Mother's Chronicles - Book Three

14

Satan

Mother was deploring the lack of mental qualities in the Ashram children. "These children don't understand Sri Aurobindo's irony," she told Satprem. "Happily, on this point of humour, there was a meeting of Sri Aurobindo's mind and mine," she said. "They read prosaically," she moved her palm in the air in a gesture of superficiality. "Strangely enough, it's the same phenomenon when they read Anatole France.¹ And Anatole France, read without understanding his irony, is abominably commonplace.

"They don't grasp the irony.

"Sri Aurobindo had it. He understood the irony of Anatole France so well, he had this same thing —so subtle, so refined."

1. Anatole France (pseudonym of Jacques Anatole Thibault — 1844-1924), French novelist, received the 1921 Nobel prize.

Page 175

Indeed, except perhaps for two or three, there was a real dearth of 'refined,' that is, clear-thinking minds in the Ashram. Yet, time and again, Sri Aurobindo laid stress on this quality. "One of the most fundamental requisites for the search of the Truth," he declared, "is a critical reason, almost a cynical mind which tears off the mask and refuses to accept current ideas, thoughts and opinions. It is a kind of solvent. Man must have the courage to see the Truth as it is without any deception about it. Shaw¹ has got that critical mind to a great extent and we find the same in Anatole France."

And here is Sri Aurobindo on Anatole France.

Dilip Kumar Roy once sent Sri Aurobindo a quotation from Anatole France's Les Dieux ont soif (The Gods Are Thirsty): "Either God would prevent evil if he could, but could not, or he could but would not, or he neither could nor would, or he both would and could. If he would but could not, he is impotent, if he could but would not, he is perverse, if he neither

1. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Irish dramatist, received the 1925 Nobel prize. His views on the Jewish-Christian God are strikingly similar to Anatole France's. He dubbed Christianity 'Crossianity.'

Page 176

could nor would he is at once impotent and perverse; if he both could and would why on earth hasn't he done it, Father?"

Then in his characteristic way Dilip added, "I send this to you as I immensely enjoyed the joke and am sure you would too, hoping you would have something to fend it off with."

Dilip was right. Sri Aurobindo thoroughly enjoyed the joke and, what's more, didn't forget to fend it off. "Anatole France is always amusing whether he is ironising about God and Christianity or about the rational animal man or Humanity (with a big H) and the follies of his reason and his conduct.

"But I presume you never heard of God's explanation of his non-interference to Anatole France when they met in some Heaven of Irony, I suppose —it can't have been in the heaven of Karl Marx, in spite of France's conversion before his death. God is reported to have strolled up to him and said: 'I say, Anatole, you know that was a good joke of yours; but there was a good cause too for my non-interference. Reason came along and told me: "Look here, why do you pretend to exist? You know you don't exist and never

Page 177

existed or, if you do, you have made such a mess of your creation that we can't tolerate you any longer. Once we have got you out of the way all will be right upon earth, tip-top, A-l; my daughter Science and I have arranged that between us. Man will raise his noble brow, the head of creation, dignified, free, equal, fraternal, democratic, depending upon nothing but himself, with nothing greater than himself anywhere in existence. There will be no God, no gods, no churches, no priestcraft, no religion, no kings, no oppression, no poverty, no war or discord anywhere. Industry will fill the earth with abundance, Commerce will spread her golden reconciling wings everywhere. Universal education will stamp out ignorance and leave no room for folly or unreason in any human brain; man will become cultured, disciplined, rational, scientific, well-informed, arriving always at the right conclusion upon full and sufficient data. The voice of the scientists and the experts will be loud in the land and guide mankind to the earthly paradise. A perfected society; health universalised by a developed medical science and a sound hygiene; everything rationalised; science evolved, infallible, omnipotent,

Page 178

omniscient; the riddle of existence solved; the Parliament of Man, the Federation of the world; evolution, of which man, magnificent man, is the last term, completed in the noble white race; a humanitarian kindness and uplifting for our backward brown, yellow and black brothers; peace, peace, peace, reason, order, unity everywhere." There was a lot more like that, Anatole, and I was so much impressed by the beauty of the picture and its convenience, for I would have nothing to do or to supervise, that I at once retired from business —for, you know that I was always of a retiring disposition and inclined to keep myself behind the veil or in the background at the best of times. But what is this I hear? It does not seem to me from reports that Reason even with the help of Science has kept her promise. And if not, why not? Is it because she would not, or because she could not? Or is it because she both would not and could not? Or because she both would and could, but somehow did not? And I say, Anatole, these children of theirs, the State, Industrialism, Capitalism, Communism and the rest have a queer look; they seem very much like Titanic monsters armed, too, with all the powers of

