24 February 1973


A: For this evening I would like to read you a letter

from X, which follows on from what you said the

other day in reply to her question: “We have no-

ticed that in some children there is a very strong

vital movement which follows the physical gesture.

For others, it is just a game. There is even one boy

who marches up and down the veranda, announcing

that he is going to be a soldier in `Mother's Army'.

Have you any precise indication to give us about these

various cases?”

Marches what?


            A: He marches on the veranda.


Not on the edge?

           A: No, no. And then he makes an about-turn, he

stands to attention, saying, “I am going to be a soldier

in Mother's Army.”


That's very good.


            A: Shall I go on, Mother?


Yes, yes.


A:” As for moral violence, I do not understand very

well which elements in the nature may indicate the

possibility of it. Is it, for example, the tendency in a

child to sulk, to revolt against everything that checks

his fancies or something else? What must be done to

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turn this in the right direction so that it can in the end

be transformed?”

I think that you should not give any importance to these little movements in the children – that only encourages them. You must not take any notice, don't look as if you attach any importance to them. That is a much better way of getting rid of them than by giving them importance. You must not...you must not pay any attention to all these little movements of self-importance. Don't look as if you have even noticed – that removes all their psychological support. If a child sulks, you don't take any notice. That robs his sulking of all effect. You understand?


A: Yes, Mother. A


You must not give any importance to these little movements in the children...above all, no importance.


A: Because if they notice that you attach importance

to them, they are tempted to do it again


But of course!

Children instinctively want to attract attention to themselves. Like the boy who pretends to be a soldier on the terrace...and things like that. You must not give it any importance, you must let them be. Don't scold them, above all, don't scold them...and don't take any notice.

Children are weak creatures, and so they think that by making themselves awkward they will attract attention to themselves. They must see that it doesn't work.

            A: And we shouldn't scold them, should we


Oh, especially not that! Above all, don't scold them, don't scold

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them..The teacher becomes just as bad as the student. When he scolds he gives the impression that...he loses his temper. That means

 that he is on the same level as the student. One must know how to keep

smiling...always.


            A: That is very important.


Very, very, very important.


B- reads a paragraph from The Supramental Manifestation Upon Earth by Sri Aurobindo


A: “The Supermind is in its very essence a truth-con-

sciousness, a consciousness always          free from the Ignor-

ance which is the foundation of our present natural or

evolutionary existence and from which nature in us is

trying to arrive at self-knowledge and world-knowl-

edge and a right consciousness and the right use of

our existence in the universe. The Supermind, because

it is a truth-consciousness, has this knowledge inher-

ent in it and this power of true existence; its course is

straight and can go direct to its aim, its field is wide

and can even be made illimitable. This is because its

very nature is knowledge: it has not to acquire knowl-

edge but possesses it in its own right; its steps are not

from nescience or ignorance into some imperfect light,

but from truth to greater truth, from right perception

to deeper perception, from intuition to intuition, from

illumination to utter and boundless luminousness, from

growing widenesses to the utter vasts and to very in-

finitude. On its summits it possesses the divine omnis-

cience and omnipotence, but even in an evolutionary

movement of its own graded self-manifestation by

which it would eventually reveal its own highest heights

it must be in its very nature essentially free from ignor-

ance and error: it starts from truth and light and moves

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always in truth and light. As its knowledge is always

true, so too its will is always true; it does not fumble

in its handling of things or stumble in its paces. In the

Supermind feeling and emotion do not depart from

their truth, make no slips or mistakes, do not swerve

from the right and the real, cannot misuse beauty and

delight or twist away from a divine rectitude. In the

Supermind sense cannot mislead or deviate into the

grossnesses which are here its natural imperfections and

the cause of reproach, distrust and misuse by our igno-

rance. Even an incomplete statement made by the

Supermind is a truth leading to a further truth, its in-

complete action a step towards completeness. All the

life and action and leading of the Supermind is guarded

in its very nature from the falsehoods and uncertain-

ties that are our lot; it moves in safety towards its per-

fection. Once the truth-consciousness was established

here on its own sure foundation, the evolution of

divine life would be a progress in felicity, a march

through light to Ananda.”

It is very, very, very important. Very important.

All the people who pretend to manifest the Supramental will be quieted down.


(Silence)

B: That's all for this evening, Sweet Mother.


That is good. Where is it going to be published?


             B: In a book I am preparing for young people.


Ah! It is so good...and so important.


ąCent Vol.p.41-42

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In Auroville there are people who believe that they are already manifesting the Supramental. And when you tell them that it is not so, they don't believe you. They ought to read that. It should be read by everyone.

            A: Mother, recently they asked me whether I would

go and speak to them about Sri Aurobindo. I shall

take the opportunity to read them this passage.

Oh, very good, very good, very good. You must read it slowly, so that they have time to hear it properly.

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