), there is suffering – this way, there’s suffering – and when it’s like that (Mother raises slightly the index finger of her left hand), it no longer exists. (Mother does the same gesture again): This way, suffering; that way, it no longer exists. So the body may know exactly in which position suffering no longer exists.

That goes on all the time, all the time, night and day, constantly, continuously – one thing after another, one thing after another. I would have to spend hours to narrate it all.

This morning I saw someone, and for ten minutes it was a continuous experience of the manner of working: how the Action takes place.... Someone will be talking to me, and I’ll see at the same time the thing as it actually is, and the contrast with what the person is saying – the two things. And none of that is mental: it’s a concrete experience.... I’ll be given some news (of something that took place somewhere, for instance), I’ll be told some words, and at the same time, the thing ITSELF is HERE, and I see the difference between what I am told and what took place. And that’s ceaseless, constant.... People come (I see swarms of them, it’s frightful, there have never been so many), I see people: I see in front what they think they are and how they want to be seen, and behind, what they really are – effortlessly, without seeking, automatically. And it’s all an effect of this Consciousness.... And then, when I speak, while I speak and try to explain, there’s at the same time the difference between what I am saying and what IS.... (Smiling) So that makes speaking a bit difficult!

30. April 1969 – Constant Action

Also, there’s a kind of demonstration from the general point of view. Man gives a great importance to life and death-for him there’s a great difference, death is a rather capital event (!). And I am shown to what extent the disequilibrium which, in circumstances, results in what people call “death” (which is death only quite apparently), how the two things, so to speak, are constantly there: this all-containing Harmony which is the very essence of Life, and this... division (it’s a sort of division, yes, of fragmentation), this fragmentation, this APPARENT, UNREAL division, which has an ARTIFICIAL existence, and which is the cause of death – how the two are interwoven in such a way that you can go from one to the other at any time and on any occasion. And it’s not at all as people think, that there needs to be something “serious” – it’s not that, it can happen with the most futile thing! It’s simply being here or being there (with the edge of her hand, Mother very slightly tilts to one side and to the other), and that’s all. So you are here (slight tilt to the left) and remain here: it’s over; you are here, and then you are there (gesture in between the two), you are here one second, then you are there: it makes for a life with sufferings and troubles – all kinds of things. And being there (slight tilt to the right) is perpetual Life, absolute Power and... you can’t even call it “peace,” it’s... something immutable. And at the same time, everything is there: this state and that state are both there. And man makes a more or less clumsy mixture of the two things.

But a few seconds of the true state in its purity and there’s... an awesome power. Only... it’s still far, far away.

But I remember the time when, if there was one minute or a moment in this State, the body would get afraid – not “afraid,” but alarmed. That goes back to about... I don’t know, a little more than ten years ago. There has been a whole curve. Now, it’s the other way around: when the body is in this State, it feels normal-it feels that’s the normal state. But the whole makeup of the world still seems to act as a brake, there still seems to be something... And that “something” is what this Consciousness is working on. For it to be established, a change in the earth consciousness must take place.

But the Action is constant.