April 1, 1970 T. has asked me questions regarding the death of her brother, N.J. [[A young instructor of physical education who left his body a few years earlier. ]] It seems that a few months before his death, he knew he was going to die, and he said, "But I will come back in the Ashram." And his sister used to see him. I told her, "When he died, I know I led him to the place of rest - he may have come out of it." And when she told me about it, I concentrated a little, and one night, I saw; I saw him come back: he was in the body of a two- or three-year-old child. But I haven't seen him here - I don't know where he is. (silence) There's a very curious Aphorism I saw yesterday. I do

March 14, 1970 (Regarding the latest Aphorisms commented on by Mother.) 382 - Machinery is necessary to modern humanitybecause of our incurable barbarism. If we must encase ourselves in a bewildering multitude of comforts and trappings, we must needs do without Art and its methods; for to dispense with simplicity and freedom is to dispense with beauty. The luxury of our ancestors was rich and even gorgeous, but never encumbered. Page 97 383 - I cannot give to the barbarous comfort andencumbered ostentation of European life the name of civilisation. Men who are not free in their souls and nobly rhythmical in their appointments are not civilised.

March 4, 1970 (After reading the following aphorism) 135 - All disease is a means towards some new joy ofhealth, all evil and pain a tuning of Nature for some more intense bliss and good, all death an opening on widest immortality. Why and how this should be so, is God's secret which only the soul purified of egoism can penetrate. Yes, yes (Mother nods approvingly), that's what I am doing right now. And one has be really persevering. It's not to compliment myself, but I think it's not easy! Because as long as it's vital or mental, it's nothing - nothing at all! But when it becomes physical ... it's more difficult! (Mother laughs) This aphorism remains wholly, e

January 28, 1970 (Satprem first reads out to Mother his preface to the second edition of Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness. We publish it here to give the temperature of the times.) "The age of adventures is over. Even if we go to the seventh galaxy, we will go there helmeted and mechanised, and we will find ourselves exactly as we are: children in the face of death, Page 58 living beings who are not too sure how they live or why, nor where they are going. On the earth, as we know, the times of Cortez and Pizarro are gone: a single Machine hems us in, the trap is closing. But, as always, it turns out that our darkest adversities

June 3, 1970 Yesterday we started a work for Auroville, that is to say, we're basically trying to give people from "Aspiration" an idea, simply, of what Aurovilians want: why they are here and what they want. Because it appears that... in fact they've no idea about it. Each one of them came expecting something, but all that isn't coordinated, it's not clear. So R. asked me to clearly express important points. I thought it would be better to do it with the people so as to know what they themselves want, and to have them make an effort to find out. Otherwise ... So we started yesterday (Mother takes out a piece of paper). Yesterday I asked C. [a resident of Aspiration], "But why does one l

April 11, 1970 (Regarding a text of Sri Aurobindo about the difference between occult powers and the supramental realization.) "The physical Nature does not mean the body alone but the phrase includes the transformation of the whole physical mind, vital, material nature - not by imposing Siddhis [occult powers] on them, but by creating a new physical nature which is to be the habitation of the supramental being in a new evolution. I am not aware that this has been done by any Hathayogic or other process. Mental or vital occult power can only bring Siddhis of the higher plane into the individual life - like the Sannyasi who could take any poison without harm, but he died of a poison a

February 21, 1970 (Mother is ninety-two. She receives Satprem after the collective meditation. Before she speaks, Mother looks at him for a long time with an indescribable expression.) The body has received a gift this morning.... This morning, truly the Supreme Lord has taught it to be entirely His, and it was so wonderful!... The whole night - the whole night and morning - there seemed to be an absolutely concrete demonstration of how to be perfectly His.... Never, never had the body felt like that. Naturally, it's perfectly aware of what "grates" still - which is in fact why there are traces (they are just traces) of that famous attack, [[Mother is still coughing a little.

June 6, 1970 (Satprem reads out to Mother a letter he has received from F, a disciple who tried hard to intrude into the conversations between Mother and Satprem, notably under the pretext of translating Savitri into French. Maneuvering was beginning to make itself felt.) Page 227 It would alter the whole character of our meetings, don't youthink?... I wasn't keen on it. (Mother looks relieved) I think it's better she doesn't come. *** Wouldn't it be good to do the rest of the "Program for Auroville"with Aurovilians, since you started it?... I had them speak to see what they would tell me.... Almost all of them are terribly lazy, so I'd like to tell t

April 18, 1970 (Mother's voice sounds increasingly frail. This conversation perhaps contains the key of everything.) So, have you brought any questions today? Yes, Mother; there are also a few from her [pointing to Sujata]. Start with yours, then she will speak. I don't know if it's a "question," but ...I don't very well undestand the working of the subtle physical, or the relationship between the subtle physical and the material physical. For instance, you say that Sri Aurobindo is in the subtle physical, working to prepare the new world ... Yes. ... and that we too, at night, through a part of our being, oftenwork there to prepare ... what is

July 25, 1970 Years ago, I used to get B.'s notebook, and I would answer him. Then, once, I forgot it. Yesterday he wrote to tell me that he'd like to have his notebook back, and I found it again. And in it, there was a question I had left unanswered. So I answered.... This morning I "presented" that question [to the Lord], and it was as if it was waiting for the occasion. I received a reply ... simple, as always, but explaining the WHOLE, entire functioning. When I saw that, it was such an illumination that... everything became so simple! (I wrote it down, but it's nothing, it looks like a commonplace.) But it puts an end to all questions. It was absolutely wonderful! So instead of