August 4, 1971 (Mother makes several unsuccessful attempts to record her message in English for "All India Radio" for August 15, the beginning of Sri Aurobindo's Centenary year.) Today is the first day of Sri Aurobindo's centenary year. Though he has left his body he is still with us, alive and active. Sri Aurobindo belongs to the future; he is the messenger of the future. He still shows us the way to follow in order to hasten the realisation of a glorious future fashioned by the Divine Will. All those who want to collaborate for the progress of humanity and for India's luminous destiny must unite in a clairvoyant aspiration and in an illumined work. (Mother gives up, S

September 8, 1971 (After a long contemplative plunge.) It's really a period of transition for the body. The body is realizing, becoming conscious of what in it prevents it from being immortal, and at the same time of what can be immortal in it. It has had moments of agony as never before in its whole life -- in connection with death, which has never happened Page 236 before. And it has understood that its very constitution was causing this, and what it had to change. I am ... as though on the threshold of an extraordinary discovery, but.... (silence) I could put it this way: the why of death has become clear, and the how of immortality is ... (silence).... You

March 5, 1971 (Extract from Sujata's notebook, after a visit to Mother.) A warm, golden light emanates from Mother's eyes. It enters me. Page 63

October 27, 1971 What do you have to say? There's a practical problem, Mother.... (Mother gives a transformation flower) That's all. But that's enough!... A practical problem concerning thestatue of Sri Aurobindo in Calcutta. You know that the govern ment of Bengal decided[[By a resolution of 26 June 1971. ]] to erect a statue of Sri Aurobindo in place of Lord Curzon's -- the very man who had sought the divi sion of Bengal, and Sri Aurobindo had tried to stop him. Sri Aurobindo would take the place of Lord Curzon, across from the "Victoria Memorial." It's at the entrance to Calcutta. That's what they decided in principle. Then the government of Bengal

August 21, 1971 Do you have something to ask? I am wondering a lot what would have power over thephysical mind. How do you mean? For instance, you set the mantra going and it repeats itself fora certain time, and then whoosh! it goes off on a tangent and you get going on something else. I can't make it steady. Or else I have to re-start the movement mentally, by force. By applying the mind. (after a silence) I don't know, for me it comes spontaneously. At times it's very intense, very much in the forefront (depending very much on circumstances or the people present); at times it's ... like something very vast -- very vast -- and very tranquil (Mother ex

May 1, 1971 (Mother is late by more than an hour.) An avalanche.... So what do you have to say? Nothing special, Mother. And me neither!... I only have people quarreling. Anyway ... it will straighten itself out, maybe. I have sent many messages ... (Mother looks for some papers). A government minister came,[[From the state of Andhra Pradesh. ]] who has 400,000 workers on strike; they wrote me to ask him to have pity on the poor people (God knows what the story is!), but the gentleman came, gave me flowers, took my flower, and then ran off! I didn't have a chance to do anything. I wanted to tell him this: (Mother hands Satprem a note) Most of the suffering is

November 24, 1971 I always have the impression I had something to tell you.... (Mother tries vainly to remember. Then Satprem goes on to read several letters by Sri Aurobindo, and in particular this one, addressed to a Muslim disciple who wanted to leave the Ashram to practice his religion exclusively, taking with him and against their will his young brother, X, and his sister, Y.) "... As for X and Y, you have no claim over them and no right to control their thoughts and actions. X is of an age to choose and decide; he can think and act for himself and has no need of you to think and act for him. You are not his guardian, nor Y's; you are not even the head of the f

February 3, 1971 Now I am ready to listen to you. We also need a message for the 21st of February. What message? I don't know. What do you suggest?... I can say something, or else we can find a quotation. If you want to say something.... (silence) Well, I always say the same thing: a life consecrated to union with the Divine is the only life worth living.... A life consecrated to the Divine is the only life worth living. Will that do? Yes, Mother, it certainly will! You'll have to come here (to the right) to read, because.... I am better, I am reeducating my eyes, they're starting to see better. And I am going to reeducate my ear -- this one (the righ

March 4, 1971 (Mother replies to an Aurovillian:) (Question:) You said you did not want to make rules forAuroville. But recently you wrote, "Drugs are forbidden in Auroville." Have you changed your view of Auroville? Perhaps Aurovillians have not yet attained the level of consciousness expected of them. * * * "You must rise high enough in your consciousness so as to be above contradictions. That is the solution." Page 62

December 29, 1971 (Mother caresses Satprem's swollen eye.) No, no, it really doesn't hurt, Mother! ... Do you have anythingnew? It's moving -- moving fast. Because it's moving fast, it's excessive (gesture of straining). For example, during the same meal, I eat without even noticing it, solely in the divine consciousness, then all of a sudden I am back -- and I can't swallow anymore! I choke. It's very extreme, because it's going so fast. But I know what it is. I just gave a meditation to X.[[A Tantric adept to whom Mother gives a meditation every year on his birthday. ]] It is not AT ALL what it used to be ... (what shall I say?). There's a sort of quiet authorit