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WRITINGS BY THE MOTHER
© Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust

The aspiration of the body

22 November 1967

[...] And it is the body that aspires, the body that says the mantra, the body that wants the light, the body that wants the consciousness--you, you can think of other things, Tom, Dick or Harry, a book, etc., it has no importance.

But now I understand very well, very well; in the beginning [old p. 99]I did not understand, I believed that I was made "ill" so that I [new p. 99]would stop the life that I was leading when I was downstairs [Note: Since this "illness" in 1962, Mother retired to her apartments upstairs.]--but I lead a life still more busy than the life downstairs, therefore... I asked myself why, whether it was a period of transition. But now I understand: cut off, I fainted in a swoon. That is why the doctor declared that I was ill: I could not move a step without fainting; I wanted to walk from here to there: on the way, pouf! I fainted. Someone had to hold me so that the body would not fall down. But as for me, I did not lose consciousness for a single minute. I fainted, but I was conscious, I saw my body, I knew that I had fainted, I did not lose consciousness, and the body also did not lose consciousness. So now I understand: it was cut off from the vital and the mental and left to its own resources; it was simply the body: all that it knew, all the experiences it had had, all the mastery that was there in all the states of being, the vital, the mental and above, all that gone! and this poor body left to itself. And then naturally, little by little, all that was rebuilt, rebuilt, a conscious, purely conscious being.

Yes, I understand, I understand. But truly it was cut off, that I have known--I have seen--cut off, the states of being sent away: "Go away, you are no longer wanted." And then a new life needed to be built up. And instead of the necessity of passing through all the states of being as was done before, by successive awakenings (gesture of ascent step by step as done by the old yogis) up to the highest, the very highest, beyond form--now it is not at all like that, it needed nothing at all of all that, it has simply to... (gesture of aspiration that rises and opens like a flower). Something has opened and developed within, and that is why this stupid mind has been organised, has been capable of being silent in an aspiration; and then... then it was the direct contact, without any intermediary--direct contact. And that it has now, all the while. All the while, all the while, the direct contact. And it is the body, it is not [old p. 100]through all kinds of things and states of being, not at all, it is direct. [new p. 100]

But once it is done (Sri Aurobindo has said this), once one body has done it, it has the capacity to pass it on to others: and I tell you, now--I do not say in the whole and in detail, probably not, but here and there (gesture of scattering, indicating various points upon earth)--all of a sudden one or another experience occurs in people. There are people (the majority) who are afraid; then naturally it goes away--it is because they were not sufficiently prepared within; if it is not the petty routine of every minute, of day to day, they have fear; and once they have fear, it is finished, it means that years of preparation will be needed for this to happen again. But there are some who are not afraid; an experience, all of a sudden! "Ah!..." Something altogether new, altogether unexpected, of which they never thought.

It is contagious, this I know. And it is the only hope, because if everyone had to go again through the same experience... Well, now I am ninety--at ninety people are tired, they have had enough of life. To do that one must feel young like a little child.

And it takes long, I see quite well that it has taken a long time.

And then, it is not done, it is being done, but it is not done--far from it--we are far from it.... What is the percentage of conscious cells? One does not know.

And from time to time there are some that scold the others. It is very amusing! They scold, they catch hold of them, tell them stupidities (in their way)--to those that want (Mother draws a small circle) to continue the old habits: digestion must be done in a certain way, absorption in a certain way, circulation in a certain way, respiration in a certain way... all the functions must be done according to the method of Nature; and when it is not like that, they become anxious. And then those that know, catch hold of them and put them under heavy bombardment [old p. 101]in the name of the Lord. It is very amusing!

Something is translated in words (it is without words, but there something is translated in words) and then there are conversations among the cells ( Mother laughs): "Imbecile that you [new p. 101]are! Why do you have fear? Don't you see it is the Lord himself who is doing this to transform you?" And the other: "Ah!..." Then it remains quiet, and then opens itself and waits, and then... the pain goes away, the disorder goes away, and everything is put in order.

It is wonderful.

But if by mischance the mind comes in, starts to help or judge, then the whole thing stops, and all fall back into the old habit.

(Long silence)

In reality, it is the ego, vital, mental, etc., all that has been, pouf! taken away.

It was a radical operation.

And so now, there is a kind of suppleness, plasticity. And all this is learning--it is very much in relation with the whole (horizontal gesture), but it is learning to look for all its support, all its force, all its knowledge, all its light, all its will, all, all, like that (vertical gesture, turned to the Supreme), solely like that, in an extraordinary plasticity.

And then, the splendour of the Presence.

Collected Works of The Mother, First Edition, Volume 11, pp. 98-101