November 27, 1965
Did you feel anything special on the darshan day [November 24]? No?
Sri Aurobindo was there from morning to evening.
THERE, you know.
For, oh, for more than an hour, he made me live the concrete and living vision, as it were, of the condition of humanity and the various layers of humanity in relation to the new or supramental creation. And it was marvelously clear and concrete and living.
There was the whole humanity that isn’t quite animal anymore, that has benefited from mental development and created a certain harmony in its life – a vital, artistic, literary harmony – and the vast majority of which live satisfied with life. They have caught a sort of harmony and live in it a life as it exists in a civilized milieu, that is to say, somewhat cultured, with refinement in taste, refinement in habits. And this whole life has a sort of harmony in which
Page 305
they find themselves at ease, and unless something catastrophic happens to them, they live happy and content, satisfied with life. Those may be attracted (because they have taste, they are intellectually developed), they may be attracted to the new forces, the new things, the future life; for instance, they may mentally, intellectually become disciples of Sri Aurobindo. But they don’t at all feel the need to change materially, and if they were to be forced to, it would be first of all premature and unjust, and it would quite simply create a great disorder and would upset their lives quite unnecessarily.
It was very clear.
Then there were the few – the rare individuals – who are ready to make the necessary effort to prepare themselves for the transformation and to attract the new forces, try to adapt Matter, seek the means of expression and so forth. Those are ready for Sri Aurobindo’s yoga. They are very few. There are even those who have the sense of sacrifice and are ready to have a hard and difficult life, as long as it leads them or helps them towards this future transformation. But they should not, they should in no way try to influence others and make them share their own effort: that would be quite unjust – not only unjust, but extremely clumsy because it would alter the universal – or at least terrestrial – rhythm and movement, and instead of helping, it would cause conflicts and result in chaos.
But it was so living, so real, that my whole attitude (how can I explain?… A passive attitude, which isn’t the result of an active will), the whole position taken in the work has changed. And this has brought a peace – an absolutely decisive peace and tranquillity and trust. A decisive change. And even, all that in the previous position seemed to be obstinacy, clumsiness, unconsciousness, all sorts of deplorable things, all that has disappeared. It was like a vision of a great universal Rhythm in which each thing takes its own place and … everything is just fine. And the effort of transformation limited to a small number becomes something FAR MORE precious and FAR MORE powerful for the realization. It’s as if a choice had been made of those who will be the pioneers of the new creation. And all those ideas of “spreading” [the ideal], of “preparing” or churning Matter – childishness. It’s human agitation.
The vision had such majestic and calm and smiling beauty, oh! … It was full, really full of divine Love. And not a divine Love that “forgives” – that’s not at all the point, not at all! – each thing in its own place, realizing its inner rhythm as perfectly as it can. That’s all.
Page 306
That was a very beautiful gift.
Of course, all those things are known somewhere, intellectually, vaguely, in their principle – all that is known, but it’s quite useless. In everyday practice, you live according to something else, a truer understanding. And there, you seemed to be touching things – you saw them, touched them – in their higher ordinance.
It came after a vision of plants and the spontaneous beauty of plants (which is something so wonderful!), then of the animal with such a harmonious life (when men don’t interfere), and all that was quite in its own place. Then true humanity seen as such, that is to say, the summit of what a balanced mind can produce in beauty, in harmony, in charm, in elegance in life, in taste for life – taste to live in beauty – while eliminating, naturally, all that is ugly and low and vulgar. That was a lovely humanity. Humanity at its highest, but lovely. And perfectly satisfied as such, because it lives harmoniously. And it may also be like a promise of what almost the totality of humanity will become under the influence of the new creation: as I saw it, it was what the supramental consciousness can do with humanity. There was even a comparison with what humanity has done with animal kind (something extremely mixed, of course, but there have been improvements, betterments, more complete utilizations). Animality under the mental influence has become something else, which naturally has been mixed because the mind is incomplete; similarly there are examples of a harmonious humanity among the well-balanced people, and it appeared to be what humanity could become under the supramental influence.
Only, it’s very far ahead; we shouldn’t expect it to come about immediately – it’s very far ahead.
There is clearly, even now, a transitional period, which may last a rather long time and is rather painful. But the sometimes painful effort (often painful) is made up for by a clear vision of the goal to be reached, of the goal that WILL be reached – an assurance, you know, a certitude. But it [["It" = the supramental influence. ]] would be something that had the power to eliminate all the errors, all the distortions and ugliness of mental life, and then a very happy humanity, quite satisfied with being human, feeling no need whatsoever to be anything but human, but with a human beauty, a human harmony.
It was very charming, it was as though I were living in it. Contradictions had disappeared. As though I lived in that perfection. And it was almost like the ideal conceived by the supramental
Page 307
consciousness of a humanity that had become as perfect as it can be. It was very good.
And it brings a great sense of rest. Tension, friction, all that disappears – impatience, too. All that had completely disappeared.
In other words, you’re concentrating the work instead of diffusing it everywhere?
