The Mother's brief statements on various aspects of spiritual life including some conversations.
Part One consists primarily of brief written statements by the Mother on various aspects of spiritual life. Written between the early 1930s 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. There are also 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. These reports are identified by the symbol § placed at the end. Part Two consists of thirty-two conversations not included elsewhere in the Collected Works. The first six conversations are the earliest recorded conversations of the 1950s' period. About three-fourths of these conversations were spoken in French and appear here in English translation.
When you want to add wheat flour to the vegetables, it is better to mix it first in a separate sauce-pan with a small quantity of water or, better, of vegetable soup. You give it a first boiling in this sauce-pan, stirring it all the time, very carefully, with a circular movement. After it has reached the boiling point you can safely add it to the vegetables, it will no more stick to the bottom of the pan.
8 February 1932
Too strong a fire burns the food, spoils the vessel and wastes the fuel. A slow fire means a little longer time for the cooking but also a nicer result in cooking.
Hurried work is always bad work; time must be given if you want good result.
To say that your cooking is bad would not be fair. At most what I can say is that it is not always equally good, but bad it is not, and some dishes are quite successful. It may be that a period of inner difficulty has passed over you, but you are bound to come out of it stronger than before. When the inner difficulty is removed, the cooking will be as regularly good as it was before.
24 December 1937
I have heard so many contradictory reports on the effects of food, spices, etc. that logically I have come to the conclusion that it must be—like all the rest—a personal affair and consequently no general rule can be made and, still less, enforced. This is the cause of my leniency.
Page 269
Nothing was told to me about the aluminum vessels of which I do not approve because aluminium is not good for cooking. I am speaking of my own experience.
You know that I am not enthusiastic about servants handling the food—but many people seem to like it, through laziness I suppose!!
In the kitchen, cleanliness is the most indispensable thing.
To avoid hair falling in the cooking, it is better to cover the head while cooking.
Special care must be taken to prevent insects from falling into the pans.
If you do not like the atmosphere created by taking food with others I do not see why you should do it.
13 September 1940
From the physical point of view, it is obviously better to eat quietly and without hurry, and I am quite sure that most often one can manage to get time for it. It is all a question of organisation.
27 September 1943
All quarrels in the place where food is prepared make food indigestible. The cooking must be done in silence and harmony.
March 1969
Page 270
A childish question: Do animals and birds get the taste of food as we do?
Yes, but they do not think about it as we do.
Home
The Mother
Books
Share your feedback. Help us improve. Or ask a question.