On Education

Answers to a Monitor

Here our activities are so varied that it is difficult to stick to one thing and perfect it. Perhaps that is the reason why we are not able to go beyond a mediocre average. Or is it because of our lack of solid concentration?

The cause of mediocre work is neither the variety nor the number of activities, but lack of the power of concentration.

One must learn to concentrate and do everything with full concentration.

4 July 1961

It really is a problem to know how to create interest in the students, whether in games, athletics or gymnastics. Even our enthusiasm dwindles when we see their lack of interest in everything.

The interest of the students is proportionate to the true capacity of the teacher.

12 July 1961

(Regarding a message to the Physical Education Captains) We are very far from what you ask of us, at least I am. It is an arduous task and will take time, a very long time, but what can be done at present? To change our consciousness and become an élite will take a great deal of time. At present, we are on the same level as our students, so the immediate problem is not solved. How can we awaken interest in them for each thing and each day?

It is even more impossible than to change and become an élite.

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Therefore, the best thing is to start to work immediately. The rest is simply an excuse that our laziness gives to itself.

15 July 1961

We speak very often of the psychic and the soul, but I understand nothing about them. What are these two things and how can one experience them?

Sri Aurobindo has written a lot on this subject (in his letters) and I too have explained everything in the book on Education. One must read, study and above all practise.

4 October 1961

I want you to look attentively into yourself and try to explain to me what exactly it is that you enjoy in detective stories.

16 October 1961

I read them as a relaxation. In detective stories (especially Perry Mason), there is always a courtroom scene in which the lawyer Perry Mason seems certain to lose his case, his client is accused of murder, all the proofs are against him, but the master stroke of the lawyer Perry Mason changes the situation. Right through the story there are mysteries and the trial is like the mental gymnastics of a master gymnast. But each time, when I have finished the book, I feel that I have gained nothing, learnt nothing new, that it was a waste of time.

It is not absolutely useless. You have doubtless a great deal of tamas in your mind and the mental acrobatics of the author shake up this tamas a little and awaken the mind. But this cannot last long and soon you must turn to higher things.

16 October 1961

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Sweet Mother,

I have noticed something which applies to all of us: it is that we take part in as many items as possible in the 2nd December programme.¹ Is it not better to choose one or two items and give a very good demonstration in these rather than do several in a mediocre way?

Each one does according to his or her nature and if he (or she) follows courageously and sincerely the law of the nature, he or she acts according to truth. Thus it is impossible to judge and decide for others. One can know only for oneself, and even then one has to be very sincere in order not to deceive oneself

4 November 1961

Sweet Mother,

You have often told us that our activities must be an offering to the Divine. What does it mean exactly, and how to do it? For instance, when one plays tennis or basketball, how does one do that as an offering? Mental formations are not enough, naturally!

It means that what you do should not be done with a personal, egoistic aim, for success, for glory, for gain, for material profit or out of vanity, but as a service and an offering, in order to become more conscious of the divine will and to give oneself more entirely to it, until one has made enough progress to know and feel that it is the Divine who acts in you, His force that animates you and His will that supports you—not only a mental knowledge, but the sincerity of a state of consciousness and the power of a living experience.

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For that to be possible, all egoistic motives and all egoistic reactions must disappear.

20 November 1961

Sweet Mother,

We have had a discussion with friends concerning the problem and possible methods of physical education. The fundamental problem is this: how to establish a programme which will please everyone and which will be as effective as possible for all members in general? Are tournaments necessary? Should we have no compulsion whatsoever? And if complete freedom is given, will that be practical? etc.... It is a subject to which it is not easy to find a solution which sufficiently satisfies everyone, except when Mother Herself intervenes.

It is impossible. Each has his own taste and his own temperament. One can do nothing without discipline—the whole of life is a discipline.

20 September 1962

In a discussion with a friend about our physical education programme and the other innumerable activities we have here, he asked me: "Can you give me a valid example of at least one person who takes part in so many activities and maintains a fairly high standard—one single person in the whole world?"

Do not forget—all of you who are here—that we want to realise something which does not yet exist on the earth; so it is absurd to seek elsewhere an example of what we want to do.

He told me this also: "Mother says that there is all freedom and all facilities for those who are gifted for

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a particular subject and want to pursue it to the full. But where is this freedom to become, for instance, a great musician, etc.?" Sweet Mother, can you please say a few words on the subject of this freedom?

