PART TWO THE PATH OF YOGA The Path The mountain path leads always in two directions, upward and downward ― all depends on what we put behind us. Life is a perpetual choice between truth and falsehood, light and darkness, progress and regression, the ascent towards the heights or a fall into the abyss. It is for each one to choose freely. 29 February 1952 * In each one's life a moment comes when he has to choose between the Path and the muddle. You cannot put one foot here and one foot there. If you try to, you will be torn to pieces. A heart that does not choose is a heart that will die. You take up the spiritual path only wh

Difficulties in Work This morning I felt tired after five minutes' work. It was only polishing furniture! All manual work is tiring the first few times one does it. But gradually the body gets used to it and becomes strong. However, when you feel really tired, you must stop and rest.  11 February 1933 * With consecration the work can be done much more easily and happily. But nobody must be asked a greater effort than what he can do.  27 February 1935 * The best way to work without getting tired is to offer the work you do (whatever work it is) to the Divine and to find in the Divine the support you need − for the Divine's Force is inexhaustib

The Mind MIND: ONLY AN INSTRUMENT Mind: its true worth depends on its surrender to the Divine. Purified mind: mind ready to surrender to the Divine. Mental surrender: this happens when the mind has understood that it is only an instrument. Conversion of the mind: the mind has liberated itself from its arrogance and knows it is only an instrument. Clear mind: the first step on the road to conversion. Birth of true mental sincerity: with its birth the mind will understand that it is only a means and not an end in itself. The mind must learn to express only what is dictated by the Divine. Page − 361 Power of mental expression has no v

Marriage and Children To unite your physical lives, your material interests, to become partners in order to face together the difficulties and successes, the defeats and victories of life − that is the very foundation of marriage, but you already know that it is not enough. To be united in your sensations, to have the same aesthetic tastes and enjoyments, to be moved in common by the same things, one through the other and one for the other − that is good, that is necessary, but it is not enough. To be one in your deeper feelings, to keep a mutual affection and tenderness that never vary in spite of all the blows of life and can withstand every weariness and irri

PART SEVEN PARTS OF THE BEING The Soul (the Psychic) The soul is that which comes out of the Divine without ever leaving Him and goes back to Him without ever ceasing from manifestation. The soul is the Divine made individual without ceasing to be divine. In the soul the individual and the Divine are eternally one. Thus to find one’s soul is to be united with the Divine. It can therefore be said that the role of the soul is to make of man a true being. Theories differ according to schools and sects, and each one puts forth excellent reasons to support what it asserts. There is certainly truth in whatever one affirms and any case is not only possibl

Peace and Silence  CALM Be very careful to remain always calm and peaceful and let an integral equanimity establish itself more and more completely in your being. Do not allow your mind to be too active and to live in a turmoil, do not jump to conclusions from a superficial view of things; always take your time, concentrate and decide only in quietness. Mother, for several days I have been suffering a lot. It is the inner being that suffers and always wants to unite with the divine consciousness but cannot be- cause of the outer consciousness. Mother, really I am suffering.   You know that it is indispensable to be calm; you must try hard to

DEPRESSION How to avoid attacks of depression? Do not pay attention to the depression and act as if it was not there. 31 March 1934 * My heart feels arid, sad and gloomy, Mother. Why don't you try to read something beautiful and interesting and turn your attention away from yourself? That is the best remedy.  6 September 1935 * Do not indulge in such ridiculous ideas. “Madness” and “hell” and “dark cell” are all in your imagination. You had better replace them by the sense of my love and blessings.  9 October 1937 * My dear child, I hope your poem is only a poem and that you are not truly suffering from depression. Indeed, depression is t

Mistakes MISTAKES CAN BE EFFACED If errors and mistakes could not be effaced at every moment, there would be no hope of salvation for the world. Do not give too much importance to the little incidents of life. The importance of these incidents lies in the extent to which they have served you to make a progress.             And once the progress has been made, the consequences of past errors, if there are any, disappear through the intervention of the divine Grace. For the Supreme Lord, sin does not exist ― all defect can be effaced by sincere aspiration and by transformation. What you feel is the aspiration of your soul that wants to discover the Divine an

The Guru In an age like ours success alone counts and the material satisfactions it brings. However, an ever-increasing number of dissatisfied people are seeking to know the reason of life. And, on the other hand, there are sages who know and strive to help suffering humanity and to spread the light of knowledge. When the two meet, he who knows and he who wants to know, there springs up a new hope in the world, and a little light penetrates the prevailing darkness. The western mind always finds it difficult to submit totally to a Guru and without total and unquestioning surrender to the Guru his help to you is paralysed. That is why generally I advise westerners to

Relationship with the Divine All is relative except the Supreme. The Supreme alone is absolute; but as the Supreme is at the centre of each being, each being carries in himself his absolute. After all, it is very simple, we have only to become what we are in the depths of our being. 18 May 1954 * There is nothing more beautiful than to unite with the divine Consciousness. One is sure to find what one seeks ― if one seeks it in all sincerity; for what one seeks is within oneself. None can say to the Divine, “I have known Thee'', and yet all carry Him in themselves, and in the silence of their soul can hear the echo of the Divine's voic