Page 179

Intellect and all the weapons and organisation of Science! And it does look as if mankind were no freer under them than under the Kings and the Churches!! What has happened? —or is it possible that Reason is not supreme and infallible, even that she has made a greater mess of it than I could have done myself?!!!' Here the report of the conversation ends; I give it for what it is worth, for I am not acquainted with this God y and have to take him on trust from Anatole France."

Sri Aurobindo clarified, "The conception of the Divine as an external omnipotent Power who has 'created' the world and governs it like an absolute and arbitrary monarch —the Christian or Semitic conception — has never been mine; it contradicts too much my seeing and experience during thirty years of sadhana."

And for Mother that 'God' in the manner of Anatole France was inadmissible. "It made me, if I may say so, a complete atheist in my childhood." However, when Mirra read Anatole France she was also greatly interested, because she was struck by the similarity between his view and Théon's idea on the Jewish-Christian God. "He was an Asura who wanted to be the 'one and only God,' that's why he became the most

Page 180

terrible despot imaginable," Mother said quoting Theon. "That's what Anatole France said too. I now know that Anatole France hadn't read Théon's story; but where did he pick that up? I don't know. It's in The Revolt of the Angels. He says that Satan is the true God and Jehovah, the 'one and only God,' is the monster. And when the angels wanted Satan to become the only God, he perceived that he was immediately taking on all the failings of Jehovah! So he refused. He said, 'No-no, thank you very much!' It's an admirable story. And in exactly the same vein as what Theon said. As it happens, that was the first thing I asked Anatole France." She interrupted herself to say to Satprem, "I told you once that I met him. Common friends took me to him. The first thing I asked him was, 'Have you ever read the Tradition?' 'No,' he told me. I explained to him why I had asked, and he was interested. He said his source was his own imagination. But he had caught the idea . . . intuitively."

She referred again to Sri Aurobindo. "'Very good,' he would have said while reading The Revolt of the Angels. 'True, which of the two should we believe?' "Jehovah or the rebellious Angel who wanted

Page 181

to take his place?

Then, as an associated recollection crossed her mind, Mother said, "Do you remember I once told you I had clothed a vital Being in a body?"

"Is that Being still alive?" Satprem queried. "Who was it?"

"I have spoken of this before," she replied.

"I recounted the story of the revolution in China, and how this Being left me, saying . . ." Mother did not complete her sentence. "It was just five years before the Chinese revolution. I have told the story." She repeated, "I know I told it. But it was never noted down."

She explained, "I used to dictate. Theon had taught me to speak while in trance —that is, he had taught my BODY to express itself—and I would tell him everything I was doing while doing it. And he never noted any of it down. I suspect he did it on purpose — he had no wish to make revelations. So it's totally lost." There was a tinge of regret in her voice. "But had it been noted down hour by hour, minute by minute, it would have made an extraordinary scientific document on the occult. He never noted it down."

Page 182

"But this vital Being clothed in a body," Satprem brought Mother back to his earlier question, "did he live on earth for any length of time?"

"No, never."

"Never?"

"He stopped at the subtle physical —he himself refused to go any further." She now disclosed his identity. "It was Satan, the Asura of Light, who, in cutting himself off from the Supreme, fell into Unconsciousness and Darkness —I have told the story many times. But anyway, when I was with Theon, I called that Being up and asked him if he wanted to come into contact with the earth. It's worth mentioning that it was the first born's central being. Of course, he had millions of emanations in the world, but this was the central being in person. He agreed to be clothed in a body. Théon wanted to keep him there with him: 'Don't let him go,' he told me. I made no reply. This Being told me he didn't want to be more material than that and it sufficed—you could feel him move the way you feel a draught, it was that concrete.

"And he said he was going to set in motion the Chinese revolution. 'I am going to organize a secret

Page 183

society to set in motion the revolution in China,' he told me. 'And mark my words, it will happen in exactly five years.' And he gave me the date.