The freedom of which I speak is the freedom to follow the soul's will and not that of mental and vital whims and fancies.

The freedom of which I speak is an austere truth which tends to surmount all the weaknesses and desires of the lower, ignorant being.

The freedom of which I speak is the freedom to consecrate oneself entirely and without reserve to one's highest, noblest and most divine aspiration.

Who amongst you follows sincerely that path? It is easy to judge, but it is more difficult to understand and still much more difficult to realise.

18 November 1962

Girls are always at a disadvantage: they cannot do what they want, like boys.

Why not?

One has hundreds of proofs to the contrary.

31 May 1963

I have too much "grey matter" in my head which prevents me from thinking clearly and grasping new ideas quickly. How can I free myself from this?

By studying much, by reflecting much, by doing intellectual exercises. For instance, enunciate a general idea clearly and then enunciate the opposite idea, and seek the synthesis of both these ideas, that is to say, find a third idea which harmonises the other two.

25 June 1963

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Why do you read novels? It is a stupid occupation and a waste of time. It is certainly one of the reasons why your brain lacks clarity and is still in a muddle.

27 June 1963

Sweet Mother,

A few days ago I noticed something very curious in the children of group A2: the boys do not want to work with the girls; they do not even want to remain at their side or together with them. How did this idea of a difference come to these little children who are barely eleven years old! It is strange.

It is atavistic and comes from the subconscient.

This instinct is based both on masculine pride, the foolish idea of superiority, and the still more foolish fear caused by the idea that a woman is a dangerous being who entices you into sin. In children, all this is still subconscious, but it influences their actions.

3 July 1963

Sweet Mother,

You have explained that this separation of girls and boys is atavistic, but it is still necessary to ask You what we, the captains, should do. Personally, I think it is better to close one's eyes to it, but there are others who prefer to give advice or even to scold. I think that by closing one's eyes to it, one minimises the importance of the problem and so this idea of difference between girls and boys will be less striking. What do you think?

One cannot make a general rule, everything depends on the case and the circumstances. Both methods contain good and bad elements, advantages and disadvantages. For the captains, the main thing is to have tact and sufficient inner perception

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to intervene when necessary or to close one's eyes when it is preferable not to see.

15 July 1963

Would it not be better to have a basic discipline here instead of so much liberty from which we are not capable of profiting?

You say this, but you are one of those who revolt (at least in thought) against the minimum discipline demanded when it is absolutely indispensable, as in the physical education, for example.

21 July 1963

Our teacher X gave us a talk in a serious and significant tone: "Be prepared to go through hard tests, we are on the eve of something very difficult and dangerous." But he did not explain.

It is a pity he did not explain his thought, because I do not know what he is referring to—probably he wanted to caution you against your frivolity, your thoughtlessness, your negligence and your carelessness.

All you young people here have had a very easy life, and instead of taking advantage of it to concentrate your efforts on spiritual progress, you have amused yourselves as much as you could, without creating too much scandal, and So your vigilance has been lulled.

Doubtless X spoke like that in order to re-awaken it.

27 August 1963

I am not properly prepared for the performance of the 1st December, and, moreover, I do not feel at all enthusiastic.

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When one has decided and accepted to do something, it must be done as well as one can.

Everything can be an occasion to progress in consciousness and self-mastery. And this striving to progress immediately renders the thing, no matter what it is, interesting.

26 September 1963

Sri Aurobindo writes in one of his Aphorisms: "Those who are deficient in the free, full and intelligent observation of a self-imposed law, must be placed in subjection to the will of others."² I Mother, I am one of those. Will You take me and discipline me?

My child, it is exactly what I have been trying to do for quite a long time, especially since I have been receiving your notebook and correcting it.

It is with that disciplinary aim that I asked you to write one single sentence each day—it need not have been long, but it ought to have been without mistakes—alas!

Up to now, I have never succeeded your sentences are often long and ambiguous, others are short—but all contain mistakes and often, very often, the same mistakes of gender, agreement and conjugation that I have corrected numerous times.

One would think that even if you re-read your notebook when I send it back to you, you do not study it and do not try to profit by it to make progress.

To discipline one's life is not easy, even for those who are strong, severe with themselves, courageous and enduring.

But before trying to discipline one's whole life, one must at least try to discipline one activity, and persist until one succeeds.

