The Mother's brief written statements on various aspects of spiritual life including some spoken comments.
This volume consists primarily of brief written statements by the Mother on various aspects of spiritual life. Written between the late 1920s and the early 1970s, the statements have been compiled from her public messages, private notes, and correspondence with disciples. About two-thirds of them were written in English; the rest were written in French and appear here in English translation. The volume also contains a small number of spoken comments, most of them in English. Some are tape-recorded messages; others are reports by disciples that were later approved by the Mother for publication.
If each one took the resolution of mastering oneself and controlling one's impulses, the situation would become more clear.
When people allow their consciousness to remain in a turmoil, all their life becomes a turmoil.
An impulsive person who cannot control himself has a disordered life.
First learn to know yourself perfectly and then to control yourself perfectly. You will be able to do it by aspiring at every moment. It is never too early to begin, never too late to continue.
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Control over the lower impulsions is the first step towards realisation.
Renunciation of desires: the essential condition for realisation.
Yes, we must keep the seat of our consciousness in the higher being and do whatever we are doing from there, not allowing the lower, blind and selfish movements and reactions to spoil our work.
To accept the uglinesses of the lower nature under the pretext that they exist―if this is what is meant by realism―does not form part of the sadhana. Our aim is not to accept these things and enjoy them, but to get rid of them and create a life of spiritual beauty and perfection. That cannot be done as long as we accept these uglinesses.
To be aware that they are there and to reject them, not to let them touch us is one thing; to accept them and submit to them is quite another.
Beware of what pulls you downward. Do not yield to any lower instinct. Keep intact your aspiration for the Divine.
Yielding to desires is not the way of getting rid of them. There is no end to desires―each one which is satisfied is at once replaced by another one and they go on clamouring more and more.
It is only by conquering the desires that you can get rid of them, by coming out of this consciousness of the lower nature and rising to a higher consciousness.
29 April 1930
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Refuse to do anything whatsoever which leads you away from the Divine.
18 October 1934
If you want to become conscious of my presence in you and to be delivered from hostile attacks, you must renounce any attempt to satisfy your desires. Only when the vital has lost all hope of seeing its desires satisfied does it consent to be spiritualised.
My help and blessings are with you.
3 September 1935
A desire which knows that it will never be satisfied at once vanishes.
All the lower movements have to be conquered if ever anything divine is to be established upon earth.
18 March 1936
There is no greater victory than that of controlling oneself.
3 May 1954
It is indispensable to perceive the lower movements of your being, in a detached and scientific manner, as a witness with clear vision and insight. But you must never allow these movements to express and assert themselves as if they had the right to exist and govern the rest of the being. In other words, you must never act under the impulse of these movements, never physically translate their suggestions into speech or action, never permit their orders to be carried out in any inner or outer gesture.
19 September 1956
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Keep quiet, try to detach yourself and observe as a witness, to prevent all possibility of acting on impulse.1
Do not act under an impulse.
Never forget that, as much outside as in the Ashram, if you want to lead a happy life, you must be the master of your lower nature and control your desires and vital impulses; otherwise there is no end to the miseries and the troubles.
20 September 1960
At every moment of life you are put in the presence of a choice between the Grace and your personal satisfaction.
13 September 1961
One cannot overcome one's desires by making oneself weak but only in strength, balance and peace.
7 June 1964
If one is not master of one's desires, one cannot be master of one's thoughts.
22 August 1964
Sometimes you say "all right" even to our desires and ambitions.
The Grace works for progress on the path. The satisfaction of desire may also serve that purpose in showing the inanity of desire.
And the good of yesterday may no more be good tomorrow.
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So follow your inspiration and my blessings are with you.
30 May 1968
You have my love and grace and blessings.
But if you are to feel them you must be disciplined, attentive and concentrated; above all you must not listen to any of your desires and fancies.
In life, one must choose between a disordered and useless life of desires and that of an ascent into the light of aspiration and mastery of one's lower nature.
16 June 1971
No self-indulgence and no desire.
To conquer a desire brings more joy than to satisfy it.
Self-mastery is the greatest conquest, it is the basis of all enduring happiness.
Continence: control over oneself.
To be continent is to allow no other movements in the being (mental, vital and physical) than those strictly indispensable to manifest the Divine's Will.
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