Chapter 6December 20, 1969

MEANNESS is a weakness that calculates and... (laughing) demands from others the virtues one does not have.

SELFISHNESS is to put oneself at the center of the universe and to want everything to exist for one’s own satisfaction.

NOBLENESS is to refuse to make any personal calculation.

GENEROSITY is to find one’s own satisfaction in the satisfaction of others.

Those things come in an imperative way – I don’t try, I don’t call. Even, after I read the questions, I said to myself, “Oh, I’m not going to answer this” – and poff!

* * *

(Then Mother listens to a few texts from Sri Aurobindo, in particular this one:)

“Certainly, when the Supramental does touch earth with a sufficient force to dig itself in into the earth consciousness, there will be no more chance of any success or survival for the Asuric Maya.”

(On Himself, 26.472)

It’s interesting because the Asura is now thrashing about just like someone who expects to disappear. That’s interesting....

(Mother gives Satprem a Champak flower.)

Do you know what it is?... It’s the “divine psychological perfection.” So someone asked me, “What’s divine psychological perfection?” – A smile in any circumstance...

Good.... You know that I went to the Madras airport yesterday to bring my mother here. Every

time, I really feel as if I had entered a world... I don’t know... another world. Another world. Really, I’ve never had in my life that impression to such a point, as if entering a nonhuman world, I

Yes, with dressed little puppets moving about. It’s... nonexistent.

Yes, that’s right, there’s no inner consciousness.

It’s painful, almost.

Yes.

* * *

(Soon afterwards, Mother looks at some old letters.)

It’s from Y. She’d like to see me, wouldn’t she?

Yes: “I would really like to see you and look at certain things through you.”

(Mother laughs a lot)... She always wants to convince me that what she does is perfect, but...

It goes to the “corner.”

(Mother points to the place where

letters to be filed are piled up)

I’ve asked them to start a school at “Auromodèle.”

Who will look after the school?

There’s a French woman who was a primary school teacher (I was told she’s nice, I haven’t seen her), and then an Indian woman (whom I saw) who wants to teach in Auroville, and she’s fine, I mean her mental attitude is good. So the two of them will start (laughing): there are five children!

Some interesting people have come to Auroville, people who are really seeking something.... So I leave them to stew there and we’ll see what comes out of it!

(silence)

Do you know K.S., the former prince of Kashmir? He has founded a sort of “committee for Sri Aurobindo’s centenary.” He’s very active and they want to found... an “institute” or something to “study Sri Aurobindo’s works” and to “put them into practice” from a governmental and international point of view. He first thought of founding it in Delhi – I said, “Fine.” But there was a big movement for it to take place here, in Auroville.... There are two things they want to do in Auroville: that institute, and in 1972, they want to launch an Indian satellite for “communications,” and they’ve nearly decided that it will be launched from Auroville and will be called Sri Aurobindo.... And then, I already told you about a boat that will leave from America also in ‘72 – Sri Aurobindo’s Boat. They’re trying to do something....

But as for me, I try not to be mixed in too much because... as soon as it touches the Manifestation, it

* * * I’d like you to take the responsibility of the Bulletin.

(various details follow)

In those Aphorisms, T. always asks me, “What does Sri Aurobindo mean?” or “What does Sri Aurobindo want?” So I am like this (passive gesture), and he answers me. And it’s really amusing: he answers JUST the sort of things she can understand.220 That’s what I always find marvelous! All the time I lived with him, I was in a state almost of wonder at that suppleness – extraordinary suppleness – as a result of which, with everyone, he seemed to use the person’s own mind to answer him! That was really marvelous. The standpoint, the attitude, the words, the turn of phrase, everything was what the other was able to understand.

That’s why apparently there seem to be contradictions, but it’s only an appearance.