"I noted it down. And EXACTLY five years later, it happened.¹ Afterwards I met people coming from China, who told me it had all been the work of a secret society. They told me about it because that society used a certain sign, and instinctively I made that sign without knowing about it while one of them was speaking to me." Mother put one fist on top of the other. "'Ah, you are one of us,' that person said to me. I didn't answer. Then he told me everything."

It would seem that revolutionaries were attracted to Mirra like fireflies to a lamp. Is it to be wondered at? Surely not. For was she not Revolution incarnate? Apart from Sri Aurobindo and Mother who else has striven to revolutionize evolution itself? Do we know anyone ?

1. In 1905, Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) made a loose alliance with other anti-Manchu groups and formed the TONGMENGHUI, which was the direct ancestor of KUOMIN-TANG. After several abortive uprisings the Revolt of October 1911 was crowned with spectacular success —and exactly five years earlier, in October 1906, Mirra was in Tlemcen.

Page 184

"But, you know," Mother said pensively, "it's really interesting because the exact date was given. 'In exactly five years the revolution will take place,' he told me. He knew it before he left. 'And that,' he said, 'will be the beginning, the first terrestrial movement heralding the transformation of . . .'" She elucidated, "Theon didn't use the word supramental, he used to say 'the new world on earth.'"

This episode had remained embedded in her mind, half-forgotten perhaps after a gap of fifty-six years. For she said again, "But I did note that down. I had forgotten the whole story in between, because I now live constantly in the Becoming. But I have recaptured it."

She added firmly, "And all the disbelief in the world can't contradict that piece of evidence."

Where was that piece of evidence?

"The note itself was stolen from me while I was moving to a new house.

"Two things were stolen: that note and the Mantra of Life —I told you about that. And I suspect that it was an occult theft, not an ordinary one; because people didn't even have an inkling of the

Page 185

value of those papers, which had no interest for most people.

"Well, till we meet again, my child." With a smile and a swish of her gown she was gone.

However, another time she gave some extra news about these four great Asuras. As always, her explanation to Satprem was fuller than her hint to the children some years before.

"The first one," she said, "whom religions call Satan, the Asura of Consciousness, was converted and has worked —is still working. The second" —Love and Ananda — "annulled himself in the Supreme."

That leaves two. In occultism one of them is designated as the ' Lord of Death' and the other as the 'Lord of Falsehood' —he, however, proclaims himself the 'Lord of Nations.' Frankly speaking, nations are puppets in his hands. "Effectively, it's he who has directed the whole course of world events during the last few centuries," said Mother.

In any case, before he left for China, Satan cautioned Mirra. "When that Asura of Consciousness made his surrender and was converted, he told me, T have billions of emanations and these will go on with

Page 186

their own lives, but their root, their source has now run dry.' How much time will it take to exhaust it all?" Mother wondered. "Whatever has already spread out keeps going and follows its karma."

I too wonder. Isn't their karma completed after eighty years? For, I do seem to smell billions of rotting fish floating dead on the surface of the sea.

At any rate, Mother consoled us twenty-seven years ago. "We can't say. But the source has dried up, and that is an extremely important thing."

Satan's setting in motion the revolution in China was an important milestone in history, as was President J. F. Kennedy's assassination. "There are landmarks of that kind. ... I told you, you remember, how that great Asura —who in fact was the first born, and for whom I built a subtle body —had said he was going to China and that China's revolution —a long time ago! —would signal the beginning of the work of terrestrial transformation. Those things are like milestones on a road, and the Chinese revolution was like the first milestone which opened up the road. Well, Kennedy's assassination pertains to those signs, it's one of the landmarks. I have been told this."

Page 187

This was in November 1963. Then the next year on 15 October, Nikita Khrushchev was removed from his twin posts of USSR's prime minister and First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. Mother said it was "a VIOLENT regression." Later she clarified. "But I was counting on Kennedy, not without reason, for he gave his assent to join Russia for establishing peace upon earth. The talks had started and they had seized the opportunity of China's agression against India. The other one in Russia who had responded, Khrushchev, isn't dead because he left in time!" As for President Kennedy's assassination, "It has as though served to trigger one of the movements of the earth's transformation."

But what is interesting, and disconcerting, is that these 'milestones' are NEGATIVE, as though the worst had to be traversed —or the worst given a free hand —for the door of the New to open. as though the worst had to be traversed —or the worst given a free hand —for the door of the New to open.

Page 188