28 April 1954 This talk is based upon Sri Aurobindo's Elements of Yoga, Chapter 3, “Aspiration”. Mother, what is an “acute resistance”? Acute? Acute is used in a figurative see. Acute describes something pointed, don't you know? – and perhaps this means an aggressive, sharp resistance which sinks deep like a claw. I did not understand very well the answer to this questions: “Does the power of aspiration vary in differ- ent sadhaks according to their natures?”[Sri Aurobindo's answer: “No. Aspiration is the same power in all; it differs only in purity, intensity and object.”] Ah! Yes. You see, I think the question has been put badly. I belie

3 February 1954 This talk is based upon Mother’s essay “Vital Education”. “In some ancient initiations it was stated that the num- ber of sees that man can develop is not five but seven and in certain special cases even twelve. Certain races at certain times have, out of necessity, developed more or less perfectly one or another of these supplement- ary sees. With a proper discipline persistently fol- lowed, they are within the reach of all who are sincerely interested in this development and its results. Among the faculties that are often mentioned, there is,  for example, the ability to widen the physical con-

15 September 1954 This talk is based upon Sri Aurobindo's Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, “Calm – Peace – Equality”. When one detaches oneself from the thought-mind, does the mind continue to think? Usually it continues to think, but this does not affect you any longer. It is not exactly “thinking”, it is like a market-place, you see. Things come, circulate, turn around, go out, come back, cross, sometimes collide. It is absolutely like a market-place. These things go on like that (Gestures). The factory of thoughts is... this does not occur very often. Some people have a particular kind of occupation which lies in giving a particular form to the thought-forc

11 August 1954 This talk is based upon Chapter 6 of The Mother by Sri Aurobindo. At the very beginning is written: “The four Powers of the Mother.” Which are these four powers, Sweet Mother? These! The aspects, aren't they, Mother? (Long silence) Yes. What does this mean: “The Supreme is...  manifested through her in the worlds as the one and dual con- sciousness of Ishwara-Shakti and the dual principle of Purusha-Prakriti.... “?   What does this mean? It means what it says. (Laughter) It means that in the world the single force of the creating energy is divided in all the manifestation, even the most contrary manifesta

31 December 1954 New Year's Eve. After a meditation, Mother distributes her New Year's Message to every- one. I am going to read the prayer to you in French – it is a message not a prayer – in French and in English. And then I have brought two of Sri Aurobindo's replies to questions which have not been published anywhere, and you will be the first to hear them. And then two...   not poems, some lines; a very short little poem and just a stanza from another poem, which are a magnificent illustration of our message for the next year. This message was written because it is foreseen that next year will be a difficult year and there will be many inner struggles and

6 October 1954 This talk is based upon Sri Aurobindo's Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, “Calm – Peace – Equality”. “Absolute faith – faith that what is for the best will happen, but also that if one can make oneself a true instrument, the fruit will be that which one's will guided by the Divine Light sees as the thing to be done – kartavyam karma.” – Faith that always what is for the best happens. We may for the moment not consider it as the best because we are ignorant and also blind, because we do not see the consequences of things and what will happen later. But we must keep the faith that if it is like that, if we rely on the Divine, if we give

15 December 1954 This talk is based upon Sri Aurobindo's Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, “In Difficulty”. What is the meaning of “the mental witness”? The witness we have spoken about several times already, only here it is in the mind. There are witnesses everywhere. It is a capacity of the being to detach itself, to stand back and look at what is happening, as when one looks at something happening in the street or when one looks at others playing and does not himself play, one remain seated, looking at the others moving but does not move. That's how it is. In all the parts of the being there is one side which can do this: put itself at the back, remain

20 October 1954 This talk is based upon Sri Aurobindo's Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1,“Calm – Peace – Equality”. Sweet Mother, what is “the freedom of the Self”? It means that in the true inner being one feels perfectly free, and is free from everything. One has the feeling of a complete freedom free from all external influences, free from all lower impulses, free from all bondage of thoughts, habits...  (Silence) There, then. (To a child) Do you have a question? Here I did not understand: “not to stand back for any reason from her [the Mother's] solicitude”. What? For no reason to stand back from her solicitude? You do not understand that? Wh

29 September 1954 This talk is based upon Sri Aurobindo's Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, “Calm – Peace – Equality”. “It is good for the physical to be more and more con- scious, but it should not be overpowered by these ordinary human reactions of which it becomes aware or badly affected or upset by them. A strong equality and mastery and detachment must come, in the nerves and body as in the mind, which will enable the phy- sical to know and contact these things without feeling any disturbance; it should know and be conscious and reject and throw away the pressure of the movements in the atmosphere, not merely feel them and suffer.”

M u t t e r s . A g e n d a   Bd 11 - 29. Juli 1970 29. Juli 1970 Geschichten, Komplikationen ... Könnte Nolini denn nicht etwas tun? Nolini will seinen Frieden haben. Ach! Was hast du mir zu sagen? Ich habe einen Brief von Monsignore R [P.L.s Freund]. Interessiert dich das?... Du weißt, daß er Ende letzten Jahres kommen wollte, glaube ich, und "zufällig" wurde er immer davon abgehalten. Das wundert mich nicht. Dann mußte er sich vor kurzem einer schweren Operation unterziehen. Er hatte dir im Februar einen Brief geschrieben, den er nie abgeschickt hat, und nun gab er ihn Z [[Jemand, der im Ashram wohnte und gerade von einem Europa-Besuch zurückgekehrt war. ]] mit, um i