The Mother

Agenda

Volume 10

August 27, 1969

They've found a paper I wrote soon after Sri Aurobindo's departure.

I already told you part of it, but this is the full paper. It's dated...

(Mother hands the paper to Satprem)

January 26, 1951.

But it's very private.

(Satprem reads out the text)

(This note is about a person physically close to Sri Aurobindo, who tried to destroy Mother and separate her from Sri Aurobindo. In fact, it is clear and understandable that the darkest shadow is right under the light, and that he or she who comes to do the divine work must take on himself or herself the whole burden of the Opposer. Thus is it near Sri Aurobindo and Mother that the greatest adversaries will be found. That also explains Mother's departure and the ensuing murky situation in Auroville and in the Ashram. For obvious reasons we will not publish Mother's note or the long conversation that followed in its integrality, but only a few brief extracts, insofar as they illustrate the “problem,” or perhaps the mystery, of Sri Aurobindo's and Mother's departures, for they have one and the same reason.)

Naturally, this mustn't be published, but it's to be kept.

But what role did she play?

She went as far as to tell him that I was betraying his work – everything and anything conceivable.

But didn't Sri Aurobindo try to intervene?

Never.

That's surprising .... It's surprising, this nonintervention of Sri Aurobindo's.

Never – never.

He had this conviction so strongly, “It's the Supreme Lord who does everything.” So... it must be like that.

But in my small consciousness, I find it astounding that such a ridiculous, insignificant being as this piddling woman could have had such power!

But there was a great Asura behind her!¹ There were the adverse forces behind. The woman herself was nothing, but she was very receptive to those forces.

And he didn't want to break her?

Oh, he didn't want to. He was all compassion, goodness, patience ....

Twice I saw him get angry with her – twice. But he instantly got a grip on himself.

(silence)

A sad story, but anyway... Afterwards, I saw, I understood. Now I know. From the point of view of the work, it was... it was what had to happen.

I never said anything, Sri Aurobindo never said anything – all that I wrote is this (Mother points to her note), I never said anything.

(silence)

The small human individualities act as instruments, that's nothing.

But by yielding (because in a way he yielded), did he win a greater victory over that Asura?

Oh, yes, infinitely greater.

That's what eludes me.

Infinitely greater. And he didn't leave the work, you understand; he has never left me, never left the work. The amount of supramental force he had accumulated in his body he passed on to me – and I received it. The rest went into the subtle physical, where he has done the whole work. And he said, “I will take on a body again only when it is a supramental body.”

(silence)

It was... monstrous, you understand .... I didn't say anything, I never said anything .... Yes, once, she was so awful that I made her leave Sri Aurobindo's room, and she was so dreadful that I gave her a slap. And when I came back, Sri Aurobindo told me, “You ought not to have done it....”

It was... It is the highest, the most-the most sublime way, one might almost say, of exhausting the hostile force.

(long silence)

Ah, here...

(Mother takes a note near her)

There's a druid (laughing), a still-existing druid, from Brittany, who has written a letter to F. saying he had heard about Auroville from friends of hers and wants to come. He says, “I am poor, I am not bringing anything” (he is married, he and his wife intend to come together). He writes that he will bring a book; a book by one of his friends, who has had “the economic and financial vision” of the world. He will bring it – he says it's a revelation – for it to be used in Auroville. So in my answer, I intend to tell him, “Here is the basis on which Auroville is established...”

(Mother hands her note)

“Money is not meant to make money...

I wrote this in English very long ago, and sent it to America: it caused a revolution! Most people were indignant that one might think such a thing!

“...Money is meant to prepare the earth for the new creation.”

So we'll see the druid!... That makes the fourth person: we have a healer of cancer coming; we have a healer pure and simple coming; we have... (Mother tries to remember) ah, yes, a Persian inventor who has made “extraordinary inventions” for education (he sent a paper), especially for children's education; he is coming in September....

All that will be very amusing!

Yes, at least we'll have variety!

But the druid said he is penniless, so we'll send him to R. [Auroville's architect], who might be able to arrange something ....

He has studied all religions, and... (laughing) stopped at druidism.

He is Breton.

Yes, I guessed so!

He regards that book by his friend as a very precious gift (I don't know whether it's published or not), as a revolution. So I prefer to send him this note in advance, because, I don't know what's in that book, but if it's a similar idea, I want him to know that we had it before!

(long silence)

This (Mother points to the magnetic tape) must be destroyed.

Yes. It's a problem which... which I don't clearly see, this problem of nonintervention. To what extent should one intervene, and when can one intervene? Or must one always let things alone?

One has the right not to intervene only when one is constantly – constantly and intimately – united with the Supreme: when one is the REPRESENTATIVE of the Force, of the supreme Consciousness. That's all. Otherwise, one must intervene. And he had that sense to the utmost, you understand, it was with him that I learned not to intervene.

Otherwise, it's the play of forces, and it's NECESSARY to intervene.

But there, if one is like this (still gesture, turned upward), then it's the Supreme Power that comes. Then...

It's a frightful ordeal.

Yes... yes – to see if we were capable of doing the work!

(silence)

It was the most powerful means of purification that can be imagined .... That I know .... To such a point that even physically, the least, the slightest possibility of reaction was over.

I told you, the only thing I once did, and I found it a disgusting weakness, was to slap her.

So there.

(Mother gives Satprem and Sujata flowers of “Sri Aurobindo's compassion”)

¹ See Agenda 1, 26 March 1959.

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