CWTVKS Volume 2

1) Preparation

Right Attitude—Aspiration—Faith

So it is not only not wrong to aspire for a higher life, but it can be easily wrong not to strengthen that aspiration which springs from one's nature, from the core of one's being especially as when one finds, as you do (your experience means that) visible signs of an uncommon Light and Truth. These experiences are fingerprints of the guiding hand of the Divine Mother in Her all-engrossing love and mercy for those who call upon Her for help and guidance, for Peace, for Power, to reveal and manifest Herself in the living material body for Her own Divine purpose, for deliverance and final beatitude or for any or many of these and many more of the measureless riches of Her Divine Being.

What you saw is genuine, not fanciful or false. It is inadvisable and difficult too to write explaining your vision of lights and colours within the short compass of a letter.

Since you are a student and cannot take up yoga in a regular fashion, the best thing for you to do is to note carefully your experiences whenever you get them and not to be depressed when you do not get any and wait, till the time comes or when the education is finished, to know the significance of such experiences and to come under the direct influence of the Divine Master, of the Divine Mother.

Meanwhile since all your aspiration is summed up in the prayer¹³ stick to it, ponder over it, assimilate its spirit, mould your normal attitude in consonance with the spirit of that Prayer. The Mother is sure to help your growth in her own way, in response to your daily prayer, that you may one day in your life find that all along it was She who was Herself growing in you, rather than helping your growth.

27 June 1934

Give me constancy in the will to attain the end, give me firmness and energy and the courage which shakes off all torpor and lassitude.

Give me the peace of perfect disinterestedness, the peace that makes Thy presence felt and Thy intervention effective, the peace that is ever victorious over all bad will and every obscurity.

Grant, I implore Thee, that all in my being may be identified with Thee. May I be nothing else any more than a flame of love utterly awakened to a supreme realisation of Thee.” (The Mother, Prayers and Meditations: February 15, 1914.)

Right Attitude

If you conduct yourself properly, and feel and think and do in such a way as to fit in with your aspiration and devotion, your namaskars will reach the Mother unobstructed and more effectively than any mention I may make on your behalf.

9 May 1937

“Remember us” the Mother said to you. That is the one panacea for all your real and imaginary ills.

27 May 1937

Never say to yourself ‘I am weak’.
That is cursing one's self.

25 July 1933

Have a happy confidence that you would succeed; that is the right attitude in all endeavours; a happy confidence in your capacity including a controlled, unfading enthusiasm, a conquering fervour, without excitement.

4 September 1936

Talking of yourself, you say ‘ignoble’ and all that. Surely sin, weakness, defects—all these are there for the X'ian missionary. Ours is a different goal, so is the line chosen for us different. You say you have to be carried and is that any reason for dejection? On the other hand, you must be proud that you are meant to be carried. The happiest condition is to feel that you are carried. You have had unmistakable experiences and powerful hints to justify your claim for `being carried'. Really such an upward turn is not possible for an ‘ignoble spirit’.

Allotted time and place have their uses and are necessary for all time for some and for some time for all, but they are not indispensable for every one. Besides, how can you subject the Divine to accommodate to your routine? Remember you are not paying a debt to the Divine; you are simply to allow the Divine to take possession of yourself and all that is yours—and this is not a post-mortem affair.

And so, self-conservation is the central idea of this spiritual life of our conception. What is required is to maintain a high poise of mind while engaged in life's activities; for the Divine must be allowed to manifest in our life and its activities as well as in quiet meditation or prayer.

22 January 1931

Such a feeling (that you ‘have not played your part properly’,) is not likely to be helpful, at any rate, in your case. It may be good for some people or under certain conditions, especially when it finds a place in the initial steps of the ladder of aspiration for Godliness, for God's Light, for God's Life, for God's Love. Even then its value is uncertain, as it may often lead to dejection, to underestimation of one's worth and true capacity, to a forgetfulness of positive assurances (of a promised or promising future) that one might have felt or knowingly received through experiences of a sort—dreams, visions, presentiments, unexpected (providential) succour in times of need, or occurrences throwing light on the unmistakable signs of a Guiding Power educating our understanding into the mysteries of the Invisible...

But if it is a general feeling in special regard to Godly life, it may be true; but then it can be true only relatively, very relatively true. The whole world of sadhaks cannot but have some such feeling—since human nature is imperfect and the world's condition, as it is, is not favourable for God's life to manifest in man...

Whatever thoughts, feelings or doubts may cross the mind on occasions, the time is bound to come when one gets the strong feeling, if not knowledge, and could say, ‘yes, this is the thing, this is the line towards which I have been moving though without knowing it.'

29 May 1934

Help yourself first, make the most of the help that comes to you and when you can, without any harm or sense of it to yourself, you can of course give help to others—say, a kind act, a good thought, or a word of truth when agreeable.

