August 13, 1966 You know that scores of people have come for Auroville.... Instead of working, they spend their time talking and chatting! And they send me letters. Their whole mental ego is bubbling with excitement, all of them. Have you seen them? No. I am afraid they may "summon" me! They've already begun discussing what the city's political situation will be - even before the first stone has been laid! And one of them, the one with a Communist creed (he is the one who has the greatest energy and power of realization), is scandalized: he wrote Page 173 to me yesterday, saying he couldn't take part in something that wasn't "purely democratic"! ... So I answered him this (

December 20, 1966 (Letter to Mother from Satprem) Mother, I am writing to ask you for a grace. You know, you see. I would like you to tell me the truth about this book: is it part of the Page 300 things that must be? Or is it the effort of the writer's little persona? I read the long first chapter again this morning, and it's unreadable - it would need to be completely redone. I am wondering if it's not the same thing with the other chapters? Would you out of grace tell me precisely what must be, whether I must strive on, do my best and rewrite what has to be rewritten, or give up everything. I am a little sad, naturally, because I tried to write with the best of my so

April 24, 1966 (Message given by Mother for April 24) "I have already spoken about the bad conditions of the world; the usual idea of the occultists about it is that the worse they are the more is probable the coming of an intervention or a new revelation from above. The ordinary mind cannot know - it has either to believe or disbelieve or wait and see. "As to whether the Divine seriously means something to happen, I believe it is intended. I know with absolute certitude that the Supramental is a truth and its advent is in the very nature of things inevitable. The question is as to the when and the how. That also is decided and predestined from somewhere above; but it is here be

July 23, 1966 ... We're still receiving a number of letters because of the article in Planète, or from people who have read your book. And there are lots of them who want to come here! That's more serious! ... But anyway, we send them literature. We tell most of them that they have to prepare themselves. And I direct a large number towards Auroville; maybe that's the essential raison d'être of Auroville.... Page 155

October 26, 1966 Do you know that I played yesterday? I tried the organ. It was very entertaining: as soon as I sat down, something came into my hands, but something that LOVED music, and it came in so easily, so gently and intensely. And suddenly my hands found their past skill again - the whole half of my arm was seized by a little being. It was really lovely, it sounded very childlike and was quite charming, quite charming. It's the first time it has been so complete: it was no longer at all my hands that were playing, no longer at all. It's the first time. I don't know if it will be like that for the 30th [Satprem's birthday]. *** Soon afterwards There's something I'd l

February 26, 1966 (After the translation of "Savitri" - the dialogue with Death) Behold the figures of this symbol realm.... Here thou canst trace the outcome Nature gives To the sin of being and the error in things And the desire that compels to live And man's incurable malady of hope. (X.IV.64 3) But she will answer you!... I'd like to know what she will answer him. (silence) If we follow to its end the idea with which Sri Aurobindo wrote this, Death would be the principle that created Falsehood in the world.... It's obviously either Falsehood that created Death, or Death that created Falsehood. It's rather Falsehood that created Death! L

October 19, 1966 I am even later than usual: these are the puja days. [[Puja: ritual, ceremony. In this case, the yearly ceremonies to Durga, the divine Mother. ]] Lots of people come here for their puja. Did I tell you the story of Durga? Page 234 Recently? It didn't happen recently; I can't recall if it was last year or the year before, at the time of the puja. You once told me that Durga had "surrendered." That's it. She surrendered. That is to say, she was perfectly independent in her movements and didn't feel the need to depend on anyone, and that year ... I don't remember if it was last year or the year before - she used to come every year when I went downst

April 27, 1966 (About the "Sannyasin") We have some time for Savitri ... unless you have something to ask? I wonder why I don't see clearer in what I do? Because there are two ideas in conflict. That's why. So there is hesitation between the two standpoints. Two standpoints: the need for renunciation and the futility of fleeing. Those are the two ideas that cause the hesitation. But in the chronological order of things, it should first be the need for renunciation, then the discovery of the futility of fleeing, and then instead of a fleeing, there should be a return, free, without attachment. A return to life without attachment. Apart from that, I understand: in order to w

September 24, 1966 Is the earth responding? Is there really a response, or do you feel you are working all alone? You don't mean people? You mean the earth as the mineral, vegetal, animal world? No, I was referring to humans, to the whole earth. Oh, humans, yes, certainly - certainly, without any doubt, a very pronounced answer, strangely pronounced, from everywhere, just everywhere. A need for something, a dissatisfaction with what is, and the need for something higher. It's very, very pronounced, everywhere. I can't say the number is very large, I don't think it is, but it's everywhere. So there is progress? Oh, a lot, quite a lot. There are signs, there are even fro

January 8, 1966 (Mother reads aloud a letter by Sri Aurobindo which she intends to publish in the February issue of the "Bulletin":) "The only creation for which there is any place here is the supramental, the bringing of the divine Truth down on the earth, not only into the mind and vital but into the body and into Matter. Our object is not to remove all 'limitations' on the expansion of the ego or to give a free field and make unlimited room for the fulfillment of the ideas of the human mind or the desires of the ego-centred life-force. None of us are here to 'do as we like', or to create a world in which we shall at last be able to do as we like; we are here to do what the Div