August 18, 1961 (Satprem began his book on Sri Aurobindo on August 15.) Have you been working? Yes. Ah! ... Good. Here (Mother gives some flowers), this is the Generosity [[Balsam. Also called 'Impatiens' because of the fruit's irritability: the instant it is touched, it explodes and projects its seeds far and wide. ]] of inspiration, and this is the crowning achievement [Divine Love [[Punica granatum (Pomegranate flower). ]] ]. So, petit, everything all right? ... Yes? A little difficult. That (pointing to the forehead) must remain silent.... Well, yes. ... Let it come from here (pointing to the heart). I am fully confident. Even if there is so

February 18, 1961 (Mother gives Satprem a flower she has named 'Supramental Action.' [[Barringtonia speciosa. ]] ) Don't you find it beautiful? How living, vibrant! Isn't it lovely! Oh, the other day I had some zinnias (Endurance) - literally works of art, as though each petal had been painted, and all together so harmonious and so varied at the same time. Oh, Nature is wonderful! ... In the end, we are just copycats, and clumsy ones at that. (after a moment of silence) Well, that's all. The situation remains the same. And your legs? Right in the subconscient, a subconscient ... oh, hopelessly weak and dull and ... (how to put it?) enslaved to a host of thin

July 12, 1961 (Regarding the last conversation, where Mother spoke of divine Perfection and of the series of invocations in her japa imploring the Lord to manifest his various aspects.) ... But Perfection is only one side, one special way of approaching the Divine. There are innumerable sides, angles, aspects - innumerable ways to approach the Divine. When I am walking, for example, doing japa, I have the sense of Unity (I have spoken to you of all the things I mention when I am upstairs walking: will, truth, purity, perfection, unity, immortality, eternity, infinity, silence, peace, existence, consciousness - the list goes on). And when one follows a particular tack and does suc

September 30, 1961 (Mother gives Satprem a flower she has recently named 'Unostentatious Certitude': Platycodon grandiflorum) This is the complete negation of 'bluff.' I find it very beautiful. When I saw this flower, it struck me as something very profound, very calm - absolutely sure, immobile. I don't know why, but the longer I looked at it, the more it gave that impression and when I was asked its significance, I said, 'Unostentatious Certitude.' It's what one might call a superlative good-taste in the realm of spiritual experience: something with greater content than it expresses. * (Following the letter Satprem had written to Mother the previous day regarding the book o

January 19, 1961 I am going to let you work. No work for me! I'm a little.... I haven't eaten for two days, so ... not very bright. It won't tire you if I read these texts? No. It's purely physical. It's because people.... When I came down, I felt fine. Only they kept me standing there, on and on. When I am seated, it's all right; but beyond a certain point, speaking also becomes difficult. * After the work: I think it would be wiser if I went back upstairs - although if I leave here too early, people will be waiting for me and I'll have to see them before going up. We could meditate a little; as soon as I meditate, everything is fine. (meditation) Page 31

July July 4, 1961 (Mother remarks in passing that the inspiration coming to her from Sri Aurobindo when she writes is sometimes in French and sometimes in English, and adds:) Sri Aurobindo told me he had been French in a previous life and that French flowed back to him like a spontaneous memory - he understood all the subtleties of French. How is your work going? Tomorrow I'll begin on 'Savitri.' O lucky man! What joy! You know, Savitri is an exact description - not literature, not poetry (although the form is very poetical) - an exact description, step by step, paragraph by paragraph, page by page; as I read, I relived it all. Besides, many of my own experiences that I

November 16, 1961 (Letter from Mother to Satprem on the occasion of his manuscript being sent to Paris:) 11-16-61 Satprem, my dear child, You were scheduled for the 21st and the Italian 'delegate' for the 23rd. I have switched it around, so on the 23rd you take the place of this lady, whom I will now see on the 21st. I find the book VERY BEAUTIFUL. With all my tenderness, Signed: Mother Page 390

August 25, 1961 (Mother gives flowers) This is Alchemy. [[Hymenocallis (Spider Lily). ]] And here! (Mother hands Satprem some cheese) I still have plenty, you know! It doesn't matter, mon petit, this is the last of it. I may have one or two boxes left, but that's all. How is the work going? I don't know. It doesn't matter. You must know how it's going! (Mother laughs) Yes! And I say: 'It doesn't matter if you don't say anything!' I knew you wouldn't! But it's going all right, it's all right. [319] Anyway, X has written to me (and to M. also), telling me he will be here on the 29th, but will have to leave on the 10th, so it won't be for Page 319 ve

May 30, 1961 After working: And you? What's new? I don't know very well where I stand. Oh, it's best not to know! Personally I have stopped - I have stopped trying to know. With the stubbornness of a child, I keep repeating to the Lord, 'It's time You change all this!' There are moments, you know, when you want to weep - which is idiotic! So you surrender it all to the Lord: 'I leave this work to You - do what You will, as You will, when You will.' And I try to be as tranquil as I can (Mother makes a gesture of mental immobility), but when you do so, you become aware of ... oh, it's like a swarm of flies coming - from here, from there, from above, from below, oh ...

February 25, 1961 (Mother gives Satprem some flowers.) This one is the Constant Remembrance of the Divine. [[Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle). ]] This is Life Energy [[Chrysanthemum, yellow. ]] and Purified Life Energy. [[Chrysanthemum, white. ]] Then Faithfulness [[Quisqualis indica. ]] : the peace of Faithfulness - Faithfulness to the Divine, of course, that's understood! This is Divine Solicitude [[Malvaviscus arboreus. ]] ;this is the Aspiration for Transformation, [[Millingtonia hortensis (Indian Cork Tree). ]] and the response: see how beautiful it is - like velvet! it's the Promise of Realization. [[Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium). ]] Here is Light Without Obs