14 October 1936

We are not here to forgive others. But we are here to learn to think and feel and so act that others may not have to forgive us. If we accept this principle in life, then the light of self-criticismis sure to grow in us; and we can't get out of the grip of a divine and vital sincerity which alone is enough to withstand the forces of obstruction in the path of progress towards Truth, Love or God.

2 November 1932

No, it is not necessary that you should weigh every word before it is spoken; it will then be strained, unnatural, awkward and artificial. But it does not mean that you must allow yourself to be a victim to the impulse of the moment uttering words that might hurt others—good, bad, indifferent, truth or falsehood.

The habit of right thinking and a strong sense of right and wrong generally help a reflective mind to keep itself above passion and use the right word at the right moment without the necessity of ‘weighing every word’ before it is uttered. Such an ideal is not realised in a day, but still it is possible and you can aim at it even from now as a high aspirant that you assuredly are, and can find a reasonable measure of success. It does not matter if one meets with initial failures, for success will be eventual.

Again, it is no part of Hypocracy's mission to have calm reflection and self-control to a degree, natural or acquired by training and discipline and habit. It is a strength worth aspiring for by which one can keep the line of speech and the wording calm and quiet and uninsistent so as to avoid hurting others as far as possible and to contribute one's mite to the general smooth-running that is desired, and not allow one's self-righteousness to sink in suppressed passion or float in the bubble of temper, leading in the end to weakness and despair.

Aspire then, for this noble strength and true courage. I trust you will get the needed help.

5 October 1936

It is not too difficult for you to perceive the change coming upon your inner stuff. I shall hold my tongue in trembling reverence before my Supreme Mother and try to see the work of Her Supreme Grace in Silence. Yes, have peace and be happy; thus alone can you be watchful and grow in consciousness. They say one must get introspection; yes, let us add that one must also have retrospection and circumspection. Let us be unworried: it is in Peace and Silence, watchfulness is possible... Help when needed will come to you from behind or above through the intuitive mind as intuitive suggestion and discrimination to begin with, and also through enlightened impulse in active life.

15 November 1930

But there is a purpose in my referring to these traits (simplicity, enthusiasm, wisdom). Undoubtedly it should please you, but that is incidental. The main object is to awaken in you a higher sense of your guardianship over these qualities, for they have a great spiritual and enduring value, in fact they are god-given virtues trying to find fuller expression in you, and you have to guard them, allow them to grow and bear fruit. For simplicity is an expression of sincerity which is the fulcrum of the soul manifesting in nature, enthusiasm is the “vital push” which is the power of the spirit within, while wisdom is the light of the soul which is a portion of the Divine Himself.

14 June 1938

The meaning of events is to test the inner attitude and strength and bring out the best in us to respond to the stimuli from the environment. This general truth, you know, has a special application in the life of a sadhak. When you say that there is still need for the use of the ‘formula’, I am sure you are taking it that there is still necessity for the adverse conditions or forces to present themselves in order that the inner strength may assert itself and face them—once faced they are of course conquered.

20 January 1937

We are not normally aware of such truer closeness, because of the habitual, pressing preoccupations arid fleeting vital interests or of the outward mind getting helpless to get into and live in the deeper recesses of our being.

6 November 1938

When one gets positive realisations and experiences in the inner life, they will gradually displace these complaints. These lingerings in the natural parts do not reflect upon the faith or devotion of a sadhak.

4 December 1938

When the inner being gains control of the recalcitrant parts, the chimerical pleasure will become obvious and stupid, pretensions to the ignorance of the fundamentals of spiritual life will not be necessary, self-discipline will not be felt as a rigour, but will be a natural expression of the life lived within.

25 April 1938

...to remind you of a simple truth that is universally applicable in a general way, but is operative in a special sense in the case of those that have turned to the Light. And that truth is that the future is a closed book to the outer mind and the frontal human personality...but is a perfectly open book to the inner Intelligence, to the larger self that works from behind and overtops the little frontal being...and uses and guides the human material for a definite purpose, to a fixed goal. This is a faith that is not a mere mental belief, but a dynamic conviction, you may call it an intuitive conviction that is bound to come to any one in the line of God-ward progress.

1 November 1934

1) Try to masticate Isa (Upanishad). Read it every day a few pages. This will widen the intellect and illuminate the mind.

2) The spirit of surrender: if it is to grow and be dynamic, constant remembrance of the ideal involving aspiration to realise it here and now is necessary (aspiration does not mean restless desire; it is a calm, steady mounting up).

3) Passive attitude (relaxation) to the Divine Grace's descent upon you which you would come to feel in the form of a pressing Peace, or a flowing Power, or a flashing or dazzling Light, within (or without) your body, according to your needs best known to the ‘Grace’ Herself.

(No. 3 in meditation. Nos. 1 & 2 to be practised in normal and active life.)