No, it may be materially diffused because the individuals aren’t necessarily gathered together. But there aren’t many of them.
That idea of an urgent need to “prepare” humanity for the new creation, that impatience has disappeared.
The realization must first take place in a few.
Exactly.
Take for instance a book like yours [[The Adventure of Consciousness. ]] (but I’ve known this from the beginning), a book of that sort will have fulfilled its full purpose if it touches just a dozen people. It doesn’t need to sell by the thousands. If it touches a dozen people, it will have fulfilled its purpose to the full. That’s how it is.
I saw that, I have seen that so concretely. [[Mother asked Satprem to alter the following passage in which she was first referring to the Ashram. It is interesting to note what she saw for the Ashram, interesting too to note that she asked Satprem to cut and alter this passage, the original version of which we are giving here: “For a group such as the Ashram, for instance, in order for it to function really well, members of that higher humanity would have to be formed who had towards the future or promised supramental being the same attitude as animality (like the dog, for instance) has towards man. For the Ashram to function well, there should be people who had found in themselves or in their life this harmony with life – this human harmony – and who had the same sense of worship, of devotion [as have animals] towards ‘something’ that seems to them so superior that they don’t even attempt to realize it, but which they worship, and whose influence and protection they feel the need of – and the need to live in that influence and to have the joy of being under that protection.” ]] Besides those who are capable of preparing for the supramental transformation and the realization, whose number is necessarily very limited, there should be increasingly developed, in the midst of the ordinary human mass, a higher humanity that had towards the future or promised supramental being the same attitude as animality, for instance, has towards man. What is needed, besides those who work for the transformation and are ready for it, is a higher or intermediate humanity that would have found in itself or in life this harmony
Page 308
with life – this HUMAN harmony – and that would have the same sense of worship, of devotion, of faithful dedication to "something" that seems to it so superior that it doesn’t even attempt to realize it, but which it worships and whose influence and protection it feels the need of – and the need to live in that influence and to have the joy of being under that protection…. It was so clear. But not that anguish and agony of wanting something that eludes you because – because it isn’t yet your destiny to have it, and because the amount of necessary transformation is premature for your existence, and so it creates a disorder and a suffering.
But I clearly see that when the work is done as I am “made” to do it, it becomes that way very spontaneously. For instance, one of the very concrete things, which shows the problem clearly: humanity has the sex impulse quite naturally, spontaneously and, I may say, legitimately. This impulse will naturally and spontaneously disappear along with animality (a lot of other things will disappear, such as for instance the need to eat, perhaps also the need to sleep the way we do), but the most conscious impulse in a higher humanity, and which has remained as a source of … bliss is a big word, but of joy, of delight, is certainly the sexual activity, which will have absolutely no more reason to exist in the functions of nature when the need to create in that way no longer exists. Therefore the capacity to come into contact with the joy in life will go up one rung or will orient itself differently. But what the spiritual aspirants of old had attempted on principle – sexual negation – is an absurd thing, because it must exist only in those who have gone beyond that stage and no longer have any animality in them. And it must fall off naturally, effortlessly, without struggle, just like that. Making it a focus of conflict, struggle and effort is ridiculous. To be sure, my experience with the Ashram has absolutely proved that to me, because I have seen all the stages and that all the ideas and prohibitions are absolutely useless, that it’s only when the consciousness stops being human that it falls off quite naturally. There is a transition there that may be somewhat difficult because transitional beings are always in a precarious balance, but inside oneself there is a sort of flame or need thanks to which the transition isn’t painful – it’s not a painful effort, it’s something that can be done with a smile. But to want to impose that on those who aren’t ready for that transition is absurd. I have been much reproached for encouraging certain people to marry; there are lots of these children to whom I say, “Get married, get married!” I am told, “What! You encourage them?” – it’s common sense.
Page 309
It’s common sense. They are human, but let them not pretend they aren’t.
It’s only when the impulse spontaneously becomes impossible for you, when you feel it as something painful and contrary to your deeper need, then it becomes easy; at that time, well, outwardly you cut the links, then it’s over.
This is one of the most convincing examples.
It’s the same thing with food – it will be the same thing. And there will probably be a transition in which our food will be less and less purely material. That’s what they are after nowadays: all their vitamins and tablets are an instinctive research for a less down-to-earth food, which certainly will serve as a transition.
There are lots of things like that. Since the 24th [the darshan day] I have been living in this new consciousness and have seen the picture of a lot of things. There are even experiences I had gone through which I’ve understood now. Like for instance when I fasted for ten days (completely, without even a drop of water), without a thought for food (I didn’t have time to eat), and it wasn’t a struggle: it was a decision. And at that time there was a faculty in me which developed little by little, and when for example I breathed in flowers, it was nourishing. I saw it: you get nourished in a subtler way.
Only, the body isn’t ready. The body isn’t ready and it deteriorates, which means that it eats itself up. So that shows that the time hadn’t come and it was just an experiment – an experiment which teaches you something, which teaches you that there mustn’t be a blunt refusal to come in contact with the corresponding matter, there mustn’t be isolation (you can’t isolate yourself, that’s impossible), but a communion on a higher or deeper level.
