December 21, 1968 There have been a lot, a whole lot of things these last few days.... But that's enough! (Mother has just listened to a conversation to be published in the next Bulletin). Do you have something to say?... what? Someone (not me) has asked a question. It seems it's "typical" of the questions people ask after reading your "Notes".... Would you like to know? It must again be something ... I'll read it to you: "While describing her experiences of lastAugust and September, the Mother refers to the 'exclusion of the mind and vital.' Why do they have to be eliminated for a rapid and effective transformation of the body? Doesn't the supramental consciousn

July 27, 1968 (Mother seems unwell.) No voice.... It's not getting any better? Page 213 The cold came down, and the day before yesterday I did something foolish: I took a medicine. It gave me a dreadful night and ... now it's difficult. It cut the consciousness off. So now it's difficult. The consciousness has come back, but ... And you, any news? If you could send a little force on my publisher over there: themanuscript of the "Human Cycle" is stranded there. Where? With my publisher, in Paris. [[For six years until 1973, Satprem had to fight before he could obtain the first publication of French translations of Sri Aurobindo's works. And when those pub

February 7, 1968 Something very amusing has happened to me with flowers. I had arranged roses; I had selected roses to give people, and when they came, I took a rose I had kept aside. But it had opened too much, it didn't look so nice anymore, so I looked, I thought, "Is it nice enough to be given?" I was holding it loosely, like that.... Mon Page 48 petit, under my very eyes it turned around and stuck its thorn into my finger! I've had other examples of consciousness in flowers, but this one was remarkable. When I take them and tell them that they're pretty and sweet, they open out - that often happens; but this one turned around (of course I wasn't holding it tight)

August 30, 1968 I thought it would be better to add a short introductory notebefore your last "Apropos," because not all those who read the Bulletin know what has happened. I propose to add this: "This Apropos was written by Mother following an ordeal that threatened her physical body." It's a bit dramatic! But after all, that's what happened. (After a silence) Yes, you're right, it's better to say it's a purely physical question - "over there," there are no more ordeals! Only the body needs them. (Then Satprem reads Mother the "Notes on the Way" put together from the last conversation. Mother is unsure whether publishing those experiences is appropr

January 17, 1968 (Regarding an old conversation of Mother's on "Savitri," noted down from memory by a young disciple.) They're so happy, so enthusiastic! Everyone comes and says, "Oh, how fine it is!" I thought, "How much must one err for people to find it fine! When one no longer errs, they no longer like it." There you are. And they want to publish it. * * * Soon afterwards, regarding a passage from the same text on "Savitri" Sri Aurobindo used to write at night, and in the night I would have the experience; in the morning he would read it to me and I would recognize my experience - I hadn't said anything to him, he hadn't said anything to me. Interesting ... B

January 20, 1968 (Mother gives Satprem a soup packet she hasn't even tasted.) You don't have the time to try it? It's no use. There is something trying hard to stop me from eating. I don't know.... I still eat out of ... (what should I say?) common sense, the old common sense. Of course, the body is still working in the old way, so the old means have to be used, but ... That's all. Page 34

June 15, 1968 Mother looks at an orange amaryllis It's pretty.... I don't know why, it always gives me the impression of a church.... Page 161 Yes, exactly! You too? Why?... It's very pretty. So I don't know why. It gives the impression ... of an artificial adoration! * * * Satprem reads Mother a letter of Sri Aurobindo: "In our yoga we mean by the subconscient that quite submerged part of our being in which there is no wakingly conscious and coherent thought, will or feeling or organized reaction, but which yet receives obscurely the impressions of all things and stores them up in itself and from it too all sorts of stimuli, of persistent habitual movements, c

November 30, 1968 For February 21 next, couldn't we broadcast at the Playground the recording of that very important conversation, you know, on the "central experience"? [[Conversation of November 23. Through the "Notes on the Way" or otherwise Satprem always wanted to make Mother's experience known to the Ashram, but did not at the time understand the reasons for her reluctance. ]] No. * * * Impossible to speak.... The body constantly feels it's learning - learning to live. And learning to be what it must be. Constantly, night and day. And that's all. It has everything to learn. And very acutely, the sensation that speech distorts, the word distorts.... The

November 23, 1968 I've had an interesting experience.... Not yesterday evening but the evening before, someone I won't name told me, "I am fully in the physical consciousness: no more meditations, and the Divine has become something up above, so far away...." Then, instantly, while he was speaking, the whole room FILLED with the divine Presence. "Oh," I told him, "Not up above: HERE, right here." And at that moment, EVERYTHING, the whole atmosphere ... you know, the very air seemed to change into divine Presence (Mother touches her hands, her face, her body): you understand, everything was touched, touched, permeated, but with ... above all, there was a dazzling Light, a Peace like th

January 1, 1968 (Message for the new year:) Remain young, Never stop striving towards Perfection. Mother Page 17