The Instrument

The Master, the Worker and the Instrument

In thy works there are always these three, the Master, the Worker and the Instrument. To define them in oneself rightly and rightly possess them is the secret of works and of the delight of works.

    Learn thou first to be the instrument of God and to accept thy Master. The instrument is this outward thing thou callest thyself; it is a mould of mind, a driving force of power, a machinery of form, a thing full of springs and cogs and clamps and devices. Call not this the Worker or the Master; it can never be the Worker or the Master. Accept thyself humbly, yet proudly, devotedly, submissively and joyfully as a divine instrument.

    There is no greater pride and glory than to be a perfect instrument of the Master.²⁵⁶

Sri Aurobindo

An equal joy

The sword did not ask to be made, nor does it resist its user, nor lament when it is broken. There is a joy of being made and a joy of being used and a joy of being put aside and a joy too of being broken. That equal joy discover.²⁵⁶

Sri Aurobindo

A good instrument

"There is not a minute in life, there is not a circumstance

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in one's existence that cannot bring an opportunity for progress; what then is the progress that I am going to make today?... I offer all my little person to the Divine. I want it to be a good instrument for Him to express Himself, that I may be ready one day for the transformation."

The Mother

A perfect instrument

Let us constantly aspire to be a perfect instrument for the Divine's work.

The Mother

A true instrument

Let nothing short of perfection be your ideal in work and you are sure to become a true instrument of the Divine.

The Mother

Psychic instrument

Care should be taken that there should be no ambitious or selfish misuse, no pride or vanity, no sense of superiority, no Claim or egoism of the instrument, only a simple and pure psychic instrumentation of the nature in any way in which it is fit for the service of the Divine.

Sri Aurobindo

Work done for the Mother

To observe whether it is really well done or not and feel the Ananda of work done for the Mother. Get rid of the "I". If it is well done, it is the Force that did it

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and your only part was to be a good or a bad instrument.

Sri Aurobindo

Orderly harmony and organisation

Orderly harmony and organisation in physical things is a necessary part of efficiency and perfection and makes the instrument fit for whatever work is given to it.

Sri Aurobindo

Entirely pure instruments

If you could make yourselves entirely pure instruments, things would go better. It

Sri Aurobindo

Refined instruments

But for us who want to realise almost the very opposite, that is, who, after having identified ourselves with the supreme Reality, want to make It descend into life and transform the world, if we offer to this Reality instruments which are refined, rich, developed, fully conscious, the work of transformation will be more effective.

The Mother

Acting always from within

You must learn to act always from Within - from your inner being which is in contact with the Divine. The outer should be a mere instrument and should not be allowed at all to compel or dictate your speech, thought or action.

Sri Aurobindo

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