(silence)
The message we distributed on the 24th,[["It is certainly a mistake to bring down the light by force - to pull it down. The Supramental cannot be taken by storm. When the time is ready it will open of itself - but first there is a great deal to be done and that must be done patiently and without haste." (Sri Aurobindo) ]] it was Sri Aurobindo who had told me to keep it for the 24th, that was very clear and very categorical, but I didn’t know why. But now he has clearly shown me why and I’ve well understood. Because this Power is becoming more and more obvious – this Truth-Power – and naturally human thought, which is childish (it has the same attitude towards
Page 310
supramental thought as what we may call animal thought or sentiment has towards human thought or sentiment), has almost a need for superstition (“superstition” is an ugly word for something that’s not ugly: it’s an ignorant, ingenuous and very trusting faith), and, well, as soon as you feel the influence of a Power, that faith makes you believe in the miracle, it makes you believe that the Supramental is going to manifest now, that you are going to become supramental, and that … And quite amusingly, I usually have to send out two to three hundred of these “messages” every darshan (everyone asks me for some for his correspondents); and this time, I haven’t even given a hundred of them! (Laughing) Not even a hundred. Ah, it’s not so comfortable, of course, it comes and tells you, “No, no, be sensible.”
It’s very amusing. I still have my whole stack here.
It’s like telling a dog, “Don’t think, don’t believe at all I am as you imagine, all-powerful and all-knowing.” If the dog were told the truth of how we humans are, the poor thing would be quite disappointed! It believes you are the all-powerful being, knowing everything and capable of doing everything. Well, that’s the same thing, you don’t tell a dog, “You’re superstitious.”
(silence)
Those who have touched the higher regions of intelligence but haven’t mastered in themselves the mental faculties have an ingenuous need for everyone to think as they do and to be able to understand as they understand, and when they realize that others cannot, don’t understand, their first reflex is to be horribly shocked; they say, “What a fool!” But “fool” isn’t the point at all – they are different, they live in another region. You don’t go and tell an animal, “You’re a fool,” you say, “It’s an animal.” Well, you say, “It’s a man.” It’s a man. Only, there are those who aren’t men anymore and aren’t gods yet, and those are in a very … in English they say, a very awkward position.
But it was so soothing, so sweet, so marvelous, that vision – each thing expressing its own kind, quite naturally.
And then, the Flame … When the Flame lights up, everything becomes different. But this Flame is something totally different; it’s totally different from religious feeling, religious aspiration, religious worship (all that is very fine, it’s the summit of what man can do and it’s very fine, it’s excellent for humanity), but this Flame, the Flame of transformation, is something else. Oh,
Page 311
I remember now that Sri Aurobindo reminded me of something I had written in Japan (which is printed in Prayers and Meditations), and I had never understood what I had written. I always tried to understand and asked myself, “What the devil did I mean? I have no idea.” It had come like that and I had written it directly. It was about a “child” and it read, “Do not come too near him because you will get burnt.” (I don’t remember the words at all.) And I always wondered, “What’s this child I am referring to?… And why should one take care not to come too near him??”[[Prayers and Meditations, March 27, 1917: “… You see it in your own heart, this triumphant hearth; you alone can bear it without its being destructive. If others touched it, they would be consumed. Do not therefore let them come too near it. The child must know that he must not touch the bright flame that attracts him so much….” ]] And suddenly, only yesterday or the day before, I understood; suddenly he showed me, he told me, “It’s this: the ‘child’ is the beginning of the new creation, it is still in its infancy,” so don’t touch it if you don’t want to be burnt – because it burns.
(silence)
And it’s quite clear that with the breadth and totality of the vision something comes which is a compassion that understands – not that pity of the superior for the inferior: the true divine Compassion, which is the total understanding that everyone is what he must be.
There remain only distortions. There was also the explanation of distortions. It was a decisive vision that puts everything in its place. A true revelation.
All those things have been told a thousand times, they have been written I don’t know how many times, they have been thought and expressed – all that is very fine, up there. But this is seen on the [material] plane itself, felt, lived, breathed, absorbed; it’s something else altogether. It’s an understanding that has nothing to do with intellectual understanding.
(after a long silence)
Sri Aurobindo continues to tell me things…. It’s truly very interesting.
There is a sort of instinct which wants everything to be in agreement with the experience one has. But that is a tendency to uniformity, the Supreme’s uniform oneness, which is the nonmanifest Supreme, eternally unchanging, in opposition to the innumerable multiplicity of all the expressions of that Oneness; and instinctively
Page 312
there is always a recoil (gesture) towards the Nonmanifest, instead of (Mother opens her two hands) an acceptance of the manifestation in its totality. It’s very interesting.
And it’s the first effect of the return to the Origin.
The first effect of the return to the origin is simplification, identity, the One – the identical One. And then there is the movement of the manifestation (gesture of expansion): the multiple Immensity.
It’s instinctive.
(Mother goes into a contemplation)
Page 313
>