The Mother

Agenda

Volume 13

February 26, 1972

(Mother hands Satprem her message for February 29, the fourth anniversary of the “supramental descent” of February 29, 1956.)

It is only when the Supramental manifests in the body-mind that its presence can be permanent.¹

Mother

This message comes from Sri Aurobindo – although it is made to appear as mine. It was Sri Aurobindo who wrote it. All I said was: Sri Aurobindo said “permanent.”

But, Mother, it's also your own experience, isn't it?...

Yes, evidently.

(Mother laughs
silence)

But wiser to let it settle in before we talk about it!

Once things are established, then.... For the moment, it's... (oscillating gesture from one side to the other).

This taming of the physical mind is.... I don't know how to tackle it, I find it very difficult.

Very difficult. It's very difficult.

First, one must be able to obtain silence at will – at any time at all, to obtain silence. I think that's the starting point.

But obtaining silence at will is no problem, Mother. You concentrate for a second and everything is stilled, and it lasts perfectly as long as you remain concentrated. But the moment you let go of the concentration, pfft!...

(Mother laughs)

... Off it goes. It rushes off here and there....

Well, mine has now lost the habit of running about. This habit must be got rid of.

But how does one do that?

I don't know, for it's spontaneous. Except when someone talks to me or something comes and breaks that state, but otherwise, left to itself, the body is quite naturally like this (immutable gesture, turned to the above). Perhaps this is the means (same gesture upwards): a contemplation of the Divine.

(smiling silence)

This is its natural state (same gesture). The actual feeling is even curious, you know... the body feels as if it were completely enwrapped like a baby, exactly like this (gesture), enfolded in the Divine.

(silence)

Two or three days ago (I don't remember when), something was pressing on my heart – and it hurt. It hurt, it was the 24th. I really had the feeling that... the body had the feeling it was the end. But then immediately, it felt as if enfolded... like a baby carried in the arms of the Divine. The exact sensation, you know, as if I were a baby being carried in the arms of the Divine. And after some time (a long time), when the body was exclusively in the Presence, it went away. The body didn't even ask for the pain to go; it just left. It took a little while, but it left.

I haven't told anyone. I thought... I thought the end had come. It was just after lunch....

Absolutely, but absolutely the sensation of being a baby nestling (gesture) in the Divine's arms. Extraordinary!

(silence)

You see, for a time it's like this: “What You will, what You will....” And then this too falls silent and... (Mother opens her hands upwards in a gesture of offering and immobile contemplation).

(silence)

The type of concentration itself must change, then.

Yes.

Because when you try to tame the physical mind and it rushes off here and there, it's mentally that you concentrate and restore the silence. So each time you use the mind to enforce discipline....

Ah!

The trouble is, the second you relax that mental pressure, it.... There has to be a “descent” of something else. A takeover.

I think it's really the sensation of the helplessness of a baby, you understand? And it's not something you “think” or “want”: it's totally spontaneous. And from there, you go into a state of... (Mother opens her hands, a blissful smile on her face).

As long as there's the sense of a person who wants, a person who does, it's hopeless... (same gesture, smiling with hands open).

(Mother goes into contemplation)

Is the Lord taking care of us?

(Laughing) I believe so!

(Mother takes Satprem's hands)

Don't you feel Him?

Yes, Mother, yes.

Ah!...

And you (to Sujata, who comes closer), do you feel Him?

Yes, Mother.

(silence)

(Sujata:) Mother, what does it mean when the body itself feels a great need to be enwrapped?

Yes, isn't it! – Like this (gesture).

Yes, Mother.

Yes, that's it.

To be enfolded. Enfolded.

Yes, exactly. That's exactly what my body feels all the time. You see, it is like... like a baby nestling. Exactly that sensation.

I think... I think my body has become excessively sensitive and needs to be protected from all those things coming in.² As if it had to work inside, you know... as in an egg. Yes, that's it. Exactly.

Yes, that's it. Exactly so. I think a whole work is being done within.

Oh, in terms of the old way, it's becoming more and more stupid, but the new way is beginning to emerge.

One would like, so much, to remain like this (same enveloping gesture), to remain like this for a long, long, long time.

(Sujata:) Yes, Mother.

And not move.

As if one constantly felt like resting one's head on your breast, enfolded in your arms.

(Mother laughs tenderly) Yes.

(To Satprem:) Do you feel that way too?

Oh, yes, Mother! Yes, Mother.

Mon petit... (Mother takes Satprem's hands again).

It's coming, we must be patient.

¹ Mother's translation from the French.

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² The “formation of death” surrounding Mother, which she already mentioned on the occasion of the 21st of February, seems to have become more defined. In fact, both Satprem and Sujata remember being struck by a comment Mother made the previous year, on September 8, 1971: “The body has had moments of agony as never before in its whole life – in connection with death, which has never happened before.” That remark had a strange ring to it. Mother had often mentioned before that there were a lot of desires for her body to die: “A considerable number of desires for it to die, everywhere – they are everywhere!” (May 10, 1969). But the threat or formation of death seems to have drawn closer, taken shape since that date. As if it had entered the physical realm.

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