(silence)

With the passing by – very brief passing by – of the true consciousness, the supramental consciousness, there has been in its wake a certain... it’s between an attitude and a vision in the body (the physical being), and it no longer sees things in the same way at all, the reaction is completely different. That has made a difference.... For those few hours, there was nothing but that consciousness, it was wonderful; now there is... what has been formed. But the inner attitude, even in the physical consciousness, is changed; there is a sort of vision of things, a POSITION: the position with regard to the world, the creation, is changed. It’s no longer the same – no longer the same. And then, a sort of clearsighted sensitivity for all that comes to... to be done or said or decided (it comes from people and circumstances)....

How can I put it?... I have refused to be a prophet. This Consciousness which is there (gesture above) feels that in order to be a prophet, one must... coagulate things. That’s giving them a sort of fixity or hardness (how can I explain that?), yes, a fixity they don’t have. Things are seen (they’re seen all the time, constantly), but it takes some time (what, for us, is expressed as “time”) between the vision and the execution (Mother draws a downward curve), and if one is in the true consciousness and the true vision, what was there like that (fluid gesture above) can be changed. You understand, the whole creation is in a movement of such tremendous rapidity that it’s imperceptible for the physical consciousness, but between the moment when things are seen (gesture above) and the moment when they get expressed materially, a change takes place. And if one is very careful – very careful and (what should I call it?) very objective – there is time for a transformation. And it’s that habit of fixing things that prevents the rapidity of the world’s transformation. So then, to prophesy is a way of fixing things, and... the consciousness refuses to do it, it wants to allow things their full suppleness so they may change every moment.

Unfortunately, here on earth, everything becomes like this (Mother clenches her two fists), coagulated, and that’s the falsehood of the creation. But we shouldn’t help it!

Otherwise, when there are problems to be resolved, I see them: they come and stay and keep at it what I mean, “me” isn’t this [Mother points to her body]) and who expect the solution to their problem, it all comes to me con-stant-ly, night and day, night and say, along with the solution. But it’s not mental, and therefore not fixed; it’s a supple thing, ever changing; so if you prophesy, you fix one moment – and you spoil everything. Whereas if you let things... All the time, people want you to prophesy, to tell them: “This is how it will be.” I obstinately refuse to do that! We must keep the true attitude and let things-allow them their ascending fluidity.

There’s no more “big” or “small,” “important” or “unimportant,” all that is... Sometimes, very small things that the mind regards as complete-ly insignificant have a more intense light than “big” problems, things the mind regards as problems of importance: problems of government, for example, of relations with other countries; sometimes it’s more... insubstantial than very small things that appear to be nothing. All that is linked to the total movement of the creation towards... towards the true awareness.

That has become the constant, constant way of being.

(silence)

It’s very interesting. The first effect of every new progress is a more total and complete perception of the incapacity we live in in ordinary life. That’s the first result, because one begins to feel, see, sense, perceive how things should be, and so... (gesture of a gap opening abruptly). It’s really the effect of the Grace if it’s graded and apparently slow, because any rapid movement would produce such a... despair at the opposition between the two that one couldn’t bear it. The body is growing increasingly conscious of its infirmity, its incapacity; the clearer the consciousness becomes, the more conscious the body grows, so one must be very careful because it shouldn’t topple over.

(Mother suddenly turns to Sujata)

Have you received the box of marrons glacés? No?... (Mother has the box brought) It’s pretty! At least the box is.

You’ll take some, won’t you?

Not for me.

Oh, listen, you aren’t reasonable!

Eating is tedious!

No, all those difficulties are given me precisely to... it’s not to encourage me to eat!

No, there’s an experiment taking place, to find out the way from the old method to the new, and then... The body knows nothing. It knows nothing, it’s absolutely ignorant – no experience, it knows nothing, it only has goodwill (Mother opens her hands). It doesn’t even know... It has (laughing) a certain number of sensations of what takes place, which aren’t always very pleasant, and that’s all, it doesn’t know. It doesn’t know the effect: how, why, all that.... So then, it goes without saying that it’s part of the things demanded: the body has to eat. But to what extent and how?... The transition: how to effect the transition? The pace of the transition, the mode of transition?... It knows nothing. This poor body cannot say anything because it knows nothing; all that it thought it had learned for ninety years