The Mother confides to a disciple her experiences on the path of a 'yoga of the body'.
Dans ces conversations, la Mère confie à un disciple ses expériences sur le chemin du « yoga du corps », au cours des années 1961-1973.
During the years 1961 to 1973 the Mother had frequent conversations with one of her disciples about the experiences she was having at the time. She called these conversations, which were in French, l’Agenda. Selected transcripts of the tape-recorded conversations were seen, approved and occasionally revised by the Mother for publication as 'Notes on the Way' and 'A Propos'. The following introductory note preceded the first of the 'Notes on the Way' conversations: 'We begin under this title to publish some fragments of conversations with the Mother. These reflections or experiences, these observations, which are very recent, are like landmarks on the way of Transformation: they were chosen not only because they illumine the work under way — a yoga of the body of which all the processes have to be established — but because they can be a sort of indication of the endeavour that has to be made.'
This talk begins with Mother's comments on the message to be distributed on February 29, the Golden Day, anniversary of the descent of the Supramental Manifestation upon earth in 1956.
"It is only when the Supramental manifests in the body-mind that its presence can be permanent."
This message is a saying of Sri Aurobindo's—they have made out as though it was my saying. It was Sri Aurobindo who wrote it, I simply said: Sri Aurobindo has said "permanently".
But, Mother, it is your experience, therefore... (Mother laughs).
(Silence)
But it would be wiser to speak of it when it has been done! When it has been installed, then... For the moment... (gesture of swinging from one side to another).
This discipline of the physical mind is... I do not know by which end to catch it. I find it very difficult.
Very difficult. It is very difficult.
You must begin by obtaining the silence at will. To obtain the silence at any moment. I believe that is the starting-point.
Yes, but to get the silence at will is not difficult, you concentrate for a second and it truly falls silent. And as long as you are concentrated, it is perfectly silent.
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But the moment you relax your concentration, finished. (Mother laughs) That moves, moves this way, moves that way.
The mind now has lost the habit of running about. That habit it must lose.
How to do it?
I do not know, because for me it was spontaneous. Only when someone speaks to me or when something comes to shake me out of it... otherwise, left to itself, quite naturally it is like that (gesture of immobility, turned upward).... Perhaps that is the way (same gesture): contemplating the Divine in this manner.
(A smiling silence)
It is that, the natural state (same gesture). Strangely enough it is even translated by... a sensation in the body, the sensation of being wholly enveloped, just as if a baby were swathed. Yes, truly it is like that, being enveloped by the Divine (gesture).
It is now two or three days, I do not remember exactly, there was a great difficulty and then immediately I felt myself enveloped (gesture) like a baby being carried in the arms of the Divine. You understand, it was like that. It was as though I was a baby being carried in the arms of the Divine. And then... after a time (but it was rather long) when it had been solely in the Divine Presence like that, the pain disappeared. It did not even ask for the pain to go, it left. It took a little time, it left.
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I had completely, completely the feeling of being a baby enveloped (gesture) in the arms of the Divine. Extraordinary.
Well, for a time it is like that: "What Thou willest, what Thou willest" and then that too falls silent... (Mother opens her hands upward in a gesture of offering).
It is the type of concentration that must change.
Yes.
Because when you follow this discipline of the physical mind and when it thus escapes you to the right and to the left, you always resume the concentration mentally and mentally re-establish silence. So each time it is through the mind that you practise the discipline...
Ah!
... but the mind, the very moment you relax it... There must be a descent of something, something must take possession.
Indeed, it is the feeling of a baby's powerlessness, you understand? But it is not a thing "thought out", "willed", it is absolutely spontaneous, and then from there you pass into a state... (Mother opens her hands in a smile of beatitude).
So long as there is this feeling of someone who wills, who does a thing and all that, it is useless... (same gesture, hands open in a smile).
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(Mother goes into contemplation.)
The Lord is looking after us?
(Laughing) I believe, yes! (Mother takes hold of the disciple's hands.) Do you not feel Him?
Yes, Mother.
Ah!...
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