13 October 1963

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It seems that a list of books (English classics) was sent to you for Your approval, but that You wish only the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo to be read. You have even remarked that to read these old classics is to lower the level of one's consciousness.

Mother, is it only for those who are practising yoga that You advise this or is it for everybody?

First of all, what has been reported is not correct. Secondly, the advice is adapted to each case and cannot be generalised.

12 November 1963

I am very irregular in my studies, I do not know what to do.

Shake off your "tamas" a little; otherwise you will become a blockhead!

27 December 1963

One is often afraid of doing what is new; the body refuses to act in a new way, like trying a new gymnastic figure or another way of diving. From where does this fear come? How can one free oneself of it? And again, how can one encourage others to do the same?

The body is afraid of anything new because its very base is inertia, tamas; it is the vital which brings the dominance of rajas (activity). That is why, generally, the intrusion of the vital in the form of ambition, emulation and egotism, obliges the body to shake off tamas and make the necessary effort to progress.

Naturally, those in whom the mind predominates can lecture their body and provide it with all the necessary reasons to enable it to overcome its fear.

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The best way for everybody is self-giving to the Divine and confidence in His infinite Grace.

13 May 1964

While waiting to become ready for a spiritual discipline, what should I do, apart from aspiring that the Mother may pull me out of the slumber and awaken my psychic consciousness?

To develop your intelligence read regularly and very attentively the teachings of Sri Aurobindo. To develop and master your vital, observe attentively your movements and reactions with the will to overcome desires, and aspire to find your psychic being and unite yourself with it. Physically, continue to do as you are doing, develop and control your body methodically, make yourself useful by working in the Playground and in the place you work, and try to do it in as selfless a way as possible.

If you are sincere and scrupulously honest, my help is certainly with you and one day you will become conscious of it.

22 July 1964

There are times when I feel like abandoning all my activities—the Playground, the band, studies, etc., and devote all my time to the work. But my logic does not accept this. From where does this idea come and why?

In this case your logic is right. In the outer nature there is often a tamasic tendency to simplify the conditions of life in order to avoid the effort of organising more complicated circumstances. But when one desires to progress in the integrality of the being, this simplification is not at all advisable.

19 August 1964

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Often, when I read Sri Aurobindo's works or listen to His words, I am wonderstruck: how can this eternal truth, this beauty of expression escape people? It is really strange that He is not yet recognised, at least as a supreme creator, a pure artist, a poet par excellence! So I tell myself that my judgments, my appreciations are influenced by my devotion for the Master—and everyone is not devoted. I do not think this is true. But then why are hearts not yet enchanted by His words?

Who can understand Sri Aurobindo? He is as vast as the universe and his teaching is infinite...

The only way to come a little close to him is to love him sincerely and give oneself unreservedly to his work. Thus, each one does his best and contributes as much as he can to that transformation of the world which Sri Aurobindo has predicted.

2 December 1964

Sri Aurobindo has said somewhere that if one surrenders to the Divine Grace, it will do everything for us. Therefore, what value has tapasya?

If you want to know what Sri Aurobindo has said on a given subject, you must at least read all that he has written on that subject. You will then see that he has apparently said the most contradictory things. But when one has read everything, and understood a little, one perceives that all the contradictions complement each other and are organised and unified into an integral synthesis.

Here is another quotation from Sri Aurobindo which will show you that your question is based on ignorance. There are many others which you can read with interest and which will make your intelligence more supple:

"If there is not a complete surrender, then it is not possible to adopt the baby cat attitude; it becomes mere tamasic passivity

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calling itself surrender. If a complete surrender is not possible in the beginning, it follows that personal effort is necessary."

16 December 1964

How to increase concentration (single-mindedness) and will-force—they are so necessary for doing anything.

Through regular, persevering, obstinate, unflagging exercise—I mean exercise of concentration and will.

7 April 1965

Are mental indifference and lack of curiosity a sort of mental inertia?

Usually they are due to mental inertia, unless one has obtained calm and indifference through a very intense sadhana resulting in a perfect equality for which the good and bad, the pleasant and unpleasant no longer exist. But in that case, mental activity is replaced by an intuitive activity of a much higher kind.

25 May 1966

How can one get out of this mental laziness and inertia?

By wanting to, with persistence and obstinacy. By doing daily a mental exercise of reading, organisation and development.

This must alternate in the course of the day with exercises of mental silence in concentration.

1 June 1966

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