WRITINGS BY THE MOTHER
© Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust
Reason
28 November 1956
Mother, when one wants to go beyond the mind, if one lets go the mind acting and the influence from above does not come immediately, then during that time what should one do? One becomes like an idiot. (Laughter)
What do you mean exactly? I don't understand.
If one lets go the mind acting...
If one lets the mind act? Why? I don't understand your question. [new p. 372]You said at the beginning, "When one has gone beyond the mind"?...
In order to go beyond the mind...
Oh! to go beyond the mind, let the mind act?... Yes, that is the theory: to go beyond desire, one must let the desires be realised, and to...
(A child) He said "let go the mind acting", Sweet Mother.
Let go? Oh! but one can't "let go the mind acting", that's not English.
To stop the action of the mind.
Ah, now we have it! that's how you should have put it. So? To stop the action of the mind, is that it? The way to do it?
I am asking...
Naturally! But that is already difficult enough. So what are you asking?
When one stops the reasoning, if something new from above doesn't come immediately, then during that period sometimes...
One acts like an idiot! (Laughter) Then it is better not to stop the reason before going beyond that state!
I mean, in the conditions of life as it is, is it possible to be...
To be unreasonable? Unfortunately that happens very often! [new p. 373]
Is it possible to disregard reason?... It is possible only when you have passed beyond mental activity. It is possible only when [old p. 373]you have achieved a surrender, a total giving of yourself. It is possible only when you no longer have any desires. So long as you have desires, have an ego and a will of your own, you cannot give up reason, because, as I said just a moment ago, you would become quite unbalanced and perhaps insane. Therefore reason must be the master until one has gone beyond the state in which it is useful. And as I said, as long as there is an ego and as long as there are desires, and so long as there are impulses and so long as there are passions and preferences, and so long as there are attractions and repulsions, etc., as long as all these things are there, reason is altogether useful.
I shall also add that there is another quite indispensable condition in order not to have recourse to reason any more; that is to open no door, no part of the being to the suggestions of the adverse forces. For if you are not completely liberated from the habit of responding to adverse suggestions, if you give up your reason, you also give up reason itself, that is, common sense. And you begin to act in an incoherent way which may finally become quite unbalanced. Well, to be free from suggestions and adverse influences, you must be exclusively under the influence of the Divine.
Now you see the problem; it is a little difficult. This means that unless you are in the presence of a completely illumined and transformed being, it is always better to advise people to act according to their reason. It is perhaps a limitation--it is in fact a great limitation--but it is also a control and it prevents you from becoming one of those half-idiots who are far too numerous in the world.
Reason is a very respectable person. Like all respectable people it has its limitations and prejudices, but that does not prevent it from being very useful. And it keeps you from making a fool of yourself. You would do many things if you did not have reason, things which would lead you straight to your ruin and [new p. 374]could have extremely unfortunate consequences, for your best means of discernment until you have attained higher levels [old p. 374]is reason. When one no longer listens to reason, one can be led into all sorts of absurdities. Naturally, it is neither the ideal nor the summit, it is only a kind of control and a guide for leading a good life, it keeps you from extravagances, excesses, inordinate passions and above all from those impulsive actions which may lead you to the abyss. There you are.
One must be very sure of oneself, quite free from the ego and perfectly surrendered to the divine Will to be able to do safely without reason.
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between true and false reasons!
Ah! no, you are playing with words. That word, as you use it here, has altogether another meaning, altogether; they are two very different things. Reason is a faculty of discernment. You are speaking of the reasons you give yourself for doing one thing or another--these are excuses the mind gives itself; but the meaning of the word "reason" is quite different there, it is not the same word at all, though it is pronounced and written in the same way. You can look it up in your dictionary, it will give you two completely different definitions of the word "reason". The reasons one gives oneself--that is, the excuses or explanations one gives oneself--are always tinged with egoism and a need to delude oneself that one is indeed a reasonable being. Ninety-nine and a half times out of a hundred this is the way to convince oneself that one is very good, what one does is very good, what one feels is very good, what one thinks is very good; it is to give oneself the impression that one is truly quite satisfactory. So, whatever you do, if you begin to reflect a little, you will tell yourself, "But certainly, I did that because it was like that, that's the real reason; I felt like that, but it was because of this, that's an excellent reason"--and so on. But that has nothing to do with [new p. 375]being reasonable; quite the contrary. It is an excellent means of deceiving oneself and keeping oneself [old p. 375]from progressing. It is justifying oneself in one's own eyes.
Moreover, these are always reasons which whitewash you and blacken others; it is a means of keeping your conscience very comfortable, isn't it? What happens to you is the fault of circumstances, if you have made a mistake it is the fault of others, if you have a bad reaction it is others who are responsible, etc.; you emerge white as snow from the judgment of your mind.
Is that all?