September 4, 1968 (Mother had Nolini called to ask him for his opinion about the conversation of August 28 and whether it should be published in "Notes on the Way.") (To Nolini) Have you read it? What's your opinion? (Nolini) At first I hesitated regarding the publication, then Ithought, "If it has the same effect on others as it had on me, it will be good." (Mother laughs) As for me, I have nothing to say.... It's this poor body being educated. It's charming! (Nolini) So we'll publish it, won't we? (Satprem) We could also ask Pavitra? Pavitra will say, "As Mother says"! ... I, for one, find it very useful. Those who will misunderstandwill misunderst

June 5, 1968 I have a question about P.L. There are two new facts. First, afew years ago, P. L. was in touch with an extremely rich Ameri can woman, whom he helped. That woman is very grateful to P. L. and would like to give him one million dollars for a charity. That would come in handy! Yes, but she's very Catholic. That was at a time when P.L. was in orders. Page 155 Is she Catholic? Yes, she's even very pious. A nice woman, it seems. So P. L. asksif he shouldn't try to explain to her what he's doing here, to send her a few of your books and see how it acts. It might make her turn to something more interesting? Isn't she a woman who wants "

June 29, 1968 Did you get any news from P.L.? I got a letter in which he said he'd arrived and was beingurgently summoned to the Vatican at 10 A M. the same day. He didn't say anything. There's been no letter since. Yes, in other words he hasn't told the result, he hasn't said anything about it. And as if by chance, Msgr. R. left for Spain the day P.L. arrived. He didn't meet him. I don't believe in chance. * * * Later It's a continuous experience, day and night, and so crowded, so intense that ... it's impossible to describe. It's as if I were making a discovery every minute. (long silence) Every minute a discovery. You know, an absolutely a

November 27, 1968 (Mother has a severe cold. In fact, she has been in the same painful curve since July.) What you said last time could perhaps be used for theFebruary Bulletin? It seems very important.... I don't remember at all. You touched the "central experience" of the transformation. Oh, that's right. It's going on.... The body has the impression that it's beginning to understand. For it, naturally, there are no thoughts at all - none at all; but it's states of consciousness. States of consciousness complementing one another, replacing one another.... To such a point that the body wonders how one can know with thought; for it, the only way of knowing, the o

January 6, 1968 I wanted to show you something, then I forgot. Maybe you've seen it? It's something I am supposed to have said to M. years ago, many years ago, about Savitri; he noted it down in French, and quite recently (that is, perhaps three or four weeks ago), he showed me what he had noted.... And as it happens, he showed it not only to me but to others (!). They've translated it into English and now they want me to read it aloud so they can play it at the Playground. I wanted to revise the French with you, but they want it in English. The English isn't too good, but that doesn't matter.... They are all enthusiastic and happy - as for me, I don't like it, because the form of it is

December 28, 1968 (After listening to the music composed by Sunil for the New Year.) Did you like it? It's very beautiful, very powerful. Isn't it! And it creates an atmosphere. Usually I play some music for him, and he composes from it, but this time I didn't play, so he took some old pieces of mine; with that he makes contact and composes. An American musician has come here, and I sent him to Sunil (he's a pianist). He said he'd heard some of Sunil's music there, in America, and at first people are a bit bewildered, but that when they've heard it several times, they become quite enthusiastic. As for me, I find it creates an atmosphere: it BRINGS DOWN an atmosphe

February 10, 1968 (Mother uses an English word for a French one.) Strangely, the English word now comes to me more easily than the French one. I know very well why: it's because in that part I am constantly in contact with Sri Aurobindo, so when I need a word, it's in his storehouse that I find it! Whereas with me, here (gesture to the forehead), it's becoming quite fine ... very fine! * * * (Regarding the crush in the Ashram and around Mother.) It's absolutely obvious, absolutely indisputable that all this, that is, all the circumstances of life, all that happens, has been willed, decided on, organized. And it's the best possible training for the body. It's to give it thr

March 29, 1964 Satprem, my dear child, People are raining like locusts! On Tuesday, I have to see four of them before you. I will try to rush it, but I am telling you so that you take your time and don't hurry. With tenderness and blessings Signed: Mother (Two lines from "Savitri" sent along with this note, on the occasion of March 29, the date when Mother and Sri Aurobindo first met ... fifty years earlier:) Page 103 Because thou art, men yield not to their doom, But ask for happiness and strive with fate. (VII.IV. 507) Page 104

January 22, 1964 (Mother looks tired and seems to have a cold. First she quotes from memory a note she has written in English:) The true purpose of life: to live for the Divine or to live for the Truth, or at least to live for one's soul.... That's the minimum. And then: And the true sincerity: to live for the Divine without expecting any benefit from Him in return. I said this yesterday or the day before, because I was very angry with the Ashram people! ... We are going through a very difficult period financially, and so, you know, people ... they respect you only as long as you have money; when you have no more money, they don't respect you anymore - and they find it so s

July 31, 1964 (Satprem files all sorts of loose scraps of paper - Mother's "notes" - and stumbles on this one, which he reads aloud:) "They consent to worship a god only if that god suffers for them." That was in connection with the new Pope's election, and with Christ on his cross (Mother remains silent). They [the Catholics] are furiously active in France. Yes ... Oh, but there has been something new here. Very recently, three days ago, a messenger from the Pope came to visit Pondicherry and, naturally, to meet the archbishop. There was a public reception - and the archbishop invited people from the Ashram officially! ... Z was Catholic and he went, and it seems the deleg