IV

A GLIMPSE OF MOTHER'S WORK

IN THE SCHOOL

(1)

                                 

FRENCH IN THE ASHRAM AND THE SCHOOL

(Two or three teachers were having a discussion about

the language of instruction in the school. Their discus-

sion was submitted to Mother with the remark:)  Sri

Aurobindo says in his book on education that the child

should be taught in his mother-tongue.

Sri Aurobindo did say that, but he also said many other things which complete his advice and abolish all possibility of dogmatism. Sri Aurobindo himself has often repeated that if one affirms one thing, one should be able to affirm its opposite; otherwise one cannot understand the Truth.

(In the same letter, one of the teachers wondered

about the future of French in the Ashram.)

 

French will continue to be taught in the Ashram, at least so long as I am here, because Sri Aurobindo, who loved French very much and knew it very well, considered it to be an essential part of the knowledge of languages.

 23 August 1965

*

(In the course of a conversation about French, a dis-

ciple pointed out to Mother that now many French

people, especially newcomers, speak in English, even

to people who know French perfectly well. Mother

concentrated for a moment and said:  “So much the

worse for them.” The disciple then asked whether it

would be helpful if she gave a message on this matter.

She wrote the following message and suggested that it

should be put up in the Ashram and in the school, and

 

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Sri Aurobindo loved French very much. He used to say that it was a clear and precise language, whose use encouraged clarity of mind. From the point of view of the development of the consciousness, that is precious. In French, one can say exactly what one wants to say.

 Blessings.

19 October 1971

*

(2)

THE ORGANISATION OF WORK IN FRENCH CLASSES

(A group of teachers were considering a reorganisa-

tion of certain classes. One of them asked Mother

whether she had any objection.)

No objection, these are things which you should arrange freely among yourselves.

January 1961

*

(Two teachers had a rather heated discussion about

the work. One of them presented the problem to

Mother and asked for her opinion. Mother replied.)

Truly speaking, I have no opinion. According to the truth-vision, everything is still terribly mixed, a more or less fortunate combination of light and darkness, of truth and falsehood, of knowledge and ignorance, and so long as decisions are made and action is carried out according to opinions, it will always be like that.

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