Try to be always peaceful and happy, all obstructions to the flowing of the Grace will be automatically removed. To your mental satisfaction I wrote these things. But you know I don't attach much importance to instructions. It is the ‘Influence' that matters; it will manifest in its own manner and time.

...The line of my sadhana precludes me from adopting any one as my disciple or child... Call upon the Power which is already at work in you, which you know by pressure and feeling, to flow into the whole body; receive it peacefully and retain it in the body with presence of mind even while you do household work.

8 November 1930

Aspiration

What you write about ‘surrender’ is all right. If one can maintain utsaha, till the right time comes, he is really blessed. But to maintain the utsaha is a terrible job. That has been my experience. Whatever the path one is chosen for, a constant aspiration is the only positive cure for the frequent depressions common to all life in the world. And aspiration is essentially a flaming force of the Divine Will in man. It is the Vedic Agni which has to be (awakened) kindled. Here again the high gods have to be allowed to seek for their youngest brother (Agni) in us. How then, are they (the gods) to be allowed to discover the Agni, the flaming force of the Divine Will in us?

Each one has to find a solution, a path for himself. Or pray, cry, call upon any god, the One God, the Mother or any one from whom you have felt the succour to come,—pray and cry and pray, the response is bound to come. Let the aspiration grow more steady and still more sincere, and let faith get strengthened, then we can think of other things.

30 April 1933

You pray for the ‘light and love that flow from Pondy’. Such prayers are never known to have received no response. When the outer man learns to light a flame of steady aspiration for the Divine, he easily learns to hear the ‘call’; for it is a ‘call’ that touches and prepares and awakens the human soul to the need for the Divine through many means, through many instruments. This ‘call’ is a standing order from the Divine. The aspiring soul soon awakens and responds to it, If you and I are not such souls awakened to this Divine need or opened to this Divine Truth, then who else are they?...

Go onwards, light up the fire; maintain a steady aspiration while waiting in patience for the result, for the response from the Divine.

Once you feel sure about the importance of the personal element in this Yoga, then you can take it that the time for your accepting the Mother has come.

16 August 1933

Whatever Ideal you have fixed in mind, aspire for it; then you will find as you go up and up that your conception changes, doubts change, difficulties vary, and the Ideal itself is presented to you in its true form by the One Teacher who is there within yourself.

Be always up and raise your head. Time is there to unfold the hidden truth. What is needed is vigilance.

27 November 1933

Let her turn more and more inwards and she is sure to get what she needs, whether it is peace or strength or courage.

If she cannot at will go inwards, let her call the Mother.

She is bound to get the response.

6 September 1935

Faith

A strong faith in itself is an indication, a reflection in the soul of the Divine Will in the direction in which the results are worked out.

2 March 1938

1) Love of the Divine or Faith in the Divine has nothing to do whatsoever with the wordly benefits the Divine may or may not confer upon us.

2) Through successes and joys as well as failures and miseries, the Divine helps and guides the devoted soul—not through successes and joys only.

3) The Divine gives its help not always in the way we dictate to the Divine.

4) The Divine is more wise than the human child and knows what is ultimately best for the child.

5) Absence of belief (in practice) in No. 4 is also absence of faith in the Divine to that extent.

3 December 1936

Prayer

Stotra is prayer; and prayer is one effective form given to the will and aspiration turned towards God. Necessarily therefore the effectiveness of a prayer in particular forms (Renuka or Saptasati) depends upon the faith that one has in the form he uses and much more upon his devotion to the deity that is addressed.

I have nothing more to say on this subject; you can use anything that attracts you. All I can say is that Renuka Stotra is certainly powerful in its own way and I have liked it for personal reasons. Saptasati is famous and its votaries are legion. You can use all these if you like. But I wonder why you allow your mind to become a victim of doubts in regard to these forms of Prayer. I hope you will decide and do what will be satisfying to your heart.

27 October 1934

Atmosphere

One word about ‘Atmosphere’. Yes, (that) atmosphere is spiritual, you are right. Do you know why or how? I can't tell you why. But you can know how it is spiritual. Because some one or some few in the house are inwardly open to spiritual influence and it manifests itself in the (outer) surroundings. So, ‘atmosphere' is something essentially internal, occult, psychic and spiritual. It is not primarily physical or anything outer. That is why a spiritual man carrying his personal atmosphere about him can establish himself anywhere and make that place a centre of spiritual force which place can be helpful to those who are spiritually open and not to all.

So, even when a physical place is said to be a centre of spiritual atmosphere it is not essentially physical (oxygen, nitrogen and watery vapour); but it is psychical, useful only to him who cares for it.

But a spiritual aspirant shall not always depend on outer atmosphere. He must manage to establish his own personal (spiritual) atmosphere, wherever he goes.

16 October 1934

Progress

But one thing is certain... Once the upward march begins, it continues until its charge is taken by the Divine. No earthly power can resist the progressive movement once commenced.

18 September 1931