About the Book
This book contains a selection of the Mother's conversations during the periods 1929-31 and 1950-58. Speaking to members of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and students of its school, she drew upon her unique occult, spiritual and practical experience to answer their questions. The topics range from the spiritually elevated and philosophically complex to the practical and mundane. Taken as a whole, the conversations offer an uplifting vision of human existence. In the Mother's view, we are destined to outgrow our limited ego-centric personalities, discover our true selves, and ultimately create a divine life on earth.
The compilation covers a broad range of subjects in considerable depth, taking up many issues that are rarely treated elsewhere. Yet the general tone of the conversations is informal and intimate. There are many long passages in which the Mother brings in personal anecdotes, side stories and touches of humour. As she speaks, her personality comes out and the reader becomes, as it were, a member of the class, listening as she instructs and guides those gathered before her.
Publisher's Note
This book contains a selection of the Mother's conversations during the years 1929-31 and 1950-58. Covering a wide range of subjects in considerable depth, they give us a glimpse of her vision of existence. It is an inspiring vision of the future evolution of humanity and the promise of a divine life on earth.
The conversations belong to two distinct groups. During the first period, from 1929 to 1931, the Mother spoke informally with a small group of Ashramites who met her every week, answering questions about life and Yoga. During the second, from 1950 to 1958, she spoke to a larger audience, the Ashramites and students who attended her evening classes at the Ashram playground. The Mother often began by reading out to the class a passage from a work by Sri Aurobindo or herself. She then commented on the passage or invited questions on it. The conversations of 1929-31 were spoken in English; those of the 1950s were spoken in French and appear here in English translation.
The compilation was made by Georges Van Vrekhem. Details about the book are given in the Note on the Texts. There is also a Glossary for those who are not familiar with the terms used by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
Contents
1
The Divine and His Creation
God, the Divine, the Supreme
The Oneness of Everything
6
The Creation or Manifestation
13
The Origin of the World
25
The Why of Things
31
The Experience of the Divine
41
The Divine Mother
49
2
The Universe
The Unfolding of the Universe
55
The Unity of the Universe
65
The Earth and the Universe
73
3
The Human Species in Evolution
Progression of Forms
81
The Human Problem
88
The Collaboration of Nature
94
A Transitional Species
97
4
Plants and Animals
Trees and Flowers
101
Insects and Animals
103
Animals and Men
107
5
The Gradations of Existence and Their Expression in the Human Being
The Origin of Individuality
117
The Subconscient and the Subliminal
120
Matter and the Body
125
The Vital (The Life Force)
132
The Mental
136
Imagination
143
Reason, Inspiration, Intuition
150
The Overmind
162
The Psychic Being or Soul
What Is the Psychic Being?
165
Progress and the Psychic Being
176
The Delight of Being
182
Love
184
7
The Hostile Forces
The Hostile or Adverse Forces
191
Possession by Hostile Beings
194
Vital Incarnations
198
The Four Great Asuras
201
Hostile Possession and the Psychic Being
206
Resisting Hostile Forces
209
8
Illness and Death
Illness Is a Disequilibrium
213
Illness Comes from Outside
214
Microbes and Illness
218
Causes of Illness
220
Make a Beautiful Thing of Death
222
The Domain of Death
226
Heaven and Hell
231
9
Reincarnation or Rebirth
The Process of Rebirth
239
Memory of Past Lives
244
Rebirth and Psychic Development
245
Emanations of Evolved Beings
249
The Incarnation of Evolved Souls
253
Families of Souls
257
10
Free Will, Determinism, Karma, Grace
Freedom and Fatality
265
The Journey of the Supreme
274
The Intervention of the Grace
276
The Determinism of Death
279
"The Best Will Happen"
281
11
Religion and Spirituality
The Necessity of Religion
285
Religion and Spiritual Life
287
Mental Knowledge and Divine Truth
292
Spirituality and Active Life
297
Spiritual Life and Morality
301
Religion and Spiritual Experience
303
12
Science and Materialism
Understanding the World
309
Knowledge by Identification
317
Materialism and Spiritual Life
318
Miracles
321
"Chance"
325
Occultism
327
The Capacity for Occultism
333
The Occult World
337
The Practice of Magic
342
The Stone-Throwing Incident
346
Twelve Senses
347
Indications from Books
349
A Flu Epidemic in Japan
14
Day-to-Day Life
Make Use of Reason
353
Attraction and Repulsion
355
No Two Things Are Identical
357
Meat-Eating and Fasting
359
The Need for Diversity
363
Money
364
Sleep and Dreams
371
15
Art
385
Art and Yoga
388
Modern Art
398
Music
405
16
Education
Parents and Their Children
The Art of Living
411
Distinguishing Good and Evil
412
Learning to Know Oneself
417
A Child's Dreams
424
17
Yoga and Meditation
Why Yoga?
431
Yoga and Life
441
Difficulties and Progress
449
Experiences and Visions
455
The Right Attitude
460
The Ego
467
Organise Your Being
472
Purity, Aspiration, Humility
479
The Creative Word
482
Asceticism
483
Meditation
485
18
The Integral Yoga
An Integral Transformation
493
The Individual and the Collectivity
496
The Spiritual Hierarchy
504
Realisation of the Psychic Being
510
A Reversal of Consciousness
514
Aspiration
520
Surrender
528
Sincerity
533
Transformation of the Body
541
19
The Supramental
Towards the Supramental
551
The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth
571
A New World Is Born
576
The Evolution of Humanity
582
The Supramental Boat
589
20
The Present Situation
The Progress of Humanity
595
The Possibility of Catastrophe
597
The Possibility of Perfection
605
Life-Sketch of the Mother
611
Life-Sketch of Sri Aurobindo
613
Note on the Texts
615
Glossary
621
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