Chapter 3September 13, 1972

* * *

(Mother sits looking at Satprem, smiling, for more than fifteen minutes.)

Nothing to ask?

I very much felt Sri Aurobindo.

Aah!

(Mother plunges in)

I wrote this the other day (Mother holds a piece of paper), and Z told me, “Oh, this would be good for the New Year!” But it’s in English.... Can you read it?

“When you are conscious of the whole world at the same time, then you can become conscious of the Divine.”

My idea is not that being conscious of the world automatically makes you conscious of the Divine, but when your consciousness is vast enough to see and be conscious of the whole world, then you become capable of....

How can I say it?... I don’t want to be too specific. I mean I want each one to understand according to his capacity – you follow? Do you follow what I mean?

Yes, yes, Mother!

A person with a superficial consciousness will understand in that way, but one with a deeper consciousness will understand the real meaning.

Now I’ll put it in French (Mother dictates):

Quand vous devenez conscient du monde tout entier en même temps, alors vous êtes capable d’être conscient du Divin.

Yes, Mother, but “alors” [=then] isn’t necessary: “Quand vous devenez conscient du monde tout

entier en même temps, vous êtes capable d’être conscient du Divin. “ I purposely put “alors” [then] because otherwise it would mean that by becoming conscious of the whole world, you automatically become conscious of the Divine – which isn’t true. It’s but one aspect of the Divine. That’s why I put “alors.”

All right?

Yes, yes, Mother. But if you read it literally, it means you have to be conscious of the whole

world...

...in order to be capable of becoming conscious of the Divine. That’s the idea. But I don’t want to put it in those terms, you see. I want each one to...

...to understand in his own way, from his own particular level.

Yes, because as the Work progresses, true consciousness develops – but I don’t want to say that.

But is it in good French?

Yes, yes, it’s fine! It’s very good! [laughter]

(silence)

And what about your own progress?

Well, I very much wonder!

(Mother laughs) Same here!

(silence)

But it’s an incredible situation, you know: either true consciousness or the sensation of an impending and general danger. Everything – eating, taking a bath – is a danger, you see. The only thing that’s... (Mother opens her arms and hands in a gesture of contemplative abandon).

Except resting, at least up to now – resting is nice: it’s relaxation in the Divine. Both are nice: resting and silence – immobility (provided my body’s position doesn’t hurt too much), then I think I could stay like that for centuries. Just being employed in... (What should I say? No work is involved): just letting the Divine go through me, through this body. More and more, when someone is here, in silence, it’s... (gesture indicating the Force flowing through Mother) to reach the point where there’s nothing but the Divine.

Those two things are very good. The most difficult thing of all is eating. There’s... no, neither disgust, nor dislike, nor anything of the kind (no sensations are involved): a physical impossibility.

A real problem. Something to be found – but what? I hope you haven’t got that problem?