December 6, 1972 (The night of the 5th, a violent cyclone struck Pondicherry. At Nandanam, in the middle of the devastated garden, a white hi biscus bloomed. Satprem places the flower on Mother's knees.) A "Grace" flower bloomed in the thick of the cyclone, Mother. (silence) (One can hear the axes hacking away at the broken branches of the great yellow flame tree called "Service," which spreads its foliage above Sri Aurobindo's tomb.) Page 321 The tree that gave me all my "Transformation" flowers [from Satprem's garden] is broken. The "Service" tree also: some of its branches have been torn off. Usually it didn't come this way.... The consciousness m

January 12, 1972 Do you happen to remember where I wrote the twelve attributes of the Mother (the symbol with twelve petals)? There's one, four, and twelve. Yes, I think it was for Auroville. For Auroville? But I said it years ago.... Page 27 I saw it recently. The twelve? (Sujata goes out in search of the paper) On this one there aren't any details. (Mother extends a note in English) The Mother's Symbol The central circle represents the Divine Consciousness. The four petals represent the four powers of the Mother. The twelve petals represent the twelve powers of the Mother manifested for Her Work. January 24, 1958 The Mother (silence)

April 12, 1972 (Mother shows Satprem a card with her photo and the following text in English printed on it.) No human will can finally prevail against theDivine's will. Let us put ourselves deliberately and exclusively on the side of the Divine and the victory is ultimately certain. The Mother Strange how human nature resists that. Ordinary human nature is such that it prefers defeat on its own terms to victory in another way. I am making amazing discoveries these days - just amazing. Human stupidity is abysmal. Abysmal. It's as if the Force I mentioned before [[The descent of February 21 (the "frightening pressure to compel the necessary progress"). See conversat

January 30, 1972 (Message from Mother:) Sri Aurobindo came upon earth to announce the manifestation of the supramental world. Not only did he announce this manifestation, but he also partially incarnated the supramental force and gave us the example of what we must do to prepare ourselves for this manifestation. The best way for us is to study everything he told us, strive to follow his example and prepare ourselves for the new manifestation. This gives life its true meaning and will help us to overcome all obstacles. Let us live for the new creation and we will become stronger and -stronger, while remaining young and progressive. Page 48

March 21, 1973 What's up? I saw you last night. (In a delighted tone) Aah! Oddly enough, I was trying to devise - to invent or construct-a new bed for you, as though yours wasn't comfortable. A bed that would allow you ... yes, to be a little more comfor table. I've no idea what it means! I do. It's very good! (laughter) Very good. (silence) What's the time? ... What would you like? [[Mother means contemplative silence, naturally. ]] Whatsoever you like. No! ... (laughing) I am at your disposal! You don't have anything to say? I've noticed I am becoming extremely sensitive. The least disturbance in the atmosphere and I get blows. Oh, me to

April 29, 1972 How are you? I don't know, so-so. Nothing particular? No, Mother, nothing particular. And you? Page 171 (silence Mother sits gazing) You are more conscious of what has to be demolished than of what is being built. Yes, it's true - yes, I am very conscious of that. Yes, of what must be demolished, but it's more interesting to be conscious of what's being built. But, Mother, when at every step you're made to face all sorts ofthings that aren't very ... that you want to get rid of. But that's down there (gesture to the ground). You must look above. (silence) But is it getting built in spite of all the resistance? Fortunately!

January 5, 1972 How are you? It still drags. (Mother gives Satprem her latest message) "Sri Aurobindo does not belong to any onecountry but to the entire earth. His teaching leads us towards a better future." (Then Mother listens to Satprem read a letter from a disciple who had felt a specially strong descent of force and was asking it it was related to the new year.) It is related to the year of Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo's Force will exert a pressure this year. I felt it immediately, on the very first of January. A strong pressure from his force, his consciousness, like this (Mother lowers both arms). (silence) Well then? Won't you say something?

May 13, 1972 (The subject here is the conversation of last April 2 with Auroville's architect, N. and U., when Mother was trying to bring some harmony among the three. The recording of the conversation, which was never returned to Satprem, started circulating in the Ashram in all kinds of distorted transcrip tions. Satprem's initiative in giving the tape, which was intended to preserve the authenticity of Mother's words, was diverted for a typical Ashram purpose: gossip and one-upmanship, each party using Mother's words to outdo the other. Nor do we know what happened to all the other similar recordings .... ) Did they give you that text? ... It was corrected

March 29, 1972 I received a letter from Y.L. You remember, last year she came to ask you Malraux's question about Bangladesh - Malraux wanted to participate in the struggle for Bangladesh. You told her to tell him he would have the answer when he came to India ... (Mother nods) ... He never came to India. He dropped his project aftermeeting Indira Gandhi [in Paris]. Oh? Yes, since India was officially going to war in Bangladesh, hedidn't think there was any more reason for him to get killed ... on the official side. So instead of going to Bangladesh, he went to the United States to meet Nixon. (Mother frowns) Well, anyway, Y.L.'s idea is to get Malra

July 8, 1972 Any questions? I always wonder what you do when you plunge in, like now? (after a silence) It's not always the same. (silence) The body tries to be entirely under the Divine's Influence. That's its all-consuming preoccupation. The most external form is the mantra: the body spontaneously repeats the mantra, but that's only the most external form. It tries. It tries to ... (gesture, hands open). It aspires and tries to receive nothing but the divine Force. Food is still the big stumbling block. The body knows it must still eat, but it isn't hungry; food just seems.... It eats out of habit and necessity. It takes very little, though. (Mother pl